Different Blacks

Even if all blacks look the same on your monitor, they print differently depending on how much ink is used. Please use the correct black for each purpose.

1. K100% (Process Black / Standard Black)

K:100% only

• Best choice for text, small characters, and thin lines
• Less ink → dries quickly and prints cleanly
• Use for: Body text, barcodes, fine lines

2. Rich Black (e.g., C30 M30 Y30 K100)

A deeper black made by adding CMY to K

• Not suitable for small text or thin lines
• More ink → slower drying and higher risk of smudging (set-off)
• Keep total ink under 250%
• Use for: Large black areas, backgrounds

3. 4-Color Black (C100 M100 Y100 K100)

Not recommended

• Ink load is too high and may cause printing problems
• Choosing the right black
• Text / thin lines: Use K100%
• Large solid areas: Use Rich Black

K100% objects are automatically printed with overprint, meaning the background color may show through slightly.

To avoid this “show-through,” use one of the following:

• Change K100% → K99%
• Add 1% of C, M, or Y (example: C1% + K100%)
• Use Rich Black

(Overprint settings are not checked during data inspection.)

For 1-color black orders:
If your file contains Rich Black in a 1C order, we will convert it to grayscale before printing.