PANTONE blacks we print
There is no single black. Black 6 is the cold, dense one; Black 5 is a brown-black; a straight process black on uncoated is closer to charcoal.
On-screen approximation — not a colour-accurate reference. Match to a physical PANTONE® chip before you sign off.
What to know before you specify one
- The same ink is not the same colour on the two stocks. On coated sheets the ink sits on a sealed surface: denser, brighter, sharper edges. On uncoated the fibres absorb it: softer, duller, slightly lighter, and warm colours lose the most punch. Some colours change character outright — brights go chalky, deep navies go grey-blue.
- Offset and letterpress inks are translucent. On a dark or coloured stock a light ink will not cover — it sinks into the sheet and reads tone-on-tone. For light colour on dark paper the answer is foil stamping or an opaque screen pass, never a straight PMS hit.
Colours with a full write-up
Common questions
- Do these blacks shift on uncoated stock?
- Yes. Every one of them. On uncoated the fibres absorb the ink, so the colour lands softer, duller and slightly lighter than the coated chip. Judge the colour on the chip that matches your stock, not on the one that looks best.
- Can I get these blacks on dark paper?
- Not as a standard ink hit. Offset and letterpress inks are translucent, so on dark stock the colour underneath wins. For light colour on dark paper we foil stamp or run an opaque screen pass instead.
- Can you match one of these in CMYK instead?
- Sometimes, and it depends what the colour is doing. A process build is usually fine inside imagery or small type, and usually visible on a large flat solid or a brand mark. We will tell you which case you are in.
PANTONE® is a registered trademark of Pantone LLC. Print Peppermint is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pantone LLC. Codes are referenced to identify the inks we print.
