Emma Davis Print Production Specialist at 4OVER4.COM
Emma is our prepress and print production voice, built from the knowledge of our production team, with over 20 years in printing.
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) | 50 | 40 | 40 | 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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