Question
What black color values should I use for printing black-only business cards?
Answer
For a deep, solid black on printed cards, do not rely on 100% K alone. Black ink by itself often prints as a flat, slightly gray tone, so a rich black built from all four inks looks far darker.
| Value | C | M | Y | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich black (recommended) | 60 | 40 | 20 | 100 |
| Flat black (avoid for large areas) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
- Use rich black for large fills and backgrounds where depth matters.
- Keep small body text at 100% K only, so fine type stays sharp and avoids registration fuzz.
Combining cyan, magenta, and yellow under the black is what gives large black areas their true depth.
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