Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer » Color Theory

Rainbow MacBook Keyboard Decals

Andrew Kelsall — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:34:00 +0000

I just stumbled across these wonderful Rainbow MacBook Keyboard Decals. I’m not sure this computer would now be appropriate when working on colour-critical designs, but they sure are sweet.

★ These can be purchased over at Artfire.com (not an affiliate link). Via Pareasa.

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

Pantone Christmas Baubles

Andrew Kelsall — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:59:31 +0000

Pantone® Christmas Baubles. I could imagine myself being some kind of pretentious stuck-up designer living in a posh studio apartment. When Christmas came around, I’d whip out these colour-coded marvels:

Funnily enough, though, I’d still use a Pantone Mug (note to wife – you haven’t given me one yet!). There’s a whole range of these Pantone Universe™ Christmas Baubles to choose from, and I would imagine they would look great on the Christmas tree of any design studio across the globe.

Anyway, all joking aside, I think these are great. All us designers know how useful Pantone colours are, and I think it’s a good thing that Pantone licence quirky products like this. You can purchase these here if they pander to your liking (this is Not an affiliate link). What do you think?

Sample Pantone Christmas Baubles Gallery

Above: Pantone Universe™ Christmas Bauble | Purple 268

Above: Pantone Universe™ Christmas Bauble | Orange 165

Above: Pantone Universe™ Christmas Bauble | Green 377

Above: Pantone Universe™ Christmas Bauble | Yellow 14-0848

Credits: Found via Fubiz. Purchase via Play.com (Not an affiliate link). Pantone® & Pantone Universe™ are registered trade names and marks.

Above: Pantone Universe™ Christmas Bauble | Pink 18-2120

★★★★★ If you liked this post, I highly recommend Designer Pantone Mugs and Expresso Cups.

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

The Ultimate List of Gradient Resources

Andrew Kelsall — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:46:12 +0000

I love gradients. I don’t like them when they’re used incorrectly, though. The very common “corporate fade” (or strongly-saturated colour fading into white background) on many business advertisements in recent years have given gradients a bad name. However, when used correctly, gradients can give a sense of added depth and 3D-appeal to both print and web works alike.

On that note, here is a list of articles, tutorials, tools, code and downloads to satisfy any gradient-induced craving you may have. Enjoy!

If you don’t think this article deserves the title of been the Ultimate List of Gradient Resources, then let me know of any more great links below, and I’ll add them

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

Amazing Colour Effect 2: Successive Contrast

Andrew Kelsall — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:27:51 +0000

Earlier this month, I wrote an article about simultaneous contrast entitled Amazing color effect that all designers should see. This new “illusion” is based on the principle of successive contrast, whereby the absence of a particular colour produces a visual perception of its opposite.

As a demonstration of this, please follow these instructions before triggering the “colour-illusion” that the image below can produce when looked at properly:

►► Stare at the white-cross in the centre of the Green & Yellow Union Jack Flag for a whole minute. Then, stare into the black-cross of the white image and blink a few times. All-going-well, you should see the Union Jack appear before your eyes—in the correct blue, white and red colors.

Did you see it? I’m not trying to indoctrinate every nation into Britishness here, it’s just that this is a great example of this “illusion” As a designer, such colour-displays and illusions really inspire me—and I love to experience both the limitations and wonders of our sight.

Knowing these things can aid every designer at some point. Please tell me if there’s any other illustrations of successive contrast you know of…

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

Amazing Colour Effect using Trichromacy

Andrew Kelsall — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:15:00 +0000

Displayed above is an amazing trichromacy colour effect that all designers should see. If you take a look at the X’s, they both look as though they are different colours. However, they’re not. The colours are exactly the same tone:

Look at where both the X’s intersect at the middle-base of the image. You can see there that the ‘true colour’ is in fact a greyish-yellow tone (a mixture of the two colours used in the rectangles). This effect is based on a painting by Josef Albers.

To see something a little weirder, take a look at the second image I have devised, taking the effect one step further:

As can be seen, the horizontal bar appears to show a gradient, starting with yellow on the left, to grey on the right. However, as with the first image, the colour is a solid tone—not a gradient of two colours at all. If you don’t believe me, drag the images into PhotoShop® and whip out the colour-picker tool!

Why is this happening?

This effect is know as trichromacy, with the images above demonstrating simultaneous contrast. To cut a long story short, out eyes record colour in RGB—but none of us can image a yellowish-blue. Our brains therefore plays tricks on us, resulting in the effect/illusion.

I think knowing this kind of information about colour can be extremely beneficial to a designer. Colour theory is embedded in all we do, so it’s great to understand great effects like this to aid in design work. Knowing what colours will or will not work together can be imperative—especially in logo design.

I have written an article about metamerism with another colour-illusion there if this subject interests you. Do you know of any other great effect like this? Do you think knowledge of colour theory will aid in your design work?

If you liked this post, check out A Print Handbook for Designers.

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

What are Color Gamuts? Part One

Andrew Kelsall — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:55:04 +0000

What are Colour Gamuts? Simply put, a Colour gamut is a whole range of digital Colour that are included in a color profile. Different gamuts contain varied subsets of different colours.

Now, this is a huge subject to cover, so instead of just trying to explain what they are, I will start by comparing two similar gamuts from two RGB profiles: Adobe RGB (1998) and sRGB IEC61966-2.1

Adobe RGB (1998)

Displayed below is a 2D image of the Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile. This is the type of image you’re going to see a lot of throughout this set of articles. Ignore the LAB colour letters (b+, a+, etc) and observe the colour and shape. Notice how all the colours shown radiate from white, denoting the additive colour model.

The next image (below) displays the same RGB gamut but in 3D. This is one of countless views that can be viewed with special software, such as PerfX Gamut Viewer or ColorThink Pro. As can be seen, the 3D view reveals more tones, hues and shades than the 2D version.

Each colour gamut shown is complete with a coloured-boundary, which indicates the extreme edge of the gamut in both 3D and 2D angles. This one, for example, shows this edge in Red.

Comparing Color Gamuts

Now we know what we’re looking at, I’ll start comparing the two colour gamuts. The larger gamut is a representation of the Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile, shown in RED. The smaller profile, sRGB IEC61966-2.1, is displayed in BLUE (just visible).

The next three images show varied angles of the two color gamuts…

Both gamuts displayed are visible at a medium opacity, so you can see both at once.

Notice that even though the Adobe RGB profile is generally larger, RGB 2.1 supercedes it in certain key areas of color…

These areas are primarily in the green/blue region of the gamut, shown above.

There you have it—the introduction to the series of articles about colour gamuts. It would be very hard to cover many aspects of the subject matter in one post, so Part Two will continue the journey shortly. Why not subscribe to my RSS feed so you don’t miss it?

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

What are Colour Profiles?

Andrew Kelsall — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:05:43 +0000

Image Copyright here

The question “What are Colour Profiles?” is one asked by every designer in their early career or studies. The thing is, this is such a generic question, it really needs breaking down into three other questions. I will attempt to answer them below, but be aware that this is just a summary. Indeed, whole books are available on the subject of colour profiles, so there’s an awful lot of information to condense into this post…

Every image or file that is created in programs like Adobe Photoshop®, Illustrator® and InDesign® needs a color profile assigned or embedded in order for the software to display and print the image accurately. If no profile is assigned, or a ‘generic profile’ is used, results can be very unpredictable.

To clarify, here is a brief overview of the questions that relate to the use of colour profiles:

What are Device Profiles?

Basically, device profiles contain certain information pertaining to three variables regarding how a certain device (such as a digital camera) ‘represents’ colour. These variables are Color Gamut (colour & brightness), Dynamic Range (relates to the white point) and finally, the Tone Reproduction of colous.

For example, a device profile would be included in the software of a digital camera, scanner or desktop printer.

What are Profile Classes?

Profile Classes relate to the types of Device Profiles available:

★ INPUT PROFILES, which describe the ways in which Digital Cameras and Desktop Scanners capture color.

★ DISPLAY PROFILES, which describe the ways LCD displays display colors.

★ OUTPUT PROFILES, which describe color for printers and presses.

What are Document Profiles?

Document Profiles are ‘destination profiles’ that are assigned to a file after a conversion from a Device Profile (or source profile). For example, ProPhoto RGB Color Profile from Digital Camera (source) > Photoshop® File with Adobe RGB (1998) Profile (destination).

I realize that there is much information to cover on the subject, so this is just one of a series of articles about the subject of Color Profiles, Gamuts and Color Spaces. Why not Subscribe to my RSS Feed so you don’t miss the next article?

Next up is a more visually interesting post about Color Gamuts. If you have any questions about this article, please feel free to leave your thoughts below…

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

What are the Benefits of Designing in RGB for CMYK Print?

Andrew Kelsall — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:41:32 +0000

I recently had a great discussion about the use an RGB colour setup when designing for CMYK print. I received various responses within my article Top Ten CD Cover Design Tips, whereby the talented designer’s Alex Charchar, LaurenMarie and Rob Cubbon joined the conversation.

I generally support the notion of designing in an RGB colour mode ― for print and web regarding imagery that is to be printed in CMYK. Some of you reading this may know what I’m talking about and agree wholeheartedly, yet I suspect that some of you would ask yourself:

Why would I ever design in RGB for printed material that will be printed in CMYK ― or even CMYKOG (Hexachrome®)?

Moreover, some may have heard about initially designing in RGB for print before, tried it ― and never did it again ― offering a statement such as this:

I tried designing in RGB ― but all the colours just turned out muddy when I converted it. That’s the last time I’m trying that again…

A valid point. But to prove my case, I will start at the beginning and explain why, in the majority of cases, I design in RGB in the initial design stages of print work. Of coarse I send my files off to the printers in CMYK, but this article is about how the initial file setup in an RGB colour profile can benefit designers.

You may ponder as to why anyone would design in RGB, when the final output is in CMYK. This is like saying:

Why should I mix the ingredients to make fresh cake, when I can go to the shops and buy one ready-made?

Well, the answer to this is quality. If you design in RGB, you have a larger colour gamut to work with, as well as many additional benefits:

Benefits of Designing in RGB

★ RGB File Sizes are about 25% smaller than CMYK

★ Many filters and functions are only available to use in an RGB colour mode in PhotoShop® and similar programs.

★ The RGB colour gamut is larger than CMYK

★ Working in RGB means that your images are web-ready with no colour conversion (as opposed to designing for print in CMYK and converting the colour to RGB for web-use).

To place the above list in a workable context, here is a simulation of how using RGB to design your printed material would have been more beneficial than CMYK (based on one of my previous comments in the aforementioned CD article):

…I setup my files as CMYK with a FOGRA 27 colour profile. After spending hours designing an 8-page CD Gatefold design, the client supplies me with some more photo files to be used. As they originated from a digital camera, they are in RGB. I place them in layers in Photoshop® and get to work. An hour later, I want to use certain filters on these layers — but I can’t, as many functions and filters are only available in RGB mode in PhotoShop®.
…After spending much work-around time editing these photos in separate RGB files and importing them back in, I transfer my PSD file onto my MacBook as I’m working on the move. As CMYK files are approximately 25% larger than RGB ones, my laptop starts to slow down, causing loss of productivity to myself.
…My client also informs me that this CD cover is to be used in an interactive digital booklet and used online in iTunes, etc. As the CMYK SWOP gamut is vastly smaller than the “additive” RGB gamut, some colour info will be lost on conversion to the “subtractive” CMYK one.
…Further down the line, I may also want to include images from my own scanner — again, from source RGB.
In conclusion, it’s always easier to work in RGB. Some colours may be lost when converting to CMYK, but that is what the “Preview in CMYK” option is for in PhotoShop®, so you can keep track of disastrous results from any conversions.

Are you convinced of the reasoning behind these benefits? Next, I’ll take a look at the CMYK colour mode:

Benefits of Designing in CMYK

★ When designing in RGB, there will have to be a conversion to CMYK at a calculated time near the completion of an image. Sometimes, the colour of the image can change appearance due to this conversion. If you work directly in CMYK, there will be no such conversion ― and therefore, no colour loss.

★ er…

★ and….

Ok. That’s it. The only benefit (in most situations/generally) of working in CMYK is the colour control ― but a league of restraints counteracts this benefit.

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If you have any questions about this article, please leave your comment below. I know some of the termanology I have used may be unknown to some, so just ask-away ― I’m always glad to help out…

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

I am #525915, what are you?

Andrew Kelsall — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:40:55 +0000

Recently, I was asked by Franz Jeitz of Fudge Graphics to partake in a social experiment entitled What’s Your Favourite Colour? Franz was collecting this information to present the variety of colours that designers chose in a chart/table. I chose my colour based on a variety of factors:

My favourite colour around my desk is a neutral tone, so my eyes won’t adjust to a alternate white point when designing. My favourite colour used in design when expressing optimism might be orange or yellow. However, design aside, I feel that very earthy-green or brown colours would probably be the most meaningful colours in my life, as they are the colours I like to wear.

Throughout the past few years, I have normally worn these shades of colour in hooded tops, combat trousers and coats. I suppose these colours are what I am comfortable with―and therefore, capable of designing in, so to speak. After reviewing some tones in Photoshop®, I selected a colour that fits well with my personal and professional persona―a mossy-green colour… #525915

If you haven’t seen the article already, why not head over there and take a look―there’s some interesting results.

This post is Copyright Andrew Kelsall, author of the Andrew Kelsall Graphic Design Blog.Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer - Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall

The Professional Designer’s Guide to using Black

Andrew Kelsall — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:41:49 +0000

The aim of this article is to document every conceivable type of black that is destined for print and web. It is my aim that if you are a designer, you can find some information here that you didn’t know―and if you are learning about design, I hope you can educate yourself from this post.

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There are 3 Parts in the article:

One: The Different Blacks
Two: Using Black
Three: Misuse of Black

Note: Some of the examples I have used in the article are not accurate color-representations, as the images refer to CMYK color-tones for print. Some colors are exaggerated to clearly show what kind of tint certain blacks pertain, and are only present to indicate color variations, not perfect representation.

In this article I will be using the USA spelling of ‘color‘, as opposed to colour.

Part One: The Different Blacks

RGB Black | R/0 G/0 B/0 : This black represents zero RGB light―and therefore ‘black’. For more information on the properties of the RGB additive color model, visit this WikiPedia Article.

When to use: For all on-screen, web and online PDF use. Variations are sometimes used (for example R/5 G/5 B/5), but differing end-user screens makes this practice futile unless a major shift of color is required; and therefore, the color black would be subjective.

PhotoShop® Black | C86 M85 Y79 K100 : This type of black is roughly comprised by the preceding color combination, but can vary slightly between document profiles and PS version number (some versions produce black at around (90%).

When to use: This is the default PhotoShop® Black. The total ink coverage exceeds the TIC limit of 260-320% (depending on paper stock and printing process), although the total ink coverage can be automatically amended with GCR (Grey Component Replacement) and UCR (Under Color Removal) at the printers.

Neutral Rich Black (also known as Rich Black) | C40 M30 Y30 K100 : This type of black is roughly comprised by the preceding color combination, but varies between designers’ personal preference.

When to use: There are plenty of variants in this colour mix. This is a very general, rich black that doesn’t exceed a 200% TAC (Total Ink Coverage) limit.

Registration Black | C100 M100 Y100 K100 : This mix is comprised of the maximum amount of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

When to use: Generally, this color is only to be used for registration marks on documents to be sent to the printers. The only exception to this is if a file containing registration black is to be digitally printed (at home or professionally) as toner is used, not wet-ink.

Flat Black | C0 M0 Y0 K100 : This black is just made up of 100% of the black channel, with no other ink in the mix. Also known as Standard black.

When to use: Looking very ‘washed-out’, this black is best used just for small text in magazines and books, and in particular, newsprint where TAC limits are are set to very low tolerance’s.

Designer Black | C70 M50 Y30 K100 : This black is just made up to a TAC equating to 250%

When to use: Probably the most commonly type of black used. Many designers have their favourite mix―and for different papers and printers. This is a very general, rich and punchy black that will suit almost any application.

Pantone® Process Black | Spot-Color/’K100′ : This black is available as Pantone® Process Black C (coated), U, (Uncoated) and M (Matt).

When to use: Being one of the ‘four CMYK colors‘, this black is ideally suited to printing text, whereby correct registration is not an issue.

Cool Black (also known as Black Bump) | C50 M0 Y0 K100 : This is the general-mix, but this black can also be comprised [typically] of between 20%-80% cyan.

When to use: Normally, this type of black is used when a very cold-feeling shine/glaze is required. For example, it would be appropriate on posters containing large areas of black, whereby the purpose is to advise elderly people on an impending flu-epidemic. The bluish-tone would add an almost-subliminal dimension to the design.

Golden Black | C0 M0 Y60 K100 : This is the general-mix, but this black can also be comprised [typically] of between 20%-80% yellow.

When to use: Normally, this type of black can be used when a very warm/earthy feeling shine/glaze is required in a design. For example, this could be used on a ‘Global Warming’ advertisement, etc.

Warm Black | C0 M60 Y0 K100 : This is the general-mix, but this black can also be comprised [typically] of between 20%-80% magenta.

When to use: This type of color would be great if used on a brochure for a jewellery company, etc.

Pantone® Black | Spot-Color : This black is available as Pantone® Black C (coated), U, (Uncoated) and M (Matt).

When to use: Ideally, this is used for example, on business cards and letterheads, whereby only a certain amount of spot colors are used instead of the expense of CMYK. Another great use is in Duo-tone images.

Pantone® Hexachrome® Black | Part of the CMYKOG process range (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, orange & green), : This black is available as Pantone® Black C (coated), U, (Uncoated) and M (Matt).

When to use: It would be pretty pointless using this black on its own, as it has been developed to be used within the Hexachrome® color range (a set of six colors that produce vivid, bright prints).

Pantone® Black 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 (range) | Spot-Colors : These blacks are available as Pantone® Black C (coated), U, (Uncoated) and M (Matt).

When to use: This range of blacks really start to depart from the standard perception of a ‘standard black’. The color-tints in the range are quite prominent, mimicking in many ways cool, rich and ruby black, etc, but in a single spot-color. Use instead of a similar CMKY black to save money or printing costs.

Metal FX® Black | [Specialty] Spot-Color : This black is part of a set of metallic-colors that are special color inks printed onto a pre-printed metallic base.

When to use: If you want a very eye-catching design―and have a larger printing budget (printing costs are often about +40% of typical CMYK), the Metal FX® printing process may be a great option, but complicated file setups are required―and printers offering this option are few and far between.

Trumatch® Black | Based on the CMYK color-space. Available in Coated and Uncoated swatchbooks.

When to use: If you want more accurate matching of spot colors when converting to CMYK, Trumatch® may be more appropriate than Pantone® colors. However, in the case of just utilizing black, there is little valid reason to use beyond a consistent color work-flow. Read this article for more information.

Toyo® Black | Very similar to Pantone® Black (and the whole Toyo® color system).

When to use: This color matching system is mainly popular in Japan, so you may use it if you design in this country―or maybe if you are designing material that is to be printed there.

Dainippon®: Ink & Chemical (DIC) [Black] | Just like Pantone®, the DIC colors are a spot-based matching system.

When to use: This color matching system and inks are used for use on packaging, coatings, plastics and synthetic resins and related products, amongst other specialized uses.

ANPA® Ink [Black] | Colour matching system based on the LAB color space. These inks were originally made from soybean oil.

When to use: This color black is to be used on newsprint. For more information, visit the Newspaper Association of America website.

HKS® Ink [Black] (88 Z) | Spot-Color : Just like Pantone®, the HKS® colors are a spot-based matching system.

When to use: This color model is used in Europe and Germany, with the inks being used for design on certain plastics for industrial printing processes.

Focaltone® Black (1073) | Spot-Color : Like Trumatch®, this is a color model that is based on the CMYK color space.

When to use: The Focaltone® system can be used for computer system color calibration, whereby Focaltone® black, for example, would be made up a CMYK tints. For more information, visit the FocalTone site.

Note: To save this post becoming repetitive on certain information, I have excluded some libraries available, such as Pantone® Pastel & Solid Colors and Visibone.

Part Two: Using Black

Printing Pantone® Black (or any other Spot-Black) Twice | Spot-Color : The printing of any given spot color twice over (also known as ‘hitting it twice’).

When to use: If for example, a special paper is to be used for a business card design, a designer may specify a Pantone® Black to be used on 2 separate printing plates. The end result is a super rich black normally only achieved utilizing CMYK―but at a lower cost.

Image Copyright: Surface Media

UV Spot Varnish / High-Build UV SV | This varnish is applied to certain areas of the design, highlighting and drawing attention to selected areas. Other similar coatings include Matt Varnish, Crystal Protective Coatings, Gloss and Matt Laminates and StopLight Coatings. There is a more comprehensive list of finishes at Gemini Press.

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When to use: If you have a certain desired effect you want to achieve, like when used on the black-styled design above, this varnish can look professional and classy. It costs extra, of coarse, but if it’s used just with black, for example, it may cost less than CMYK depending on the printers used.

Note: There are other finishes available can be applied to black, such as Embossing, Debossing and Foil-blocking, but wring of these methods would stray from the context of this article.

‘Knock-out Black’ | C40 M40 Y40 K100 : A process whereby text or forms are knocked-out of the black channel (and therefor, printing plate), but the cyan, magenta and yellow channels are either solid or filled to a certain extent (for example, gradients applied).

When to use: This technique is great for subtle printing effects, where special spot varnishes are either not available or not in the printing budget. For example, I once used thus technique on a CD Cover, where I knocked-out the band’s logo on the tray-card reverse.

The image above shows how the four CMYK channels look. As can be seen, the letters are subtracted from all but the black channel, so the word appears ‘less-black’ than the surrounding black, and therefore legible.

This technique has endless possibilities. For example, the surrounding black could be made as a Flat Black, with the text in Rich-Black. Shapes, forms and images can also be tailored to this technique, as well as the use of different spot-colors and metallic inks.

Part Three: Misuse of Black

Base Image: Dreamstime

Black Border Misuse: Yeah, maybe she’s looks shocked because of that drab-’flat’ border―a common mistake made when using photography in vector-based files (Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, etc) is not matching black borders to the black contained in the files. For example (taken from above), the CMYK makeup of number 1 maybe a Neutral Rich Black, but the border (2) may be a Flat Black. This, of coarse, may be desired in some situations, but for the most part it is a printing mistake.

Advice: T0 make sure this doesn’t happen, use the eyedropper tool in your chosen Adobe application to measure the CMYK values of the outer-photo black and match the border accordingly.

Base Image: Dreamstime

Overprint Misuse: I would always recommend overprinting black, especially where a black-filled-vector shape is on top of a vivid image. I have found that oranges and greens are particularly prone showing through flat blacks, so don’t ever overprint flat black onto an image unless you want to image to show through.

Advice: When overprinting black onto such an image (well, any image), always use a black, such as designer black, whereby all four CMYK colours are used. Exactly how much of the percentage of these colors you use is dependent on what stock your design is to be printed on.

Small Black Logo/Text Misuse: You wouldn’t believe the amount of ‘professionally-designed’ CD Covers I’ve seen over the years that are inclusive of small black logos that are made up of a rich CMYK black. If you take a look at the logo I have created above, you can see which one is clear and clean cut. There no trying to convince you otherwise. Just imagine if my “AK Doesn’t Make Mistakes“ [spoof] logo was a maximum 8mm in height? You can see why this is an issue of legibility. This is also true of small black text, etc.

Advice: Always check that small black logos only appear on the black channel by proofing your work. Set black to overprint, unless it lies on a dark background…but this may make the logo or text illegible anyway, so use common sense.

Thanks for taking time to read this article. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. If you use a particular mix of black, why?―And what percentages and stock have you used? Can you recommend anything I haven’t mentioned?

Andrew Kelsall | Creative Designer » Color Theory

Rainbow MacBook Keyboard Decals

Pantone Christmas Baubles

Sample Pantone Christmas Baubles Gallery

The Ultimate List of Gradient Resources

Articles:

Tools:

Tutorials:

Coding/Web:

Downloads:

Amazing Colour Effect 2: Successive Contrast

Amazing Colour Effect using Trichromacy

Why is this happening?

What are Color Gamuts? Part One

Adobe RGB (1998)

Comparing Color Gamuts

What are Colour Profiles?

What are the Benefits of Designing in RGB for CMYK Print?

Benefits of Designing in RGB

Benefits of Designing in CMYK

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I am #525915, what are you?

The Professional Designer’s Guide to using Black

Part One: The Different Blacks

Part Two: Using Black

Part Three: Misuse of Black

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