Printing defects, also known as printing errors, occur with laminate flooring. Just as printing defects occur with other printed products, such as wallpaper.
We often hear, “What do you mean printing defects? This is wood flooring!”.Some of the components of laminate floors are composed of wood, but laminate is neither a solid wood floor nor an engineered wood floor.
Most laminate flooring is partially made of wood products such as paper and high-density fiberboard. HDF is made of wood residues (sawdust, shavings, and wood chips). The wood grain you see is a decorative layer printed on paper. With printing, printing defects will occur.
Printing defects (errors) are caused by such problems as colorant drips, drags, starvation and leaks.
A printing defect known as drag lines can occur as the paper runs through the rollers and bars of the printing press. The colorant may have become scraped when wet, and the colorant came in contact with the rollers of the press, resulting in lines that may be blank.
A printing error can also occur when ink runs out or the color level becomes low. With this printing defect part of the pattern may appear faded or the printing error may have resulted in no color on a portion of the pattern.
The printing defect in photo 1 consist of a solid spot on the laminate floors printed design. There is absolutely no question that it is a manufacturing printing error. While it is a manufacturer related defect it is an obvious printing error and the plank should not have been installed. Highly visible defects such as this are called “visual defects.” Visual defects are manufacturing errors such as printing defects that are visible at the time of installation. The manufacturer will often pass visual defect problems on to the installer as the plank should not have been installed. The manufacturer may only cover the cost of the replacement board and only if reported in a timely matter.
In this image, there are lines in the pattern that are faded and other portions where the pattern lines appear to have no colorant on them. This defect is often lighting dependent and sometimes very difficult to see during installation unless in just the right light. The laminate manufacturer may or may not recognize this printing defect as a legitimate claim for plank replacement. Severity and location are usually important considerations for this manufacturing error.
Final Thoughts
Although printing defects in laminate flooring do not compromise structural integrity or performance, they are considered visual flaws. If a plank with such a defect is installed, manufacturers typically reject warranty claims, citing installer responsibility. To correct the issue, the affected plank must be removed and replaced—making careful inspection before installation essential.
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