Anyone know if this is inkjet?

[Laurens]

If it's from Amazon (who know all about you) and it is for Prime members (who are their most loyal customers), can't it be a one-off with content specifically targeting your interests? In that case it is bound to be inkjet. Maybe we shouldn't look at the dots but at the content of the first few pages. If they are different for everyone, we have our answer.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

If it's from Amazon (who know all about you) and it is for Prime members (who are their most loyal customers), can't it be a one-off with content specifically targeting your interests? In that case it is bound to be inkjet. Maybe we shouldn't look at the dots but at the content of the first few pages. If they are different for everyone, we have our answer.

I would honestly be confused if they weren't doing this. But perhaps there is a segmentation system where 60% of the customers can be mailed the same object. I'm sure there is some heavy cost-benefit optimization occurring.

 

[Schnitzel]

The dots are outside the character are inkjet satellites from spray. It may be a high resolution head with very small drops, but the satellites are disappointing.

Doesn't look like satellites to me. Satellites always follow a previous drop in the substrate's movement direction, and usually comprise only 1 or 2 drops. These look like a highlight area of black ink.

@printing4me I'm surprised no one suggested this yet: smell the print! If the inner pages are not coated with varnish or anything, an offset print gives off a distinctive smell.

 

[Risu]

HP inkjet press

 

[kinni88]

There are usually two types of "satellite drops. In one case depending on the head manufacturer, a printhead may be designed to jet additional ink to lubricate the head, to keep the nozzles fresh and and hopefully unclogged. Memjet does this with a yellowish tint.
In other instances, as you increase the distance of the printhead from the substrate, some printheads/inks will lose the ink of fluid before the ink hits the substrate (like a mist dropping additional minute dots). This can be controlled by power, temperature or ink wave forms.

 

[kinni88]

Don't call it "Roto", just call it Gravure, or if you really want to impress someone with your printing knowledge, call it Intaglio
Many long run magazines used to be printed gravure, I'm not sure which ones in the USA, but publications like Women's Weekly which had huge circulations in their heyday were printed that way. I would expect Time Magazine and similar would be candidates for gravure over there.

Quad had the largest Gravure plants in the world -- primarily for printing Playboy mag. the Hefners and management wanted the images to be gravure printed. That was back when that "stuff" was actually printed.