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Trapping White Text over 4/c Black

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countrygeek

Technical User
May 10, 2004
1
US
I've been outputting lot of 4 color process Black with white thin text. Is it possible to trap white text in quark? I've been exporting the files to eps and manually spreading cyan, magenta, and yellow. Isn't there any simple way to solve this?
 
Quark does rich black traps. I use absolute trapping with process trapping checked. If the white type is not spreading into the 3 color by default, try forcing it by selecting the type and setting a custom trap or an auto amount (+) trap using the trap information panel. If that doesn't work you can also try making the white type .1% cyan, magenta and yellow, then setting the trap. It prints white but quark won't treat is as white. That method works with double hits also. Just tint the type .1% of the hit that is not to be 1 to 1.
 
you probably already realise this, but unless you are printing a spot colour white then there is no need to trap it at all.
It's a simple knockout of the 4 colour black beneath.
Any misregistration of the CMYK plates will make your white text off white.
 
As long as your 4/c black is named "Rich Black", quark should produce stay-aways by default.
 
That must be a nightmare for the printer!!! He has to register that job so tightly so your text appears - couldn't you use a slightly heavier weight of typeface and not worry about trapping?


Kind Regards
Duncan
 
One way to do it might be to spread the white into the CMY components slightly.
Is this what was meant by "stay aways"?
I must admit, I have not heard of Quark doing anything special to a colour named "Rich Black".

I echo duncdude's comment too.

Another answer might be to make the rich black up with just black and cyan. Say, 100k 20c. This richens the black and reduces the problems with registration somewhat.
 
Color you black 100k and 30cyan as noted above.
Create a colour (call it "1/1/1" for want of a better handle) and set that colour to 1% cayan 1% magenta 1% yellow - 0% black.
Colour you white text "1/1/1" and 'shade' it 1%, this will not produce a dot on press but will 'fool' quark into spreading the cyan back under the black whatever you have set your trap to. I suggest you set the trap manually to trap .25 point.
 
Why are you using 4 colour process black. Can't you just use the black. I am sure you printer would appreciate it.
 
Using a 4 colour black or "underpinning" straight black with some cyan will give a much richer black.

Black ink on it's own can be a bit thin, if you want something to look really black, underpin it.
 
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