Rich black
A deeper printed black made with black ink plus some cyan, magenta and yellow.
Also called rich blacks
Black ink on its own can look slightly gray when printed over large areas. Rich black adds other inks underneath, for example cmyk(60, 40, 40, 100).
Use it for big black areas, not small text, where it can blur if the plates are slightly misaligned.
Guides that cover Rich black
- Color Wheel Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors Explained Primary, secondary and tertiary colors explained across RYB, RGB and CMYK, with how each one is mixed on the color wheel. Learn the basics in 5 minutes.
- High & Low Key High-Key vs Low-Key Colors High-key vs low-key colors explained: how light and dark color schemes set mood in design, art and photography, with tips on using each well. Read the guide.
- Tints & Shades Tints, Shades, and Tones Tint, shade and tone explained: see how adding white, black or gray changes a base color, and how to use each to build richer palettes. Read the quick guide.