A printing ink defect characterized by a wrinkling or cracking of a printed ink film believed to be caused by a contraction of a drying ink film, occurring when solvent is removed too quickly from the drying ink film. Crazing occurs most often on plastic substrates, typically plastics that are sensitive to solvents. Incorrect resin formulation can also be a cause.
Crazing is also known as checking and gas crazing (when the ink vehicle is formulated from tung oil).