ePrint Tips

Here's How to Define a Rich Black

Four-color printing uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) inks to reproduce color images. In order to make a wide range of colors with tints of just four inks, process inks are transparent. In fact, process black ink is significantly less opaque than a spot-color black for this reason.

The transparency of process black ink can cause some common printing problems, including the streaking or mottling of large solid black areas on a page, or a situation where black type, when overprinting an image or pattern, allows the underlying element to show faintly through, as if it were ghosted or screened back.

The good news: There is an easy way to prevent this problem from happening. Instead of using just black ink in these scenarios, create a color that combines black with one or two of the other process colors. This technique, known as rich black, will increase the density (darkness) of the black area, making it appear fuller and richer.

In your page layout application, create a new color. Call it rich black. Make sure this color is defined as a process color or it will create an extra plate. We recommend that you create a rich black with the following settings: C: 50%; M: 40%; Y: 30%; and K: 100%. You can vary the background hue by experimenting with other combinations. As a general rule, keep the values for the undercolors between 10% and 50%, with black at 100%.

You can get a QuarkXPress file and CMYK TIFF version of the following graphic; use the TIFF to eyedropper the rich black you would like in any Adobe Application. The Quark file has all 16 samples in its color palette; you can import one or more colors into your layout by selecting the file from Edit

Colors

Import dialog box.

Reviewing Color Proofs

Great Color, Great Piece

Color can have a tremendous impact on your print design, but to achieve great color, you have to know it will print the way you visualize it. The printer's contract proof provides a preview of the finished piece to confirm that it will match your visual intent and expectations. With the complexity of today's creative applications, it becomes imperative to have an accurate, hard-copy proof to bridge the gap between the digital and the physical.

Review Proofs In Neutral Light

The preferable proof viewing setup is a booth providing light at 5,000 degrees Kelvin, a standard that resembles noon-day sunlight. The back of the light booth should be a neutral gray to avoid distracting your eyes and influencing the color appearance of your proofs.

If you do not have a light booth available, natural light is preferable to fluorescent light in most instances. If your piece will primarily be viewed in a specific lighting environment, you might want to confirm that it looks acceptable under these conditions as well.

What To Watch

Here are the most important factors to consider when reviewing a proof:

Is it in registration, i.e. are all of the register marks on the edge of the proof aligned?
Do the various color elements, be they text, line art, or images, register correctly in relation to each other?
Are all color items represented in the correct color? Are all of the tints used the correct shade?
Do flesh tones look real? Do any other items that contain familiar "memory" colors look real?
Does the main subject of each image pop the way you want it to? Put another way, is there enough contrast?
Are all the bleeds pulled past the trim edge?
Is the proof 100% of the size you specified enabling you to correctly judge color, placement, size, etc.?
Is all the type legible? Are any characters or words broken, missing, the wrong color, etc.?
Is your text free of misspelled words? Are there any grammatical errors?

ID That DVD!

Common Sense CD/DVD Suggestions

Here are the most important factors to consider when reviewing a proof:

People often work so hard to get the big things right, just to see the little things fall through the cracks. That seems especially true with the get-it-out-the-door deadlines associated with print communications projects.

One minor task that can prevent a headache is the proper labeling of your project disks and CDs, and DVDs. Unlabeled CDs and DVDs can be easily misplaced or mixed up, or even confused with earlier versions we may have received. Time lost can be hard to make up with today's tight deadlines.

Be sure to include your organization, name, contact information, project and date of release with each disk you send. Better yet, create a template and customize it for printing on a disc label with each CD or DVD released. Make label stomping a standard part of your job release routine.

We welcome your business card, but to avoid interfering with the drive mechanism, please don't tape it or anything else to your disc. If at all possible, include a jewel case or sleeve to protect the contents. Avoid the temptation to add a shine after burning a CD or DVD; circular motion can render your disk unreadable. If you must clean it, wipe it gently and straight across. Finally, remember that common-sense communication practices prevent costly delays and mistakes.

Morgan Press provides custom-manufactured solutions for a client base that includes non-profit organizations, publishers, and corporations of all sizes. This project, which is distributed to customers and others with whom we have enjoyed a prior relationship, is an example of our commitment to provide a higher standard of quality and service. Questions or comments always welcome.