What is the most common 4-color black setting?

[Techboy]

Hi All,
Here's another one of those questions of what works at press vs what designers think they need. How many here can run with the richness of 4 color black and not put too much ink on a page that might cause a drying problem?

For example:
"Photoshop Black" (50C, 50M, 50Y 100K)
"Cool Black" (60C, 0M, 0Y, 100K)
"Warm Black" (0C, 60M, 30C, 100K)

Since every place have their own rich black settings for saturation purpose, what is the most common 4-color black combination that is known to work? It seems to me, some printers have their own preference on using "cool" black. Is this a cost saving strategy for printers?


Thanks All.

[bluekivi]

Every place I've worked we've always supported solid blacks with a 40% cyan only. This applies to both sheetfed and web presses. I think this provides a decent rich black without the registration problems a four color black.

[KLH]

The last three shops I've worked at have set the standard four color black at:

C-30 M-30 Y-20 K-100

[detric_1]

My opinion is 100K-60C-40M-20Y. Makes a relatively neutral/cool black. Most people like cool blacks and hate warm blacks. If you blow back the undercolors, no registration problems and it's only a 220 density, more than sufficient for all commercial grade presses.

No matter what you do, try to keep your yellow down. It only screws things up.

Dave

[LoganBlade]

with a better understanding of neutral gray color space I would suggest
100
50
40
40

the 50 40 40 matches a 50% screen of black when run correctly

[zpeters01]

On our digital press we use 60C 60M 40Y 100K And it looks fantastic, but not sure what would be good for offset.

[santa]

C 40
M 40
Y 30
Y 100

No complaints in 25 years.

[GinSu]

Being a trade shop, we give them the dense black they want, but some of the smaller printers just say "make it a rich black"

Our most common use is 40c/0m/0y/100k, we refer to this as "Rich Black"

One printer who does a bunch of work for Sprint wants what we call "Bruise Black", 40c/30m/0y/100k due to its purple cast. Why no yellow I can't answer.

Our own printshop wants what we call "MudBlack", 40c/30m/30y/100k, because it uses all the inks.

Its also common on two color work for Sprint to use a 50% screen of their PMS Yellow under large areas of black.

That should be clear as MudBlack :?

[Earendil]

Depends on what press in my plant:

Newspaper Web;
C=30
M=20
Y=20
K=100

Heatset Web, Uncoated;
C=40
M=30
Y=30
K=100

Heatset Web / Sheetfed Coated (gloss);
C=60
M=50
Y=50
K=100

I like to keep magenta and yellow the same, similar to a skin tone since they tend to neutralize each other and keep the cyan 10 percent higher to keep the black from looking brown. I do like the idea of keeping the yellow even a little lower than the magenta but I'm afraid the black would get a purple cast.

[y2b]

the richest black I run is c60 m40 y40 k100. As a norm, I like c40 m20 y20 k100 or c30 m15 y15 k100, depending on the piece or paper. I don't like the look as much of a 40c kicker, but will use it...