WHAT IS INK MADE OF?
Ink is the liquid used for writing and printing. Various types of ink are made of a wide variety of materials.
In printing inks, which are used for newspapers, magazines and books, manufacturers mix fine coloring matter called pigment with a liquid called the vehicle. The vehicle often contains linseed oil and resins similar to rosin.
After the pigment and vehicle have been mixed and ground thoroughly, a binder of oils or mineral compounds is added, which causes the ink to dry quickly to prevent smudging. When finished, the ink is thicker than paint.
The pigment used for black printing inks is carbon black or lampblack. Many chemical pigments are used for colored inks.
To make permanent fountain pen inks, manufacturers dissolve dyes in purified water to get the desired color. Then they add iron sulfate and tannic acid to make the ink permanent. A preservative such as carbolic acid is added to prevent the growth of mold or bacteria.
Another type of permanent ink is made from a direct dye instead of iron sulfate and tannic acid. This dye holds so strongly on paper that it cannot be washed out by water or faded by light.
Washable fountain pen inks are made by dissolving dyes and a preservative in purified water.
Ball point pen inks are thick liquids as heavy as syrup. They are made by dissolving dye in a glycol or in certain alcohols. The dye is mixed into the glycol and heated until the ink is smooth. These inks contain as much as 40 percent dye to ensure that they are strongly colored.
India ink is a dense black ink made by grinding lampblack with glue or gum. The paste made in this way is dried and later mixed with water. Artists use India ink for brush or pen and ink drawings.
Indelible ink used for marking clothes in laundries is made with silver or aniline black dye.
We don't know exactly when inks were invented, but we know the ancient Egyptians and Chinese used them. Their early inks were made from water colored with berries.
The Chinese started using India ink about 2600 B.C. Manuscripts from about 2000 B.C. were also written in India ink.
The Roman orator and writer Cicero wrote that ink made from a pouch taken from the body of the cuttlefish was used in his time, which was about 50 B.C
Ink gave its name to a favorite character in American folklore: Johnny Inkslinger. Mr. Inkslinger was Paul Bunyan's timekeeper, and his name came from the logger's word for clerk. He invented figures and bookkeeping to replace Bunyan's crude method of chopping notches in trees.
Johnny Inkslinger made the first fountain pen by connecting his pen to a barrel of ink, using a rubber hose. He saved large amounts of ink by not crossing his "t's" or dotting his "i's."