What is rich black?
In short
Rich black is a black made from all four inks rather than black ink alone. Our recommended mix is C63 M52 Y51 K100, for large black areas only.
Rich black is black built from cyan, magenta and yellow underneath 100% black ink, which prints deeper and more solid than black ink on its own. A large area of plain 100% black can look dark grey or slightly patchy next to other colours.
The mix to use
For backgrounds, large shapes and big headline type, use C63 M52 Y51 K100. That adds up to 266% total ink, inside our limit of 300%. Don't set every ink to 100%: that is 400%, well over the limit.
| Use | Black to set |
|---|---|
| Large backgrounds and solid areas | C63 M52 Y51 K100 |
| Large headline type | C63 M52 Y51 K100 |
| Body text, small text and fine lines | C0 M0 Y0 K100 |
When not to use it
Keep small text, thin lines and barcodes in 100% black only. Rich black is four inks printed on top of each other, and if they are a hair out of line, small black text can look blurred or fringed with colour. A single ink avoids that.
Watch out for RGB black
Black picked in an RGB document can turn into an unplanned four-colour mix when the file is converted to CMYK. Convert to CMYK first, then set your blacks on purpose. Our CMYK vs RGB guide covers colour conversion in more detail.