Comments on: The Ultimate Rich CMYK Black Exposed! http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/ Graphic Design Blog of Andrew Kelsall, Creative Designer of Logos, Posters and signage in Hemsworth, South Elmsall and Worldwide Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:53:10 +0000 hourly 1 By: Color and Design Tip: It’s Either Rich Black or Poor Prints http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-6307 Color and Design Tip: It’s Either Rich Black or Poor Prints Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:22:18 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-6307 [...] http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/ [...]

[...] http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/ [...]

]]> By: FUZEDOT.COM http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-5711 FUZEDOT.COM Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:15:50 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-5711 HERE IS A QUICK AND EASY HOW-TO TUTORIAL ON RICH BLACK VALUES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zhr-XiKhGs ENJOY! =) HERE IS A QUICK AND EASY HOW-TO TUTORIAL ON RICH BLACK VALUES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zhr-XiKhGs

ENJOY! =)

]]> By: Andrew Kelsall http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-567 Andrew Kelsall Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:33:55 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-567 @ Mike Thanks for you detailed comment. Sorry I'm replying so late, sometimes it's hard to keep track of comments in Wordpress when they're coming left, right and center for different posts :) It worries me that someone would send 8pt serif type in rich black, was it April the 1st? This is one of my aims, especially in the Designers guide to black article: http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-professional-designers-guide-to-using-black/ ...So users can be educated, and not making your day any worse ;) Yeah, the Xeikon digital press is a great machine. I have stuff printed by one on a regular basis... @ Mike

Thanks for you detailed comment. Sorry I’m replying so late, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of comments in WordPress when they’re coming left, right and center for different posts :)

It worries me that someone would send 8pt serif type in rich black, was it April the 1st? This is one of my aims, especially in the Designers guide to black article:

http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-professional-designers-guide-to-using-black/

…So users can be educated, and not making your day any worse ;)

Yeah, the Xeikon digital press is a great machine. I have stuff printed by one on a regular basis…

]]> By: Mike W. Taylor http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-487 Mike W. Taylor Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-487 And for printers, working with designers is an even bigger headache. I work in a prepress department, most of our jobs this year are annual reports (for public companies) and the like. Most are simple, but some have a very glossy high end wrap that goes around the actual financial document. For some reason this year, every design company is sending files with rich black type. And not large type mind you, but 8pt serif type. And with the densities so high we could not lay down that much ink if we tried (primarily running on Heidelberg speedmasters, sheetfed offset, 80# gloss cover). These are medium run jobs, with very short turn times needed. Pretty down and dirty. To avoid registration issues, we usually just lay down flat black rather than deal with the registration (unless we can trap it to another color). I would like to blame you Andrew, and say that all your articles about rich black, pms black, flat black, etc. are root cause. Yes, I read the longer article you did about black, very thorough. You do write some convincing arguments for rich black :-) I guess what I am getting at is, be sure to talk to your printer/prepress about your job, perhaps even when you are doing some concept stuff. We can suggest alternatives (trapping to other colors, spot colors) or percentages that the designers may not have thought of themselves. Some printers can be tough to work with, but the good ones do want to come out with a beautiful product just as much as the designers do. On a related note, I used this Xeikon digital press at a university press. Its a great little machine. I do not recall what sort of densities we printed at, but I do remember being stunned that a digital press could look so good. And for printers, working with designers is an even bigger headache.
I work in a prepress department, most of our jobs this year are annual reports (for public companies) and the like. Most are simple, but some have a very glossy high end wrap that goes around the actual financial document. For some reason this year, every design company is sending files with rich black type. And not large type mind you, but 8pt serif type. And with the densities so high we could not lay down that much ink if we tried (primarily running on Heidelberg speedmasters, sheetfed offset, 80# gloss cover). These are medium run jobs, with very short turn times needed. Pretty down and dirty. To avoid registration issues, we usually just lay down flat black rather than deal with the registration (unless we can trap it to another color).

I would like to blame you Andrew, and say that all your articles about rich black, pms black, flat black, etc. are root cause. Yes, I read the longer article you did about black, very thorough. You do write some convincing arguments for rich black :-)
I guess what I am getting at is, be sure to talk to your printer/prepress about your job, perhaps even when you are doing some concept stuff. We can suggest alternatives (trapping to other colors, spot colors) or percentages that the designers may not have thought of themselves. Some printers can be tough to work with, but the good ones do want to come out with a beautiful product just as much as the designers do.

On a related note, I used this Xeikon digital press at a university press. Its a great little machine. I do not recall what sort of densities we printed at, but I do remember being stunned that a digital press could look so good.

]]> By: Dan http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-469 Dan Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:10:00 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-469 Design for print is such a headache. The problem is that all printers are different. The darkest black I ever used was using C 30% M 30% Y 30% K 100% Was fine even of small text. Very rich and creamy. I have just compared it to a business card I got through the post and it's no way near as dark as the black on that. I'm researching into this atm. Design for print is such a headache. The problem is that all printers are different. The darkest black I ever used was using

C 30% M 30% Y 30% K 100%

Was fine even of small text. Very rich and creamy. I have just compared it to a business card I got through the post and it’s no way near as dark as the black on that. I’m researching into this atm.

]]> By: Andrew Kelsall http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-176 Andrew Kelsall Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:15:32 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-176 Hi Richard. I replied to your comment yesterday, but my blog was felled today by an upgrade of the Cforms ll plugin! Luckily, I had a backup of my database, minus one comment to you... What trouble have you had at your printers may I ask? Hi Richard. I replied to your comment yesterday, but my blog was felled today by an upgrade of the Cforms ll plugin! Luckily, I had a backup of my database, minus one comment to you…

What trouble have you had at your printers may I ask?

]]> By: Richard http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Richard Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:22:24 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-170 I wish we did too, especially with trouble with printers we've had recently! Might look at RCS for future work - I assume (since they're linked) you'd recommend them? I wish we did too, especially with trouble with printers we’ve had recently!

Might look at RCS for future work – I assume (since they’re linked) you’d recommend them?

]]> By: Andrew Kelsall http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Andrew Kelsall Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:09:16 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-166 @ Tom, thanks... @ Richard, I couldn't recommend the Xeikon 5000 Digital Press enough...wish I had one in the garage ;) @ Tom, thanks…
@ Richard, I couldn’t recommend the Xeikon 5000 Digital Press enough…wish I had one in the garage ;)

]]> By: Richard, Peacock Carter http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-165 Richard, Peacock Carter Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:37:15 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-165 Nice, will be trying that on the next print work we do - hope it needs black! Nice, will be trying that on the next print work we do – hope it needs black!

]]> By: Tom Humes http://www.andrewkelsall.com/the-ultimate-rich-cmyk-black-exposed/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Tom Humes Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:54:40 +0000 http://www.andrewkelsall.com/?p=293#comment-161 Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you. Tom Humes Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you.

Tom Humes

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