We all know that web presses (presses that print magazines and newspapers) run in CMYK plates, as opposed to RGB like your local Kinko’s would. Normally we create our design files in CMYK, whether in Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator. It’s almost automatic. But sometimes we all receive the occasional “camera-ready” illustration or ad file that needs to be converted to CMYK. And sometimes this process produces blackbuilds or rich blacks. So let’s try to understand the difference between the two and why/when it is important to use one or the other.
First of all, CMYK is composed of four plates, or process colors. Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K). Standard process black is 100%K, or 0/0/0/100. Visually, 100% Black is a kind of washed-out black, not a deep black like we can obtain through rich black. Rich black combines ink from all four plates to produce a dark, super-saturated black. An example is below, which uses 70/82/90/100.
Rich blacks can be very useful when looking to obtain a deep, dark black over a large field of solid color. However, be aware that utilizing rich blacks can have two negative effects:
1. Super-saturation. Depending on your medium, this can be a real problem. If you are designing for newsprint, using inks in excess of 240% can cause the ink to soak through the page and obscure content on the other side. In the above example of rich black, we would be using ink percentages of 342%. Check with your printer to see what their maximum ink limit is for the medium you are using. You can check overprints in Adobe Acrobats “Output Previewer” option (more on that later). Continue reading »
Everyone is going “green“. Families are assuaging their consciences by replacing their home lighting with CFLs, businesses are buying out of conscience by purchasing carbon offsets, and eco-companies are selling conscience on every imaginable level. Despite the varying motives for this trend, it is one that appears to be sticking around.
- It is important, I think, to differentiate “green” and “sustainable” before we continue. “Green” (eco-friendly, low-impact, etc.) focuses on reducing our impact on the environment. A lofty goal worth working for. “Sustainable” is more of a methodology for innovation that seeks to understand and utilize the complex systems of the environment to better incorporate new technology into it. Thus, successful sustainability would render being “green” unnecessary. -As I was listening to NPR the other day, they broadcast a story on biomimicry. The idea of biomimicry is to derive inspiration and solutions from nature for sustainable innovation. Essentially, when faced with a dilemma, we ask, “What would nature do?” For example, when faced with the dilemma of liquid storage, nature provides us with myriad solutions, ranging from the snail to the banana to lettuce. Lettuce is 98% water, but when punctured, the leaf does not leak. Imagine if we could produce packaging that, instead of employing the traditional method of thicker leakage barriers (and thus excess materials), could utilize the structural matrix of the lettuce leaf to render the vessel leak-proof? Continue reading »
