How to Set Rich Black: CMYK Values and When to Use Them

Rich black is black built from all four inks, cyan, magenta and yellow underneath 100% black, so large dark areas print deep and solid rather than slightly grey. Our rich black is C63 M52 Y51 K100, which adds up to 266% total ink, inside our 300% limit. Use it for backgrounds, large shapes and big headlines only. Keep body text, small text, thin lines and barcodes in plain 100% black (C0 M0 Y0 K100). Our glossary entry on rich black gives the short definition; this guide shows where it goes wrong and how to set it up.

The values to use

These are the values in our artwork guidelines, set for printing to the FOGRA39 profile.

Why black ink alone can look grey

One layer of black ink over a large area lets a little of the paper show through, so a big panel of 100% K can look dark charcoal or slightly patchy, especially next to photos with deep shadows that already contain all four inks. Adding cyan, magenta and yellow underneath fills that in, and the black looks deeper and more even.

On a small area you do not notice the difference, which is why plain black is right for text.

Why small text must stay 100% K

Rich black is four inks laid one on top of another. The four layers are printed in very close register, but on fine detail a hair's difference shows: small black text can look soft, or pick up a faint coloured fringe. Text in a single ink has nothing to line up, so it stays crisp.

The same applies the other way round. White or light text reversed out of a rich black background is formed by the gaps in four layers of ink, so very small or thin reversed text can fill in or show colour at its edges. Make reversed text bolder and larger, at least the 6pt minimum and more for thin typefaces.

Barcodes and QR codes need clean edges to scan, so keep them in 100% K on a white or light background.

The 300% ink limit

Add up the four percentages at the darkest point of your design. Our limit is 300%:

Anything over 300% is more ink than the paper can take. Never use the Registration swatch in InDesign or Illustrator for artwork: it prints at 100% of every ink.

Watch out for RGB black

If you design in RGB, black (R0 G0 B0, or #000000) is converted to CMYK for printing, and it becomes a mix of all four inks. That is fine for a background, but it puts small text into four colours, the thing to avoid. Convert your document to CMYK first, then set text to 100% K and large areas to rich black on purpose. Our guide to CMYK vs RGB explains conversion, and our free upload check shows an RGB file as a warning.

How to set it up in your software

InDesign and Illustrator

1. Make sure the document colour mode is CMYK.
2. Open the Swatches panel and create a new colour swatch, CMYK, with the values C63 M52 Y51 K100. Name it "Rich black".
3. Apply it to backgrounds and large shapes. Leave text on the built-in [Black] swatch, which is 100% K.
4. Before export, check large black areas with Separations Preview, available in both programs, which shows each ink on its own.

Affinity

Set the document to CMYK, then in the Colour panel choose the CMYK sliders and enter C63 M52 Y51 K100. Save it to a palette so you use the same value every time. Keep text at C0 M0 Y0 K100.

Canva and Word

Both work in RGB, so you cannot set exact CMYK values in the free tools. Use black for text, and avoid very large solid black areas if you can; if you need one, expect it to print as a converted four-ink black. Canva's paid plans offer CMYK PDF download; our Canva to print guide covers the settings.

Where rich black helps, product by product

• Business cards and leaflets with a black background: use rich black for the background, 100% K for any small text on a light panel, and make reversed white text bold.
• Posters with a large black area: rich black prints deeper on the silk paper.
• Letterheads and compliment slips: these are on uncoated paper, which absorbs ink, so blacks look softer than on coated stock. Keep text in 100% K.
• Stickers: keep fine text and barcodes in 100% K, and use rich black for solid black shapes.

Check it before you approve

The on-screen proof shows layout, not ink values, so check your blacks in your design program before export. Our page on proofs and file checks explains what the automatic check covers. If you are unsure about a dark design, add a manual proof and a person will look at the file, or contact us.

Questions

What are the CMYK values for rich black? We recommend C63 M52 Y51 K100, which adds up to 266% total ink and prints deeper than black ink alone. Use it for large backgrounds, shapes and big headlines only. Keep small text, fine lines and barcodes in 100% black (C0 M0 Y0 K100).

What is the difference between rich black and 100% black? 100% black is black ink alone. Over a large area it can look dark grey. Rich black adds cyan, magenta and yellow underneath, so it prints deeper and more solid. Plain black is better for text and fine detail, because a single ink stays crisp.

Can I use rich black for text? Only for large headlines. For body text and small text, use 100% K: four inks on fine detail can look soft or show a faint coloured edge if they are a hair out of line. Our minimum text size is 6pt.

Why not just set every ink to 100%? That is 400% total ink, well over our 300% limit: more ink than the paper can take. Our rich black reaches a deep black at 266%. Never use the Registration swatch for artwork, because it prints 100% of every ink.

What happens to black in an RGB file? It is converted to CMYK and becomes a mix of all four inks. That suits a large background but makes small text four-colour. Convert to CMYK first and set your blacks on purpose: 100% K for text, rich black for large areas.

Does rich black look the same on every paper? No. On coated papers such as gloss and silk, ink sits on the surface and black looks deep. On uncoated paper, such as our letterheads and compliment slips, the paper absorbs some ink, so black looks a little softer.