A circular spot or halo that appears in solid areas of printed ink. It is caused by dried ink skin, paper dust, or dirt sticking to the printing plate or offset blanket. The debris blocks ink transfer in a small radius, leaving a dark center surrounded by an unprinted white ring.
Heard on the job
We've a massive hickey in the cyan solid on page four, so stop the press and wash the blanket.
Insider tip
A hickey with a white ring usually means paper dust, while a solid dark spot points to dried ink flakes.
Also heard as
- bullseye
- fish eye