ketsu ケツ

Keywords
Art History
Painting

The smudges that result on a woodblock print *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 if the areas between the raised ridges on the printing block have not been completely carved out. When the carved out areas are not deep enough, there is a danger that they will be inked during printing and cause smudges, ketsu on what should have been the blank background of the finished print.