15th EditionAppendix A : Design and Production—Basic Procedures
and Key Terms Principle of offset printing. A plate is wrapped
around and fastened to the plate cylinder. Water applied by the
dampening rollers adheres only to the background area of the
plate; ink applied by the inking rollers adheres only to the dry
image of the type on the plate. As the plate cylinder revolves,
it transfers the ink to the rubber blanket of the blanket
cylinder, which in turn transfers (or offsets) it onto the
paper, which is held in place by the impression cylinder.