Laydown is the term for how well a colored pencil deposits color onto the paper with every stroke.
A pencil with smooth, even laydown produces a consistent layer of color.
Uneven laydown may appear patchy, streaky, or grainy, with some areas receiving more color than others.
Generous laydown is a pencil which deposits a very thick layer of material.
Light laydown is a thinner application.
Pencils with light laydown are often the ones where you find yourself automatically pressing harder. Many colorists mistake this for pencil “hardness” but there are many hard colored pencils with extremely generous laydown. This is one reason why artist’s pay extra for artist grade pencils, allowing us to have firm AND generous pencils.
Laydown is not the same as color payoff. A pencil can deposit a thin, pale layer very evenly, while another may produce intense color with an inconsistent or patchy application.