Why do the rich black and pure black patches look identical in the PDF preview or the TIFF?

On any RGB screen, both patches render as visually indistinguishable black - the difference is in the underlying CMYK ink mix, not something a display can show. The PDF's DeviceCMYK values genuinely differ (0/0/0/100 vs. 60/40/40/100) and are readable by any tool that inspects the color data directly.

Is the TIFF's CMYK conversion calibrated to my printer's ICC profile?

No - it uses a generic, uncalibrated RGB-to-CMYK conversion. For color-critical prepress work, soft-proof or convert using your specific output profile instead of relying on this file's embedded values.

Why does 100% ink coverage look lighter than I expected?

What you see is filtered through your screen and this document's own color handling. Trust the labeled percentage and the PDF's underlying CMYK values over the on-screen appearance, and verify with a real proof when accuracy matters.

CMYK Printer Test Chart

A channel-by-channel ink chart aimed at prepress and print-shop use: 16 patches covering cyan, magenta, yellow, and black at 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% ink coverage, plus a side-by-side comparison of pure K-only black against a common rich-black mix (60/40/40/100).

What these files actually are

The PDF's patches are drawn with pdf-lib's true DeviceCMYK color operators - the actual ink percentages are embedded in the file and inspectable in Acrobat's Output Preview or any RIP, not approximated. The companion TIFF is a separate raster rendering, converted from an RGB approximation into CMYK color mode for viewers that need an image file rather than a PDF; because a generic RGB source can't distinguish rich black from pure black, that comparison only appears in the PDF.

cmyk-chart-a4.pdf

PDF · 2 KB VirusTotal report

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cmyk-chart.tiff

TIFF · 122 KB VirusTotal report

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Are these files safe to download?

Every sample file is generated by us — no executable code, no macros. Files are served over HTTPS from our CDN, each with a SHA-256 checksum so you can verify your download and a link to an independent VirusTotal scan report.

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How to print this test sheet

Open the PDF in Acrobat or a RIP with an "Output Preview" / separations view to inspect the actual ink percentages per patch, not just how they look on screen.
Print at 100% scale on the paper stock you'll actually use - ink coverage and dot gain both change with paper.
Compare each channel's 100% patch to 75/50/25% - a healthy print should show a smooth, even progression, not sudden jumps.
The rich black vs. pure black comparison is only meaningful on a physical proof; on any screen, both patches will look like plain black regardless of the underlying ink values.
If you only need a general color check rather than per-channel ink diagnostics, the color printer test page is a faster starting point.

Common use cases

Print-shop press calibration

Check that a press or proofer reproduces each ink channel's percentage steps accurately before running a full job.

RIP or color-management troubleshooting

Isolate whether a color problem originates in the RIP's separation settings by inspecting the actual CMYK values in the output, not just the visual result.

Rich black vs. pure black decisions

Compare a K-only black against a rich-black mix on your specific paper and press combination before choosing which to use in a design.

Design software CMYK preview testing

Check whether a design tool's on-screen CMYK preview or soft-proofing matches what actually happens when this chart's known values are output.

Frequently asked questions

Why do the rich black and pure black patches look identical in the PDF preview or the TIFF?: On any RGB screen, both patches render as visually indistinguishable black - the difference is in the underlying CMYK ink mix, not something a display can show. The PDF's DeviceCMYK values genuinely differ (0/0/0/100 vs. 60/40/40/100) and are readable by any tool that inspects the color data directly.
Is the TIFF's CMYK conversion calibrated to my printer's ICC profile?: No - it uses a generic, uncalibrated RGB-to-CMYK conversion. For color-critical prepress work, soft-proof or convert using your specific output profile instead of relying on this file's embedded values.
Why does 100% ink coverage look lighter than I expected?: What you see is filtered through your screen and this document's own color handling. Trust the labeled percentage and the PDF's underlying CMYK values over the on-screen appearance, and verify with a real proof when accuracy matters.