“Scuffed” is a defect in the printing and publisher’s language that occurs on the surface of a printing material or publication. “Scuffed” usually occurs due to rubbing or scraping the printed item against any other object during transportation or handling that affects the finish quality.
The page or cover will have visible scrape marks, abrasions, and scratches if a printed material gets scuffed up. However, this defect can happen at any phase of the production process, handling, transportation, or even during production, for instance.
Some of the causes of scuffing are friction between multiple printed items or printed items and other objects, poor packaging or storage, mishandling during transportation, or due to machinery and equipment employed in printing.
Scuffs can ruin the professionalness of printed materials, thereby decreasing their marketability and, hence, value. The visual appeal of printed items could be reduced by scuffed pages or covers, making them look worn out or damaged. To this end, publishers, printers, and distributors try as much as possible to use reasonable handling procedures, protective packaging material, and various quality controls in the production and distribution phases to ensure that they prevent the incidence of scuffing as far as possible.
These may include using shrink-wrap or slipcases, cushioning materials within packages, or even taking caution when handling them. Additionally, selecting suitable paper finishes and coatings on printed matter helps minimize wear and tear caused by everyday handling, lowering the risk of scuffing.
Scuffed means the blemish caused by the scrape or rubbing of the print items on other rough surfaces, and it is an unwanted flaw that can compromise the look and quality of the printed documents.