Homonym: offset (Adjustment)
An "offset" refers to a counterbalancing or compensating factor that helps to neutralize or reduce the impact of something. In various contexts, such as finance or environmental science, offsets can be used to balance out negative effects. For example, in carbon offsetting, individuals or companies invest in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for their own emissions.
In manufacturing and printing, an offset can also describe a technique where an image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. This method allows for high-quality prints and is widely used in commercial printing. The term can also apply to the physical distance between two points in design or architecture.