Set the trap width for colors next to black

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to adjust how colors spread into solid black or how support screens are held back from black edges in Adobe InDesign.

When creating effective traps for black elements in your design, controlling the trap width ensures clean edges and prevents unwanted halos around reversed-out or light elements.

Use this procedure when you need to control how other colors interact with solid process black or rich black areas in your document. The Bback trap width setting determines the distance that inks spread into solid black, or the holdback amount—the distance support screens are choked back under black. This prevents support screens from becoming visible at black edges if misregistration occurs during printing.

The black trap width is typically set to 1.5 to 2 times the default trap width. For instance, if your default trap width is 0.25 points, your Black trap width might be 0.4 to 0.5 points. This larger value compensates for the visual weight of black ink and ensures adequate trapping along high-contrast edges.

Select Window > Output > Trap Presets.

In the Trap Presets panel, select New Preset from the panel menu to create a preset, or double-click an existing preset to edit it.

In the Black field under the Trap Width section, type a distance in points for how far other colors should spread into black, or how far support screens should be choked back under black.

In the Trap Thresholds section, enter values for Black Color and Black Density to define what InDesign considers solid black or rich black.

Select OK to save the trap preset.

Note

To activate black trapping features, a color area must use an ink with a neutral density greater than or equal to the Black Density value, and the ink must be present at percentages greater than or equal to the Black Color value.

If you're trapping a thin element, such as a black keyline, around graphics, the trapping engine automatically overrides the Black trap width setting and limits the trap to half the width of the thin element. This prevents the trap from overwhelming delicate line work.

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