Colour & Ink intermediate deepconsideredtechnical

Rich Black

Rich Black example frame

Black built from several inks so large areas read as truly dark rather than washed grey.

What it does

A single black plate over a large area prints as a slightly grey, uneven charcoal because one ink film cannot achieve full density. A rich black adds cyan, magenta and yellow beneath, typically around 60/40/40/100, to deepen it. It must not be used for small text, where four plates cannot register tightly enough and the letters fringe. Getting this wrong is why some printed pieces have muddy backgrounds and blurred captions.

The prompt

[Subject] on a large rich black ground, black built from four inks so the area reads genuinely deep and even rather than washed grey, with the surface showing a faint sheen from the heavy ink film. Small type reversed out in clean paper white, and any small black text set in single black only so it stays sharp. Coated stock, offset.

Replace [Subject] with what you are shooting. Everything else is deliberate: the gear, stock and lighting are what push a generator towards this look.

Works well in

Midjourney, FLUX

Pairs with

Knockout versus OverprintDuotone and Tritone

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