The Vault
Troubleshooting guide
Text and edges look fuzzy and colors mottle on uncoated paper — how do I stop ink bleed and feathering?
Posted by the SuperPrinters team · 7/26/2026
Fine text and image edges look fuzzy or ragged and ink spreads along the paper fibers (feathering/wicking), while solids and mid-tones look blotchy or uneven (mottle) on absorbent, uncoated stock. Most often caused by wrong media — uncoated or offset stock with no inkjet-receptive coating, so water-based ink wicks into the fibers, among other possible causes — a full step-by-step diagnostic and fix follows below.
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