High Density Black ink?

[Gregg]

I'm working with an illustrator who is asking that their poster art be printed with 4 Pantone Goe inks along with a "dense black". Is Dense Black or High Density Black an actual ink used or is it just process black run at a higher density or perhaps a double-hit.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

Most ink companies make a Dense Black although I dont exactly know what they put in it to make it more dense. Using screens of process inks under the black can make it appear denser and using 2 hits of black then Gloss UV coating will really make it 'pop'
Good luck

 

[Stephen Marsh]

For photographic content, you will obviously have to factor in the use of a dense black ink into your colour separation's GCR level etc. As this job uses spot colours and is from an illustrator - perhaps there are no tints of black or GCR going on anyway...

Are the spots and K ink used in separate regions such as colouring a comic? Or are the five inks being used as process ink replacements for an extended gamut mix/simulation of full colour?

Stephen Marsh

 

[gordo]

I'm working with an illustrator who is asking that their poster art be printed with 4 Pantone Goe inks along with a "dense black". Is Dense Black or High Density Black an actual ink used or is it just process black run at a higher density or perhaps a double-hit..

Dense process black ink ink is typically a standard black with a slight blue cast to it as opposed to the standard neutral/brown black. It is not any denser.

Your solution is to either:
1- use one of the Goe PMS colors and run a screen of it under the black if it does not impact the hue of the black.
2- run your black at a higher SID and use a dot gain compensation curve to account for the extra dot gain (although we're not supposed to talk about dot gain or SIDs anymore)
3- run two hits of black
4- ask the customer what they mean - i.e. was is the concern they have that makes them think a "dense" black would solve.

best, gordo

 

[Gregg]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm not actually the printer, I work for the publisher and, in this case, I am merely passing the file along. The artwork is retro comic style with solid shapes and fills. I've talked with the printer and they state they will use a Dense Black Ink with a double hit.

 

[rich apollo]

Dense process black ink ink is typically a standard black with a slight blue cast to it as opposed to the standard neutral/brown black. It is not any denser.

The dense blacks we ran, in another lifetime, had a higher pigment load. We ran dense black on single color jobs like labels and MSDS sheets that had only solid type and line work. It is not appropriate for process color work - at least not without some preparation. I think you would find the dot gains unacceptable.