: What would happen if I made something - CMYK 100 It would literally be: C: 100 M: 100 Y: 100 K: 100 For a total of 400% color I know you're never supposed to

@Harper654

Looks like everyone pretty much summed up the puddling issues from using too much ink, but I wanted to note on the paint issue.

The first thing that you'll realize is that cmyk pigmented paints are going to be hard to find in latex, particularly the translucent ones that make cmyk printing possible.

I love traditional art media, particularly acrylic paints, and though oil, latex, acrylic, etc are all different in practice, they're all just a clear liquid that hardens in the open air mixed with pigment. (I'm not actually sure if latex base is clear.) The pigments are available and you could mix it yourself. Wal-Mart actually sells the cmyk acrylics for like 3.50 each in most places, so experimentation isn't expensive.

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@Caterina889

I can't really claim to know much of anything about mixing house paint.... It's my understanding though that the mixing system is more akin to a Pantone mix than a CMYK mix.



On screen, it would be just a black.
It would equate to 0R0G0B so.. black.

---> RGB -- >



On press.. it'll get rejected by most prepress departments or at least get changed.

The reason there's an ink limit for printing is because stock can only soak up so much ink. Just as any paper will only hold so much liquid. Every stock gets to a certain point where it just won't take any more ink. Therefore drying times increase exponentially. Most printing presses have some drying capabilities. So, they are designed to combat basic drying needs, once you pass 300-310% ink, you've got wet puddles of ink sitting on top the stock that just won't dry without time. If a piece needs drying time that means the press may have to be run much slower than normal and even that pieces may need to be pulled off the press before the next piece slides on top of it and smears everything. It's really one of those things where the additional 90-100% of ink does not outweigh the problems it creates. There's not a great deal of benefit to a 100% rich black as opposed to a 100K/40C/20M/20Y rich black, for example.

If it could actually be printed, yes it would be a very deep rich black. Not sure it would border Vantablack.. but definitely dark.

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