In trapping cases involving smaller type, the eye can easily register changes in the shape of dark objects. To avoid the type appearing overly bold, shrink the background (choke). When there is light text on a dark background, use the spread technique, which allows the text to “spread out” across the darker background, making the text appear bolder, so that the dark background doesn’t choke out the text. When it is the opposite, dark text on a light background, using the choke technique prevents the dark text from spreading across the light background, keeping it from looking too thick or fuzzy because of ink gain.

Thank you for coming along on this journey with me! There are so many things to remember when preparing print designs. We want them to turn out as best as possible for our clients, and trapping techniques are a great way to ensure that there is no misregistration.