10 Questions You Should to Know about Black and White Printing

When you need to print in black and white, knowing when to choose between monochrome and grayscale will result in better-quality, professional-looking documents. While these settings may sound similar, monochrome and grayscale are two entirely different printing processes used for producing black-and-white prints.

Improving your business’s printing practices by using the most efficient features for your office’s needs can help improve productivity. Continue reading to learn more about the differences between printing in grayscale vs. monochrome and how knowing which method to use can improve your document quality. 

Monochrome vs. Grayscale Printing: What’s the Difference?

So what is the difference between grayscale and monochrome printing? It comes down to how each setting uses color. Many people assume that when a printer prints something in black and white, it doesn’t use the color cartridge.  But with grayscale setting printing, the printer uses color ink or toner cartridges in combination with black to produce different shades of gray. This helps produce better shading and contrast in black-and-white images and graphics.

On the other hand, when you print in monochrome (black and white), your printer only requires two colors. It uses the black ink or toner cartridge to produce both black and gray tones, and leaves blank spaces on the paper to create white. This option is better for blocks of text that don’t involve fine details, like images.  

When shopping for printers, it’s important to note that a color printer can print in both monochrome and grayscale, while a monochrome printer cannot print in grayscale. 

Is it Better to Print in Monochrome or Grayscale?

Whether or not you should print in monochrome or grayscale will depend on your printing needs. For example, if you mainly print black and white text, then using the monochrome setting or investing in a monochrome printer is the best choice. Grayscale printing is better for black-and-white images, because of this setting’s ability to create various contrasting shades and finer details.

Three Tips for Using Monochrome vs. Grayscale Printing

1. Check Your Settings

Using the right settings when you print documents or black-and-white images will help your business reduce costs. If you continuously print plain text documents in grayscale instead of monochrome, you will run out of expensive color cartridges more quickly.

Monochrome printing only requires a small amount of black ink, while grayscale printing mixes black and color ink or toner to make up different shades of gray. So, if you use grayscale to print black text, you end up needlessly using your color cartridge. 

However, some printers do allow you to choose to use the black ink cartridge only for printing in grayscale. Always check your settings before printing plain black-and-white documents. 

2. Use Color Cartridges Sparingly

Understanding your printer settings can help ensure your ink cartridges last longer. Because color cartridges cost more, you can save money on ink cartridges by only printing in color and grayscale when absolutely necessary. 

Plus, the fewer cartridges you use up, the less negative impact they can have on the environment. If you are interested in more environmentally friendly printing practices, you can leave your used cartridges with us for proper recycling. 

3. Scan Images in Grayscale

Just as with printing, scanning images in grayscale will result in better black-and-white image quality. Scanning in monochrome may be slightly faster and take up less storage space, but it can also result in poor-quality images. If you need to save file space you can always scan an image in color and convert it to black and white later. However, you cannot revert a monochrome image back to color.

Toner Replenishment in California

Knowing the differences between monochrome vs. grayscale printing can help make your toner cartridges last much longer. However, they will still run out eventually. Don’t risk forgetting to restock your supplies! At WiZiX Technology Group in California, we offer a convenient autoship toner supply service that sends you replacement cartridges as soon as your supplies start to run low. Call 866-846-1411 to speak with a representative about ordering printer supplies. 

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (10/28/2021). Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

I come late to the party so there is no much to add, but here are my humble additions:

My art uses overprinting. Will you be able to do so?

I have found that many printers get confused when art uses overprinting, because (apparently) it is not used very often. I always highlight this to them so they are aware that I will be using it. I often set the areas with overprinting to both overprint and multiply, just to make sure is not missed.

I am using unusual inks (such as metal inks). Do you have any suggestions on the order in which they can be printed or overprinted?

Unusual inks can be scary if they are not used correctly. I have seen boxes peeling off because the art was overprinted on a metal flood and it never cured. Highlighting to the printer that you are using the unusual ink and asking for their opinion is always a great idea. Sometimes different printers have different ways of working with the ink. This question might also raise flags that nobody had noticed. Metal inks might need extra curing time, which might move the deadline and/or add to the final cost, for example.

What types of finish do you offer/work with? Do they have any special requirements?

I notice that every time I go to print a project, there are a myriad of new finishes that I did not know existed. I always end up with a new swash book of finishes, which is great. They have sometimes special requirements such as extra curing time or incompatibility with metal inks, so it is always good to ask.

Can the finish be applied inline?

A finish that can be applied inline saves time. Not all finishes come in this style though, and not all printers carry all of them. Sometimes asking this question just allows you to learn that the finish you had selected was an old fashion one that needed for the ink to be 100% cured but they have a new one that can be applied inline and be done with it as opposed to waiting for the curing time.

Can the finish be spot-applied?

Not all finishes can be applied in only a spot (area). This depends on the actual finish and on the actual press the provider has.

Do you offer embossing? What types? How should I provide the art?

If either the embossing plates or the whole embossing task are outsourced then there might be different requirements to how you provide the art.

How accurate is the registration of the embossing? What is the maximum acceptable error margin?

Depending on the type of embossing and how old the provider machinery is they might not be able to assure the embossed area will be 100% registered with the art. It is always good to know so in advance to avoid surprises and adapt the art to their capabilities.

What is the maximum acceptable error margin for trimming?

If the trimming is not as straightforward as a rectangle (think a cosmetics box as opposed to a magazine spread) and if their machinery is old, then they might not be able to assure a very tight registration. It is good to know so and to adapt the art for trimming variations.

Do you offer barcode testing?

Certain inks (such as metal inks, for example) render barcodes illegible. Horrible thing to find when the product has already been delivered to the retailer. Most printers I have worked with offer the service of testing the barcode after is printed just to make sure it is readable. They offer this for free, but I often find that if I don't ask for it, they don't do it.

Is any part of the process outsourced?

Sometimes finishing, embossing and trimming are outsourced, because they require extra machinery that the printer might not be interested in buying. If you are adding another provider to the process it is always good to know so, particularly if you need to complain or fine tune. If the other provider is hidden behind the printer and your printer is not doing a good job on representing you, then it can get tricky and add time to the deadline.

Can you assure you will not edit my art once I send it? If you need to do so, can you please let me know what you are doing or, better, let me do it?

This sounds like an idiotic question, but sometimes some adventurous printers take liberties and move things around to fix production problems you might have missed or change colours because they think you made a mistake. Highlighting to them that you don't want them to do so is a good idea. There is usually more than one way of overcoming a production problem and their choice of solution might not be the one you might have preferred.

Can I come to a press approval?

I love press approvals because it is fascinating to see my digital work turned into actual plates and ink; I think offset presses are awesome (as in awe inspiring) and I also learn a lot from press operators. But besides my personal geeky fascinations I find that coming to the a press approval, at least the first run of a project, allows me to catch problems that would have been terrible to catch when the whole thing is already run (like misunderstanding overprinting) and sometimes make last minute decisions (like "OK, overprinting metal is not working, forget about the metal, make it black"). It also allows me to see how careful the printer is. Sometimes they can be sloppy if they are under tight deadlines (hickies much?). Make sure not to micromanage, though, (note to myself) and to trust they know what they are doing.