Ink
Ink is a
Ink can be a complex medium, composed of
, and other materials. The components of inks serve many purposes; the ink's carrier, colorants, and other additives affect the flow and thickness of the ink and its dry appearance.History
Ink was used in
Chinese inks may go back as far as[7] four millennia,[8] to the Chinese Neolithic Period. These used plants, animal, and mineral inks based on such materials as graphite that were ground with water and applied with ink brushes. Direct evidence for the earliest Chinese inks, similar to modern inksticks, is around 256 BC in the end of the Warring States period and produced from soot and animal glue.[9] The best inks for drawing or painting on paper or silk are produced from the resin of the pine tree. They must be between 50 and 100 years old. The Chinese inkstick is produced with a fish glue, whereas Japanese glue (膠 nikawa) is from cow or stag.[10]
Cephalopod ink, known as sepia, turns from dark blue-black to brown on drying, and was used as an ink in the Graeco-Roman period and subsequently. Black atramentum was also used in ancient Rome; in an article for The Christian Science Monitor, Sharon J. Huntington describes these other historical inks:
About 1,600 years ago, a popular ink recipe was created. The recipe was used for centuries. Iron salts, such as ferrous sulfate (made by treating iron with sulfuric acid), were mixed with tannin from gallnuts (they grow on trees) and a thickener. When first put to paper, this ink is bluish-black. Over time it fades to a dull brown.
Scribes in
medieval Europe (about AD 800 to 1500) wrote principally on parchment or vellum. One 12th century ink recipe called for hawthorn branches to be cut in the spring and left to dry. Then the bark was pounded from the branches and soaked in water for eight days. The water was boiled until it thickened and turned black. Wine was added during boiling. The ink was poured into special bags and hung in the sun. Once dried, the mixture was mixed with wine and iron salt over a fire to make the final ink.[15]
The reservoir pen, which may have been the first
In the 15th century, a new type of ink had to be developed in Europe for the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg.[17] According to Martyn Lyons in his book Books: A Living History, Gutenberg's dye was indelible, oil-based, and made from the soot of lamps (lamp-black) mixed with varnish and egg white.[18] Two types of ink were prevalent at the time: the Greek and Roman writing ink (soot, glue, and water) and the 12th century variety composed of ferrous sulfate, gall, gum, and water.[19] Neither of these handwriting inks could adhere to printing surfaces without creating blurs. Eventually an oily, varnish-like ink made of soot, turpentine, and walnut oil was created specifically for the printing press.
Types
Ink formulas vary, but commonly involve two components:
- Colorants
- Vehicles (binders)
Inks generally fall into four classes:[20]
- Aqueous
- Liquid
- Paste
- Powder
Colorants
Pigments
Pigment inks are used more frequently than dyes because they are more color-fast, but they are also more expensive, less consistent in color, and have less of a color range than dyes.[20]
Pigments are solid, opaque particles suspended in ink to provide color.
Dyes
Dye-based inks are generally much stronger than pigment-based inks and can produce much more color of a given density per unit of mass. However, because dyes are dissolved in the liquid phase, they have a tendency to soak into paper, potentially allowing the ink to bleed at the edges of an image.
To circumvent this problem, dye-based inks are made with solvents that dry rapidly or are used with quick-drying methods of printing, such as blowing hot air on the fresh print. Other methods include harder paper
An additional advantage of dye-based ink systems is that the dye molecules can interact with other ink ingredients, potentially allowing greater benefit as compared to pigmented inks from optical brighteners and color-enhancing agents designed to increase the intensity and appearance of dyes.
Dye-based inks can be used for anti-counterfeit purposes and can be found in some gel inks, fountain pen inks, and inks used for paper currency.[21] These inks react with cellulose to bring about a permanent color change.[21] Dye based inks are used to color hair.
Health and environmental aspects
This section needs more primary sources. (June 2018) |
There is a misconception that ink is non-toxic even if swallowed. Once ingested, ink can be hazardous to one's health. Certain inks, such as those used in digital printers, and even those found in a common pen can be harmful. Though ink does not easily cause death, repeated skin contact or ingestion can cause effects such as severe headaches, skin irritation, or nervous system damage.[22] These effects can be caused by solvents, or by pigment ingredients such as p-Anisidine, which helps create some inks' color and shine.
Three main environmental issues with ink are:
- Heavy metals
- Non-renewable oils
- Volatile organic compounds
Some regulatory bodies[
Ink uses up non-renewable oils and metals, which has a negative impact on the environment.[24]
Carbon
Carbon inks were commonly made from lampblack or soot and a binding agent such as gum arabic or animal glue. The binding agent keeps carbon particles in suspension and adhered to paper. Carbon particles do not fade over time even when bleached or when in sunlight. One benefit is that carbon ink does not harm paper. Over time, the ink is chemically stable and therefore does not threaten the paper's strength. Despite these benefits, carbon ink is not ideal for permanence and ease of preservation. Carbon ink tends to smudge in humid environments and can be washed off surfaces. The best method of preserving a document written in carbon ink is to store it in a dry environment (Barrow 1972).
Recently, carbon inks made from carbon nanotubes have been successfully created. They are similar in composition to traditional inks in that they use a polymer to suspend the carbon nanotubes. These inks can be used in inkjet printers and produce electrically conductive patterns.[25]
Iron gall (common ink)
Iron gall inks became prominent in the early 12th century; they were used for centuries and were widely thought to be the best type of ink. However, iron gall ink is corrosive and damages paper over time (Waters 1940). Items containing this ink can become brittle and the writing fades to brown. The original scores of Johann Sebastian Bach are threatened by the destructive properties of iron gall ink. The majority of his works are held by the German State Library, and about 25% of those are in advanced stages of decay (American Libraries 2000). The rate at which the writing fades is based on several factors, such as proportions of ink ingredients, amount deposited on the paper, and paper composition (Barrow 1972:16). Corrosion is caused by acid catalyzed hydrolysis and iron(II)-catalysed oxidation of cellulose (Rouchon-Quillet 2004:389).
Treatment is a controversial subject. No treatment undoes damage already caused by acidic ink. Deterioration can only be stopped or slowed. Some[who?] think it best not to treat the item at all for fear of the consequences. Others believe that non-aqueous procedures are the best solution. Yet others think an aqueous procedure may preserve items written with iron gall ink. Aqueous treatments include distilled water at different temperatures, calcium hydroxide, calcium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium bicarbonate, and calcium hyphenate. There are many possible side effects from these treatments. There can be mechanical damage, which further weakens the paper. Paper color or ink color may change, and ink may bleed. Other consequences of aqueous treatment are a change of ink texture or formation of plaque on the surface of the ink (Reibland & de Groot 1999).
Iron gall inks require storage in a stable environment, because fluctuating
Indelible ink
Indelible means "un-removable". Some types of indelible ink have a very short shelf life because of the quickly evaporating solvents used. India, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia and other developing countries have used indelible ink in the form of
The election commission in India has used indelible ink for many elections. Indonesia used it in its last election in Aceh.[when?] In Mali, the ink is applied to the fingernail. Indelible ink itself is not infallible as it can be used to commit electoral fraud by marking opponent party members before they have chances to cast their votes. There are also reports of "indelible" ink washing off voters' fingers in Afghanistan.[27]
See also
- Blue Wool Scale
- De-inked pulp
- Election ink
- Fountain pen inks
- Gel pen
- Ink eraser
- Inkjet printing
- Inksaving typeface
- Invisible ink
- Lightfastness
- Pharmaceutical ink
- Preservation (library and archival science)
- Preservation of illuminated manuscripts
- Soy ink
- Squid ink
- Stark's ink
- Tattoo ink
- Toner
References
- ^ Banerji, page 673
- ^ a b Sircar, page 62
- ^ a b Sircar, page 67
- ISBN 978-0-521-08690-5.
- ISSN 2049-5021. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- PMID 33106396.
- ISBN 978-0-521-08690-5.
- ^ * Woods, Michael; Woods, Mary (2000). Ancient Communication: Form Grunts to Graffiti.pp 51–52. Minneapolis: Runestone Press; an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.....
- ^ 蔡, 玫芬, 二、墨的發展史, National Chang-Hua Hall of Social Education, archived from the original on 2004-11-26
- ^ Yuuko Suzuki, Introduction to Japanese calligraphy, Search Press 2005, Calligraphie japonaise, 2003, éd. Fleurus, Paris
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-3496-8.
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-3986-2.
- ^ Sung, Sun & Sun, page 286-288.
- ^ Sircar, page 206
- ^ "Think Ink!" by Sharon J. Huntington, The Christian Science Monitor, September 21, 2004, retrieved January 17, 2006.
- ^ CE Bosworth, A Mediaeval Islamic Prototype of the Fountain Pen? Journal of Semitic Studies, 26(2):229–234, 1981
- OCLC 936144129.
- ^ Lyons, M. (2011). Books: A living history. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.
- ^ Many recipes for iron gall inks are featured in A booke of secrets: shewing diuers waies to make and prepare all sorts of inke... tr. out of Dutch into Englishe by W.P. [i.e. William Philip], London, 1596.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-540-67326-2
- ^ a b "Dyes, Pigments and Inks". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- ^ "First Aid for Ink Poisoning". www.dovemed.com. 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
- ^ Canadian Printing Ink Manufacturers' Association
- ^ "Ink – Ten Random Facts". Ten Random Facts. 2013-07-15. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
- PMID 17663555.
- ^ Henk J. Porck and René Teygeler, Preservation Science Survey (Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and Information Resources, 2000).
- ^ Afghanistan election: 'indelible' ink washes off voters' fingers
Sources
- Ainsworth, Mitchell, C., "Inks and Their Composition and Manufacture", Charles Griffin and Company Ltd, 1904.
- N.a. (March 2000), "Bach Scores Turning to Dust in German Library", American Libraries: 24–25
- Banerji, Sures Chandra (1989). A Companion to Sanskrit Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-0063-X.
- Barrow, W.J. (1972), Manuscripts and Documents: Their Deterioration and Restoration, Charlottesville: ISBN 978-0813904085
- Martín-Gil J., Ramos-Sánchez MC, Martín-Gil FJ and José-Yacamán M. "Chemical composition of a fountain pen ink". Journal of Chemical Education, 2006, 83, 1476–78.
- Reißland, Birgit; de Groot, Suzan (August 15–21, 1999), "Ink Corrosion: Comparison of the Currently Used Aqueous Treatments for Paper Objects", Preprint from the 9th International Congress of IADA, pp. 121–129
- Rouchon-Quillet, V.; Remazeilles, C.; Bernard, J.; Wattiaux, A.; Fournes, L.; et al. (2004), "The Impact of Gallic Acid on Iron Gall Ink Corrosion", Applied Physics A, 79 (2): 389–392, S2CID 95990608
- Sircar, D. C. (1996).Indian epigraphy. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-1166-6.
- Waters, C.E. (1940), Inks, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, United States Government Printing Office
Further reading
- Cueppers, Christoph (1989). "On the Manufacture of Ink." Ancient Nepal – Journal of the Department of Archaeology, Number 113, August–September 1989, pp. 1–7. [The Tibetan text and translation of a section of the work called, Bzo gnas nyer mkho'i za ma tog by 'Jam-mgon 'Ju Mi-pham-rgya-mtsho (1846–1912) describing various traditional Tibetan techniques of making inks from different sources of soot, and from earth, puffballs, dung, ser-sha – a yellow fungus, and the fruit of tsi dra ka (Ricinus communis).]
External links
- Forty Centuries of Ink (David N. Carvalho); A detailed online textbook (archived 8 June 2003)
- Roman ink article by Alexander Allen In Smith's Dictionary Greek and Roman Antiquities (1875), in LacusCurtius
- Ancient and Modern Ink Recipes (David N. Carvalho)
- Gorgeous Portrayal Of How Ink Is Made – video at The Huffington Post
- "A Light Note on the Science of Writing and Inks" is a manuscript, in Arabic, from 1852. It discusses the process of making inks.