This action brings the press from a clean state to being fully charged and ready to print. The operator applies a measured bead of ink to the roller train, letting the cylinders run against each other to mill the ink into a smooth, even film. It also refers to the historic practice of coating leather rollers with oil to keep them supple between jobs.
Heard on the job
Give the press five minutes to ink up so the distribution rollers are completely covered before we pull a proof.