{"id":1144,"date":"2019-11-18T18:33:36","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T18:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.printivity.com\/insights\/?p=1144"},"modified":"2026-09-12T01:17:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T01:17:07","slug":"why-your-design-is-not-printing-the-darkest-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insights.printivity.com\/why-your-design-is-not-printing-the-darkest-black","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Design Is Not Printing The Darkest Black"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you receive your prints and were disappointed that the\nblack did not print as dark as was shown on the screen? This is because there\nare different ways to design for \u201cblack\u201d. Each one of these methods should be\napplied for different purposes. Once you know the difference between the three\ncommon methods, you will see an immediate result on your next print project!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Get<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The difference between designing for digital and print<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, let\u2019s start with the basics of color theory when\ndesigning. Remember learning about the light prism<\/a> in science\nclass? When light passes through the clear glass prism, it shows that the light\nis made up of a combination of colors. Designing for digital media is the prism\nworking on your computer screen. RGB is an additive color spectrum, meaning\nwhen red, green, and blue lights are combined, they create white. While the\nabsence of the light or color appears as black. A computer monitor projects\nvarying color values of the three color values to create more than 16\nmillion color combinations.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Light
When white light passes through a glass prism, it will separate into primary colors.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A subtractive color spectrum needs to be used since light is not emitted when printing. Designing for print requires the combination of the colors <\/a>cyan, magenta, and yellow together to cover the light background of the sheet (which is usually white). However, adding the three colors together will print a brownish color and not black. This is why black (K) was added for four color printing and forming CMYK. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"RGB<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Lightest Black<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Amateur designers will commonly create black using C 0, M 0,\nY 0, K 100. This color value, often called \u201cflat black\u201d or \u201cprocess black\u201d, is\nused when using printing in black and white. This is most likely the mistake\nyou made if your prints turned out lighter than what you thought you had\ndesigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The black toner will absorb into the paper and the printed\nresults are a dull, grey-like black. When printing smaller fonts, like what you\nwould see in a manual, the depth of the black might not be noticeable. However,\nwhen \u201cflat black\u201d is used for designs that cover larger spaces, the dull color is more noticeable. Usually\nthis is not the intended color that a designer is looking for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designing\nRich Black<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The absorption\nof a single toner color results in a lighter than intended printed black. In\norder to get the richest looking printed black, you need to design using all\nfour colors. This is called \u201crich black\u201d. The saturation of the mixture of\ncolors forms the dark black that you see on your computer screen. Large amount\nof ink would also block any light from showing through the sheet, allowing the\nblack to maintain its darkness even under light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what color\nvalues do you design with for darker black? Some might want to saturate the\nprint by designing a black that uses C 100, M 100, Y 100, K 100. You might\nthink that you will get the best results of a rich black by oversaturating the\nprinted area. But this is not recommended. The amount of toner applied using\n\u201crich black\u201d color values can cause the print to appear blurry. The definition\nof lines and shapes would be lost because the toner would not be absorbed and\nmay stick to the other sheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oversaturation\nmight not be the best way to print a dark black color. But you are on the right\ntrack! A combination of all colors in CMYK will get you the best results. Using\nC 60, M 40, Y 40, K 100 color values ensures a solid black print. The\nquantity of ink applied will be absorbed into the sheet without any bleeding or\ntransferring of color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Printing with all four colors allows you to design your own\nversion of the color black. The two most common variations of black are warm\nblack and cool black. To get a slight yellow tone printed, use the color values\nC 30, M 40, Y 50, K 100 for warm black. For a more icy looking black print,\ndesign using C 60, M 40, Y 30, K 100 for cool black. A seemingly slight change\nin color values can have a big impact on the look of a color. Choose a\nvariation that fits the mood of your overall design!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Two<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Best\nApplication<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Each color\nvalue combination serves their select purpose. Some might be able to used\ninterchangeably, however here is a quick guide on best practices for each color\ncombination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three<\/figure>\n\n\n\n