Getting deep rich blacks with HPL26500

[Pat Whatley]

Okay, apparently I'm going to have to teach myself how to run the stupid printer and stay late so i can do all my printing myself since nobody seems to give a **** about color density but me....and my customer who has refused a job twice now.

I tried selecting colors using the profiles for composite black, which gives me a dark color....but it ain't black. My registration print in a nice deep rich black. I've seen other files printed on this thing that are black. What do I need to do to convince this machine to give me more black ink?

 

[J Hill Designs]

are you starting with a rich black? (CMY included with K)

 

[the graphics co]

0c 0m 0y 100%k works well on my l25500, try a few formulas then save it as a spot.

 

[P Wagner]

Okay, apparently I'm going to have to teach myself how to run the stupid printer and stay late so i can do all my printing myself since nobody seems to give a **** about color density but me....and my customer who has refused a job twice now.

I tried selecting colors using the profiles for composite black, which gives me a dark color....but it ain't black. My registration print in a nice deep rich black. I've seen other files printed on this thing that are black. What do I need to do to convince this machine to give me more black ink?

Depending on the RIP that you are using, you might have access to color replacement tools, special colors, or other tools. In addition, the media profile (ICC profile) that you are using to print with will define the black point that can be achieved on that media product.

 

[Baz]

Rgb: 0-0-0

 

[Pat Whatley]

are you starting with a rich black? (CMY included with K)

Heck if I know. I've tried 100% K, and a composite one that is 35% C, 45% M, 15% Y, and 100% K that gives me a dark, dark taupe color.

Dealing with color....and the ballistic reactions of the person I have to let set up my printing, is almost enough to make me want to quit and go back into work for myself.

 

[x2chris7x]

C 100 M 100 Y 100 K 100 should give you the darkest black... but may be too much ink lol. I have good results with C 75 M 68 Y 67 K 90...

 

[Bly]

60
60
50
100

In the RIP.

 

[AF]

Is the offending file a vector file or a raster file?

For a vector file, just use 0-0-0-100k and make sure your rip is configured to not modify pure colors. Every rip is different, my rip uses the wording "Preserve Pure Colors" to allow you to keep your black as black and so on. There is also a setting in the ink limit module that should allow you to overide the total ink limit for the black channel, helpful if you prefer to use rich black so it doesn't look like mud.

I attached screen captures from Colorgate, your rip hopefully has similar control:

 

[visual800]

Try 50-40-40-100

 

[k_graham]

Okay, apparently I'm going to have to teach myself how to run the stupid printer and stay late so i can do all my printing myself since nobody seems to give a **** about color density but me....and my customer who has refused a job twice now.

I tried selecting colors using the profiles for composite black, which gives me a dark color....but it ain't black. My registration print in a nice deep rich black. I've seen other files printed on this thing that are black. What do I need to do to convince this machine to give me more black ink?

I have a 12x18 folder that uses a number of black formulas. File is called
Folder_The_Color_of_Black.pdf , it is located here

http://dc.communityprinters.com/colors . I can see from this thread it might be an idea to add a few RGB colors as well so one can simply show the customer a sample and say - which black?

On another thought I had considerable issues with my Caldera RIP and color profiles not working until I found a spot where color profiles were turned off. Do mention your RIP software, version
Ken

 

[Davo]

Depends on your substrate and profiling, but I use 80-80-80-75 on Avery 2002 and it prints a very nice rich black, values taken from onyx. What exactly are you printing on?

 

[danno]

On our L26500 we run 30-30-10-100 or 50-50-20-100 depending on media.

 

[ProColorGraphics]

What program are you designing in? What RIP do you use? I layout a 100K in Illustrator, when printing in Caldera with the proper settings, they always come out solid black.

Sounds like it could be a RIP setting.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Sounds like it could be a RIP setting.

No, it's an error in the operator who gets overly defensive whenever anything is questioned. Job got rejected....again....because the black wasn't black.

I fixed it using 65-65-65-100 which made a nice, rich, black....of course I'm still wrong because now "it's oversaturated."

I'm really beginning to think that I'm not cut out to be an employee, no matter how good the opportunity looks.

 

[bigben]

What program are you designing in? What RIP do you use? I layout a 100K in Illustrator, when printing in Caldera with the proper settings, they always come out solid black.

Sounds like it could be a RIP setting.

Same thing here and I've created my own profile. Never had a problem even on fabric.

 

[J Hill Designs]

No, it's an error in the operator who gets overly defensive whenever anything is questioned. Job got rejected....again....because the black wasn't black.

I fixed it using 65-65-65-100 which made a nice, rich, black....of course I'm still wrong because now "it's oversaturated."

I'm really beginning to think that I'm not cut out to be an employee, no matter how good the opportunity looks.

have him drop the CMY by half - 30-30-30-100

 

[boxerbay]

we use 100K then 30 30 30

 

[Suz]

For the blackest blacks, I get the best results when setting up my artwork as a vector and mixing my colors
CMYK, all at 100%. Then I save the file as a .jpg file for print and get some super blacks.

I do get choosy about how many passes are used in the print when I get that point, which also changes how much ink lay down I have in the print, which also influences how black of a black I get.

Good luck! Don't make a rash decision and quit yet, it is good to have a job! In other words, don't quit your day job before you have a smooth running business of your own!