Underpress

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To apply too little pressure when printing, stamping, or pressing something so that the result comes out faint or incomplete
2. To press an object with less force than is needed, leaving the impression, print, or compacted material insufficiently formed
3. To impress or compress a surface too lightly during printing or pressing, producing a weak or unevenly marked result

Etymology: "Underpress" is a plain English compound: the prefix "under-", meaning insufficiently or too little, attached to "press." The verb has the same sense as "underinflate" or "underdeliver," applied to printing and pressing, where it means applying too little force or pressure so the impression comes out faint, blotchy, or incomplete. "Press" itself comes through Old French "presser" from Latin "pressare," a frequentative of "premere," to press, which is also the root of "pressure" and "impression." Its sense of pressing on paper or cloth was established long before the prefix was added. The "under-" element is one of the oldest productive prefixes in English, going back to Old English "under," and it has long been used to form verbs of insufficient action such as "undercook," "underrate," and "underpay." Because printers and tailors regularly speak of getting the pressure right, the compound fills a practical gap that the simpler "press" cannot express on its own.