When a document is sent to a home printer, the device draws in a sheet of paper, applies ink to create text and images, and ejects the finished page onto the output tray.
Immediately after printing, the paper rests flat. Its surface appears smooth and level, with straight edges touching the tray evenly. No distortion or lift is visible at this stage.
Time elapses as the paper sits undisturbed. It retains its original flat posture, showing no alteration in shape or position during this interval.
Later, the edges of the paper rise and curl. The sheet develops a clear bend, with portions lifting away from the tray surface.
The printing marks the initial cause, followed by a period of no observable change. The curling appears only after the delay, revealing how latency separates the action from its visible result.