Ink Limit
The maximum total quantity of ink permitted in any one area, set to prevent flooding and bleeding.
Formula / rule
Total ink % = sum of channels
Measured in
%
In depth
Laying too much ink onto a given area causes pooling, extended drying time, cockling of the paper and loss of shadow separation. Limits are set per paper — an uncoated matte stock may cap around 250 per cent while a glossy one tolerates 320 — and profiling begins by establishing this figure before any colour measurement.
Examples in practice
Reducing the ink limit from 320 to 270 per cent on a matte rag paper restores separation in the deepest shadows.