Printing Solid Blacks

[JudP]

I wanted to see if I could get some advice here.

Our designers are starting to design pages in our magazines that are full bleed solid black. Running on a 38" heat set web we have problems keeping these solid black pages hickey and spot free. We've adjusted tack levels of our black ink, run at different water settings, run different papers, etc and the only thing we have found to get us the best quality product is to print these as four color/rich black builds.

We are printing on #2 and #3 gloss coated stocks (Influence Gloss, Sommerset Gloss) and they all have this problem to some degree or another.

I'm interested to hear how others solve this and if running large black solids as four color blacks in a normal solution.

 

[Magnus59]

I wanted to see if I could get some advice here.

Our designers are starting to design pages in our magazines that are full bleed solid black. Running on a 38" heat set web we have problems keeping these solid black pages hickey and spot free. We've adjusted tack levels of our black ink, run at different water settings, run different papers, etc and the only thing we have found to get us the best quality product is to print these as four color/rich black builds.

We are printing on #2 and #3 gloss coated stocks (Influence Gloss, Sommerset Gloss) and they all have this problem to some degree or another.

I'm interested to hear how others solve this and if running large black solids as four color blacks in a normal solution.

Just add 40% cyan behind the solid black areas

 

[JudP]

Just add 40% cyan behind the solid black areas

Hi Magnus, Yes, Prepress has tried this for us as well as using four color black. Cyan alone still shows defects sometimes.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

Try using C 60, M 40, Y 40, K 100
and use a Rich black

 

[Sullyjj]

Have you identified what material is causing the hickey? You can use scotch tape and remove the hickey from the plate of blanket and have it examinded. Could be paper fiber, ink pigment, ink skin, dust, etc... Finding out where the hickey is coming from will help in solving the problem.

 

[YourCastle]

...four color blacks in a normal solution

yes, i do that for digital also

 

[Magnus59]

Try using C 60, M 40, Y 40, K 100
and use a Rich black

240% is pushing the limit for heatset web. Too much ink can literally cause a fire in some cases.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

240% is pushing the limit for heatset web. Too much ink can literally cause a fire in some cases.

Agree to disagree cheers

 

[Magnus59]

Agree to disagree cheers

You're quite correct, my brain somehow was thinking 340% instead of 240%, of course the recommended TAC for coated paper on heatset is 300%

 

[turbotom1052]

Have you tried using a more weakly pigmented black ink? By running a black thats weak in pigment you could effectively run a thicker ink film. This thicker ink film should aid in keeping hickeys in check. Do yourself a test.... When you have a problematic form on the press just throw about 20% of transparent white into the black ink and mix well. If your trans white is tacked higher than your black ink you may need to throw in a little reducer. Increase the ink feed around 20% and let the new ink run in over the course of an around 300 to 400 impressions. If the hickeys go away or get better than you will know that you need a weaker pigmented black ink. You may wind up having to make some adjustments in pre press to compensate for the additional dot gain that will surely come as a result of a thicker black ink film. May even need to adjust your drying.

 

[Snowhugger]

Try using C 60, M 40, Y 40, K 100
and use a Rich black

I go with 50% Mag ;-)