The characteristic of impression materials that is essential for the precise capture of undercut areas during impression making is elastic recovery.

- When an impression is removed from the mouth, especially from areas with undercuts, the material undergoes deformation.
- To ensure that the impression accurately replicates the oral structures without distortion, the material must be able to return to its original shape after being stretched or compressed.
- This ability is known as elastic recovery.

- Tear strength is important to prevent the material from tearing when removed, but it does not affect how well the material recovers its shape.
- Setting time refers to how long the material takes to harden, which affects working time but not the accuracy of capturing undercuts.
- Dimensional stability refers to the ability of the material to maintain its shape over time after setting, but it is not directly related to capturing undercuts during removal.

Therefore, excellent elastic recovery ensures the impression material can deform to escape undercuts during removal and then return to its initial shape, thus producing an accurate and precise impression.

Reference: Craig’s Restorative Dental Materials, 13th Edition, Chapter 12 - Dental Impression Materials, Page 393