CMYK Colour Values

J

Jamo

Member
Anybody got any idea what I would need to set a background colour as (CMYK) to print a rich black. It would need to be the darkest, richest black possible?

Thanks for your help.
 
I usually just add approx 16 Cyan, any where up to 30%Cyan can help, but it will depend on the printers, and the type of project it is for...

Perhaps a little more information on the project would help, such as obviously this is for print, but is it for business cards that will have very small writing on it, and magazine advert - will the text over the black be large and blocky, or will it be small and fine??
How will the project be printed?
If it is an advert, will it ever be used in newspaper print?
 
Mark has a good point. Further information on text size would be relevant.

If it is text heavy never use 4 plate (rich black) as the printer then has to trap 4 plates perfectly or your text is going to be blurred.

If I'm doing something where fine detail isn't an issue I use C:60 Y:40 M:60: K100 (260%)


Most printers like to use anywhere between 250% - 300% ink limit (density), any more than that and the paper will be coated with too much ink and can wrinkle.

If its for newspaper or thin magazine articles then you are best to limit your total ink density to 225%.
 
This CMYK business is quite complex. That's another thing I'll have to learn, I guess it comes with experience though.
 
Pixels Ink said:
If its for newspaper or thin magazine articles then you are best to limit your total ink density to 225%.
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Yup know all about that with doing adverts for papers.

Like my boss says - newsprint is one very small step up from toilet roll :icon_lol:
 
Thanks guys, it is just for a business card and the text is quite bold so no worries with regards to really thin text.

What do you think of C:20% M:0 Y:0 K:100%

Or should I go with something higher like Pixel suggests?

Again, thanks for your help :)
 
Some good info there guys, as Col mentions if fine detail isn't an issue we would suggest 100% Black and 30% for the remaining 3 colours.
 
You could just ask the printers what rich black would work best on their press. I've found sometimes if I use a certain rich black with one it might look different with another (had one come out with a slight blue tint that bugged the hell out of me). If I choose to use rich black now I just throw in 50/50/50/100
 
You could just ask the printers what rich black would work best on their press.
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Thats your best bet.

A fair bit of my own design is for newspapers THIS IS ONE OF MINE, AND ANOTHER (the Rotty ones do like black for some reason) They both printed 100% correct, considering who printed and the fact it was on the next step up from bog roll, as Steve mentions. Both the above blacks where produced using 20%Cyan and 100% Black with nothing much else.

The one thing you really got to be carefull of is the size and "fine-ness" (if thats even a word) of any text on top of the black, it's not really an issue for digital print, but for litho and ESPECIALLY newspaper print - newspaper print can shift out of register, and if you look at some of the cheaply produced newspapers (usually the freeby local rags) you may see this, especially if it's a friday afternoon print run:icon_rolleyes: .
 
Yea - looks horrible when the plates go out of alignment and you have fine text on black - just goes wrong in newspapers.
 
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