A common issue that clients encounter when submitting artwork to our proofing/print is a "High Ink Density" Error.
WHAT IS INKDENSITY?
Ink density is the combined value of all CMYK inks in an area. If the ink density for any specific area exceeds a specified amount, it can cause print issues such as bleeding, spreading or failing to dry properly.
PROPER INKDENSITY VALUES
Our print system flags raster items at any value above 310%, & vector items at values over 280%.This number is calculated based upon the percentage of each CMYK value. For example, our "rich black" value is C30M20Y20K100, which equals a value of 170%.
WAYS TO AVOIDHIGH INK DENSITYISSUES:
CMYK GRACoL
Build all files in CMYKusing the GRACoL profile.
TOTAL INK VALUES
Be conscious of total ink valueswhen selecting colors, especiallydark colors.
WAYS TO AVOIDHIGH INK DENSITYISSUES:
AVOID RGB
Avoid building in RGB and convertingto CMYK, this can lead to high inkdensity values.
CONVERTING IMAGES
When converting images from RGB to CMYK, select the GRACoL profile. Once the image has been converted, optimize the color/contrast to avoid overly dark shadows.