In graphic design, rich black means: A deeper printed black made by adding some cyan, magenta and yellow to 100% black ink, used for large dark areas rather than small text.
In Turkish: zengin siyah, dört renk siyah
How it is used
Used with printers and in prepress. Printers often recommend a specific rich black mix; designers avoid it for small text and thin lines, where slight misregistration of plates can create coloured edges.
Example sentences
Use rich black for the cover background, but keep the body text in 100% K.
The black area looks grey on the proof; ask the printer which rich black mix they recommend.
Common collocations
rich black mix
use rich black
100% K
registration black
Related terms
CMYKCyan, magenta, yellow and key (black): the four ink colours used in most colour printing. Mixing them in small dots creates the full range of printed colours.
overprintTo print one ink directly on top of another, instead of leaving a gap in the colour below. Black text is often set to overprint to avoid white gaps around it.
offset printingA common commercial printing method in which ink is transferred from metal plates to a rubber blanket and then onto paper. It is cost-effective for large quantities.
proofA trial version of a design, on paper or as a PDF, that the designer and client check carefully for mistakes and colour before the full print run starts.
