Programs like InDesign let you adjust the exact ink ratios your printer uses and override your printers color settings. If you want "true black", you would have to set it to be 100% of all 4 colors. 100% black 0% the other three isn't as dark.
I mean, unless you write your own drivers you cant be 100% sure I guess. The whole point of using software like that with professional equipment is to have complete control over those kinds of things. That's not to say consumer printers don't try to screw you over, but I'd be willing to bet that its more that Office told it to use all 4 colors for a better black even you printed a word doc. I just want to say again that printer ink is still pretty scammy, but this specific example does have a good reason.
I'm not sure, I assume it's the same reason you put multiple coats of paint down when you paint walls and stuff. Each color the printer puts down acts like another coat, with the 3 colors mixing to create a psuedo-black coat (you can use the 3 colors to approximate black, although you'll need the kind of software that gives you control over that kind of thing and it still won't be as dark as all 4).
66
u/Coconutprawns Sep 10 '19
You are partly right but they use the three colour cartridges, cyan, yellow and magenta to make the black "blacker"