We print in the CMYK model

CMYK, short for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), represents the color model widely used in printing. It's a color palette, or a combination of all the colors and their shades that can be obtained by mixing the above four components. The combination of these colors - in different proportions - makes it possible to reproduce a wide color palette in the printing process.

  • - Cyan (C): Refers to the primary color blue and is created by absorbing red.
  • - Magenta (M): Denotes the primary color red and is formed by absorbing the color green.
  • - Yellow (Y): Denotes the basic color yellow and is formed by the absorption of the color blue.
  • - Key (K): Stands for black and is added to give depth and definition to the colors.

The sum of the primary colors - at full intensity - produces rich blacks, which play a key role in achieving high-quality prints.

CMYK color black in printing

Precise control and adjustment of the black components is essential to ensure contrast, detail and color intensity on printed materials. Black settings refer to the amount of this color and its saturation in an image or text. They represent the darkest areas of the print. Black percentages that are too low can lead to dull and faded graphics, while those that are too high can lead to graphics that are too dark and difficult to read.

CMYK color black (key) function:

  1. Detail and sharpness: The black component in the color of the print helps emphasize detail and sharpness. Black is essential in detail for text and line drawings to ensure clear reproduction.
  2. Depth and contrast: Key (black) contributes significantly to creating depth and contrast. A balanced proportion of CMYK color black improves visual perception and gives the printed product a professional look.
  3. Color saturation: The addition of black can increase color saturation and ensure that colors are vivid and crisp.

Different black requirements for different printing technologies:

It would seem that since black is one of the components of CMYK, the so-called "plain black" should always be used in print projects. - 100% BLACK, but, unfortunately, the matter is not so simple, since on prints it has a more graphite color. A shade created from a combination of saturated primary colors - "Rich Black", consisting of: C50%, M50%, Y50%, K 100% reproduces rich black.

Fortunately, when printing with Window2Print, you don't have to wonder what black components to choose, because we provide them for each product in the file preparation specifications for printing.

The specified black profiles have been carefully selected to ensure the best possible print in any printing technology. This is especially important because it makes graphics look attractive.

For projects in our print shop, we recommend CMYK color black specific to each printing method:

  • - Black in sublimation (C50%, M50%, Y50%, K 100%):

    • For sublimation printing, we recommend using a color profile of C50%, M50%, Y50%, K 100%. This ensures optimal color reproduction and an attractive appearance of textiles products, i.e. beachflags, walls or deck chairs.

  • - Black color with UV technology (C:50 M:50 Y:50 K:100):

    • In UV technology printing, we recommend a black color with a profile of C:50 M:50 Y:50 K:100. This configuration ensures balanced printing on various materials, such as frontlit banner, mesh banner or blockout banner.

Note: For paper cups, it is important that files are prepared for printing in CMYK color scale C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100 with 8-bit color depth, so they will have the desired color intensity and quality.

When designing your prints, follow the settings given above for black and refer to the guidelines in the specifications. Remember to include these parameters in your file.

If you want to make sure that the final colors will match your expectations, we encourage you to place an order as a test.