# How do I make my Black Blacker?



## The Show (Nov 23, 2007)

I'm using AI and I have 000000 in the color code?
any other way to make black blacker?


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## jberte (Mar 25, 2007)

i don't print from AI (corel user) but if you're printing RGB use 0/0/0 or if CMYK - C-0, M-0, Y-0, K-100


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## Susie (Oct 19, 2007)

I was just tackling this issue when I had to do a job that had big, black solid numbers. I found it was more an issue of heat/time/pressure that made my blacks blacker. 

I also tried adding magenta and cyan to my black (as dark as you can make it). I thought that made a richer black. You can try and see if that helps. But I think it's inherent with transparent inks that the black will never be all that black. But I did get very good results after a lot of playing around.


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## jiarby (Feb 8, 2007)

C-40
M-30
Y-20
K-100

Thsi


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## jiarby (Feb 8, 2007)

40-30-20-100 is a nice rich black


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## jberte (Mar 25, 2007)

black is also the last color to fully sublimate- if you're pressing a design that has a great deal of black you might wanna give it a few extra seconds.


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## milabix (Apr 18, 2008)

The Show, the color you refer to is an HTML color used to reproduce colors on websites. You need to change the settings in AI so that you can work with either RGB or CMYK color formulas (HTML 000000 is by the way the equivalent of RGB 000). Printers usually prefer to work with CMYK colors as they output colors in CMYK mode (by adding dots of CMYK to a white surface). CMYK was originally just CMY and black was achieved by mixing 100% of each. Since the resulting blacks where oftern weak as the printers could not put down enough dyes to achieve a true black, ink manufacturers created black ink to "fortify" the blacks and now you have CMYK. However black ink is not made with black dispered dyes as they dont exists, black is just a way do add more CMY dyes and get a richer color. In conclusion in order to achieve a deep black you should use 100% of each color when printing in CMYK mode. Now, if you have a good color profile your black should look good like this and your paper should not be completely soaked in ink, if on the other hand you end up with a black that looks gree, brown or purple or if your paper gets soaked in ink you will need to reduce yout CMY values accordingly in order to balance the color out (if you get a brown black you might have to play with M & Y for example). The perfect formula for you depends on the ink you are using, the paper you are using (how it releases the ink) and your printer and color profile.

One technique you can use to see if your black is balanced is to look at your grays. Create a gray that is 50% CMYK and then try to make it "neutral" (not brown, pink, yellow, purple or green) by reducing the values of the CM&Y inks. Once you achieve a neutral gray double the values (eg if you end up with K50,C30, Y15 & M15 , double them to K100, C60, Y30 and M30) and you will have a deep black. Thoughout the process make sure not to change your heat press settings.

Hope this helps.


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## The Show (Nov 23, 2007)

what should my H S B be set at and how come when I change my CMYK setting and then close it it goes back to what it was before


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## Ramsee1 (Mar 24, 2008)

I agree with above. 40, 30, 20, 100 yields a very nice cool black.


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## Docdre (Feb 18, 2021)

jiarby said:


> C-40
> M-30
> Y-20
> K-100
> ...





jiarby said:


> C-40
> M-30
> Y-20
> K-100
> ...


This color combo ☝🏾Made my prints look better than the company I have been contracting my prints out to...absolute game changer for me


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## webtrekker (Jan 28, 2018)

You've answered a very old post, but my advice would be to use the colours your printer uses - RGB, not CMYK!


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## Docdre (Feb 18, 2021)

jiarby said:


> C-40
> M-30
> Y-20
> K-100
> ...


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