How to Check Your Files for Rich Black

Black made from 100% K ink alone can look flat or slightly gray on large areas like backgrounds, borders, and big headlines. Adding some cyan, magenta, and yellow underneath produces a deeper, richer black.

For rich black, use these values and don’t go higher:

C 60% / M 50% / Y 50% / K 100%

Higher values put too much ink on the press. The ink spreads, and thin lines, small type, and fine details can fill in and disappear.

Keep total ink under 300%. Add up the C, M, Y, and K values for any area of your design. The total should never be more than 300%.

Use plain black for small text. Body copy, small type, and thin lines should be 0/0/0/100, not rich black. If the four inks shift even slightly on press, rich black text can look blurry or show colored edges.

Don’t trust your screen. Blacks that look identical on your monitor can print very differently. Always check the actual CMYK values in your files.

Checking your files

• Photoshop: Open the Info panel (F8), click the panel menu, and choose Panel Options. Set Second Color Readout to Total Ink. As you move your cursor over the image, the panel shows the total ink value at that spot.
• InDesign: Go to Window > Output > Separations Preview and choose Ink Limit from the View menu. Set it to 300%. Any area over the limit will be highlighted in red.
• Acrobat Pro: Open All tools> Use print production > Output Preview, check Total Area Coverage, and set it to 300%. Areas over the limit will be highlighted.

To fix a black that’s too heavy in Photoshop, go to Image > Adjustments > Selective Color, choose Blacks, and reduce cyan, magenta, and yellow until you’re back within the values above.

If you’re not sure your file meets these specs, contact us before you submit and we’ll take a look.