The Vault
Troubleshooting guide
What causes hickies (donut-shaped spots) on my offset print and how do I get rid of them?
Posted by the SuperPrinters team · 7/26/2026
Small circular spots appear randomly in solids — a printed or unprinted speck surrounded by a white halo, like a donut or bullseye — and the same spots keep recurring until the particle is removed. Most often caused by dried ink skin flaking off the fountain, can lip, or ink train (ink hickies), among other possible causes — a full step-by-step diagnostic and fix follows below.
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