Prepress & Color Control Queries, ZQA

Dot Gain: The Cause of Gray Balance Loss

What is Tone Value Increase (TVI), and why is this defect the main cause of Gray Balance shift in printing?

Tone Value Increase (TVI), or Dot Gain, refers to the phenomenon where the physical size of the Halftone/Dot on the printed substrate becomes larger than the size created on the plate. This physical expansion causes the color in that area to appear darker than the designer intended. Dot Gain is the single most critical factor in color shift and the loss of Gray Balance in four-color printing. Since TVI darkens CMYK colors on the press, the Quality Control team must manage this color alteration by accurately setting the printer's output for every combination of paper and ink.

Aligned with: ISO 12647 / G7 / Color Management Workflows