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mitchell_pgh · Jul 13, 2005, 01:55 PM

When making a "rich" black, what do you use.

I'm creating an ad and want the black to be very dark... I've seen where some will add a little cyan to the black to get it even deeper... or is that just a bad idea?

I was thinking 5%-15%

siMac · Jul 13, 2005, 02:11 PM

You can go as much as 50-60% cyan if you want.

Personally I use 40c 30m 20y 100k for a nice deep black. Just try not to take your ink over 200%, especially if it's a large area.

micahgartman · Jul 13, 2005, 04:01 PM

I'm a fan of 30/20/20/100...

mitchell_pgh · Jul 13, 2005, 04:15 PM

Thanks for the info!

Just to confirm... it's "normal" to make a rich black?

I've never done it before... which is sad.

micahgartman · Jul 13, 2005, 05:14 PM

It's quite normal. If your printing offset, though, you may consider using an AQ or a varnish--a rich black ALWAYS attracts fingerprints...

mitchell_pgh · Jul 13, 2005, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by micahgartman

It's quite normal. If your printing offset, though, you may consider using an AQ or a varnish--a rich black ALWAYS attracts fingerprints...

It's actually for a print ad... but thanks for the info. should I do something a little more substantial.

siMac · 05:58 PM

Yes, it is completely normal to use a rich black.

But never, ever, use it for text...

mitchell_pgh · Jul 13, 2005, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by siMac

Yes, it is completely normal to use a rich black.

But never, ever, use it for text...

What... you can't get rich black in register

art_director · Jul 14, 2005, 09:24 AM

The above techniques are quite common. A mere 30% cyan will even go a long way.

eyevaan · Jul 14, 2005, 01:02 PM

I have to agree with the single color enrichment, easier to register and control. Use Cyan for a cool effect and Magenta to warm it up.

As for KOs in a rich black area - you use a spread back on the type which holds back the 3 color and makes it so you only register the black with a standard trap on press. Most highend RIPs actually do this for you if you set the curve correctly. I have seen it also done by the imagesetter on output instead of the RIP.

I have been out of print for a while... what happened to 300% ink strength? 60, 50, 40, 100 [CMYK] was a standard for a long time in the print shops themselves and would even occasionally going higher. What happened to make is that you can get away with less? I would like to know just to stay up-to-date with changes.

Corys · Jul 15, 2005, 12:09 PM

i've always just gone with 40C and 10M, I would personally try to stay away from using yellow. Depending on press sequence, many times the yellow can just sit ontop of the black ink - producing a very muddy looking black.

bkelly · Jul 18, 2005, 02:19 PM

The key to making a good rich black is to have the c,m,y make a neutral gray. That way you don't get a warm or cool shift, your black looks black. We always run 40,30,30,100.

mitchell_pgh · Jul 18, 2005, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by bkelly

The key to making a good rich black is to have the c,m,y make a neutral gray. That way you don't get a warm or cool shift, your black looks black. We always run 40,30,30,100.

Interesting...

because registration might be an issue (magazine ad) I went with the K and Magenta + 40 technique. I thought long and hard about the CMY bump, but thought it would look bad if one was out of registration considering I had knocked out text.

Thanks everyone!!!