In printing and graphic arts, mixing of two dissimilar colors in two adjacent printed dots before they dry and absorb in substrate is referred to as color bleeding. [1] Unless it is done for effect, color bleeding reduces print quality.
Prior art applied this term to the phenomenon of single color ink following the fibers of the paper. [2]
The amount of bleeding is affected by numerous factors, including the paper type, [3] paper's characteristics of ink absorption and its capillary action, [4] ink type and properties (speed of ink drying), printing technology (i.e. nozzle design and spacing with ink jet printers).