Nadia Petrov
Nadia Petrov Customer Education Writer at 4OVER4.COM
Question

How does 4OVER4 count ink colors when printing?

Answer

4OVER4 prints in CMYK, so ink coverage is described by how many of the four process colors run on each side. Because black in this process is built on the same four color press, single color black is counted as four colors.

NotationMeaningHow it counts
4/1Four colors front, one color backBlack side still shows as four colors
4/4Four colors both sidesFull color front and back

That is why a 4/1 job and a 4/4 job can both list black as four colors on your invoice. It reflects the CMYK press, not extra ink you did not request.

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