Ink

“ Some of the old inks, though retaining their black color have, from the presence of acid in the ink or paper, eaten through the paper as thoroughly as if the writing had been done with a sharp instrument. In part of one old volume of court records, the ink, while not injuring the paper or becoming illegible upon the face of the leaves, has gradually become legible upon the reverse, while the heavy paper has been impervious to the other inks used. ”

“ In applying the ink to the bow-pen as to all other instruments, care must be taken that the ink lies between the points only and not on the outside, for in the latter case the ink will flow down too freely and make a broad, ragged line, perhaps getting on the edge of the square blade or triangle, and causing a blot of ink on the drawing. ”

“ THE origin of Ink belongs to an era following the invention of writing. When the development of that art had advanced beyond the age of stone inscription or clay tablet, some material for marking with the reed and the brush was necessary. It was not difficult to obtain black or colored mixtures for this purpose. With their advent, forty centuries or more ago, begins the genesis of ink. ”

“ To classify them would be impossible; but black writing ink, chemical writing fluid, colored writing ink, copying ink, India ink, secret or sympathetic ink, and indelible ink make seven classes; the others may be denominated under the head of miscellaneous inks, and of them all, there is no single ink answering every requirement and few answer at all times the same requirements. Ink may be either a clear solution of any coloring matter or of coloring matter held in suspension. ”

“ Printing with ink is done by three methods: (1) from a raised surface in high relief, as in type or woodcuts; (2) from a sunk or incised surface, as in copper-plate engraving; (3) from a flat surface on stone made repellent to ink in portions by dampening the stone, as in lithography (q.v.) . As the raised surface is easiest inked and impressed, typography is found most generally useful. ”

“ All literature possible referring to ink formulas was examined to ascertain the names of materials recommended or formerly "added" to gall inks, because if the pristineness of the blacker inks was due to the added pigment it was a safe proposition that it was still existent in the ink, and that if it could be discovered part at least of the problem would be, simplified. ”

“ Simple as the composition of Ink may be thought, and really is—it is a fact well known, that we have at present none equal in beauty and color to that used by the ancients; as will appear by an inspection of many of the manuscripts above quoted, especially those written in England in the times of the Saxons. ”

“ Indelible ink is not used for writing purposes on paper, but is found best adapted for marking linen and cancellation or endorsing purposes. It is chiefly composed of nitrate of silver preparations, to which heat must be applied after it has been dried; or a pigment is commingled with the same vehicles used in making common printing ink and in its use treated as such. ”

“ COLOR TO INK— INVENTION OF COAL TAR COLORS—CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE "ANILINES" EMPLOYED AS INK—OTHER SUBSTANCES USED FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. THE term "added color," as applied to ink, is the popular phraseology for a multitude of materials which have been more or less utilized for a period of centuries, in adulterating and coloring ink. In olden times they were introduced into ink with an honest belief that it would also improve and ensure its lasting qualities, but latterly more often to cheapen the cost of its manufacture. ”

“ In chemico-legal cases it is sometimes of importance to ascertain the nature of the ink used, to compare it with specimens of writing of known history, and to ascertain the relative ages of the writings. A minute inspection should first be made with a magnifying power of about 10 diameters, and any peculiarities of color, lustre, shade, etc., duly noted, and where lines cross each other which lie uppermost. The examination is often facilitated by moistening the paper with benzine or petroleum spirit, whereby it is rendered semi- transparent. ”

“ If a new ink were compounded of the two, possessing the best properties of each, any writing executed with it could be effaced by the joint or successive action of mechanical and chemical applications.
It must be borne in mind that the ancient inks had one use for which writing ink is now never required; and that was in making books, or multiplying copies of manuscripts indefinitely for general reading, or publication. The invention and universal employment of the art of printing has wholly done away with that. ”

“ The method of printing at the laboratory is to squeeze a drop or so of ink on to the slab, and to work it thoroughly with the roller until a thin and even [Pg 39] layer is spread, just as is done by printers, from one of whom a beginner might well purchase a lesson. The thickness of the layer of ink is tested from time to time by taking a print of a finger, and comparing its clearness and blackness with that of a standard print, hung up for the purpose close at hand. ”

“ To draw upon a dark orange-colored paper with a pale blue-gray ink would be simply to disregard all photographic principles, for the photographic value of the paper and of the ink would be nearly equal, and the drawing would consequently be lost. ”

“ Diamonds, gold, silver, platinum and a host of other materials are manufactured into ink and are to be placed under the head of miscellaneous inks. They are in great number and of no interest in respect to ink writing except for engrossing or illuminating. ”

“ To have been able to write on dry tablets of wood or barks of trees with the reed or brush, the then only ink-writing instruments in vogue would have necessitated the employment of lampblack suspended in a vehicle of thick gum, or in the form of a paint. ”

“ To employ any other kind of ink except one of natural origin like the juice of berries which soon disappeared, was forbidden by prevailing religious customs. Such conditions naturally merged into others, in the shape of "ink" substitutes for writing; the stylus, with its accompanying sheets or tablets of ivory, wood, metal and wax came into popular vogue and so continued for many centuries, even after the employment of ink for writing purposes had been resumed. ”

“ Ordinary writing ink was formerly always made from a decoction of galls, to which green vitriol was added. Of late, the composition of writing inks has become far less constant, aniline and other dyes being frequently employed, and other metallic salts substituted for the ferrous- sulphate formerly invariably used. The best black ink is a tanno-gallate of iron, obtained by adding an infusion of nut-galls to a solution of ferrous- sulphate (copperas) . ”

“ When there is a question as to whether a paper is tub or engine sized, it can be usually decided by wetting the forefinger and thumb and pressing the sheet between them. If tub-sized, the glue which is applied to the surface will perceptibly cling to the fingers.
TO TEST THE INK RESISTING QUALITY OF PAPER.— Draw a heavy ink line across the sheet. If the paper is poorly sized, a feathery edge will appear, caused by spreading of the ink. Slack-sized paper will be penetrated by the ink, which will plainly appear on the reverse side of the sheet. ”

“ The Ink used by the ancients had nothing in common with ours, but the color and gum. Gall-nuts, copperas and gum make up the composition of our Ink; whereas soot, or ivory-black, was the chief ingredient in that of the ancients ”

“ That if the ink of part of a writing is of a different shade, though of the same colour, from that of the other parts, we cannot infer from that circumstance alone that the writing was done at different times. Ink taken from the top of an inkstand will be lighter than that from the bottom, where the dregs are; the deeper the pen is dipped into the ink, the darker the writing will be. ”

“ The requisites of a good black writing ink or black writing fluid require it to flow readily from the pen, to indicate in a short time a black color and to penetrate the paper to an appreciable degree, and more important than all the rest, to be of great durability. When kept in a closed vessel no sediment of any account should be precipitated, although such will be the case in open ink-wells, and this the quicker the more the air is permitted to get to it. ”

“ Owing to the well-known fact that an inked surface presents a stronger chemical affinity for ink than does a paper surface, when one ink-line crosses another, the ink will flow out from the crossing line upon the surface of the line crossed, slightly beyond where it flows upon the paper surface on each side, thus causing the crossing line to appear broadened upon the line crossed. Also an excess of ink will remain in the pen furrows of the crossing line, intensifying them and causing them to appear stronger and blacker than the furrows of the line crossed. ”

“ Ink is taken from the type more readily by paper of this kind, especially if the latter be rather soft in texture, so that the press drives into it the face of the type bearing the ink. Modern processes of reproducing pictures give plates for printing, many of which are made up of very fine lines placed very closely together and having very shallow depressions between them. To print from these with good results the paper used must have a very smooth, highly polished surface. The press drives soft paper down into the narrow places between the fine lines and blurs the impression of the cut. ”

“ The black inks of a large portion of the seventeenth century, on documents of every kind, are found to be nearly perfect as to color conditions, which is evidence of the extreme care used in their preparation and the exclusion of "added" color in ink manufacture. ”

“ A Writing or Drawing is made on Stone, with an Ink prepared with a sort of unctuous ingredient—to this is applied another Ink of a contrary quality; the Ink with which the Writing or Drawing is made, remains on the Stone, while that with which the Printing is performed, separates from it, and is thus transferred to the Paper. This method has been brought to very great perfection; so much so, as to produce Prints from Drawings possessing nearly all the beauty and delicacy of Copperplate or Steel Engravings. ”

“ We quote from page 366;—"The ink which the ancients generally used, was composed of lamp-black mixed with gum, as we are informed by Dioscorides and others, who give the receipt [recipe?] for making it. Ink of this kind may be called carbonic: it possess the advantages of extreme blackness and durability, the writing remaining fresh so long as the substance on which it is written exists; but as it does not sink into the paper, it is liable to the great inconvenience of being easily and entirely removed ”

“ Indigo has been recently imported,—a substance whose composition I have not yet investigated. The dyers make theirs from the dark crust that gradually accumulates on brass-kettles. Ink is made also from torches (pine-knots) , and from charcoal pounded fine in mortars. "The cuttle-fish" has a remarkable quality in this respect; but the coloring-matter which it produces is not used in the manufacture of ink. All ink is improved by exposure to the sun's rays. Book-writers' ink has gum mixed with it,—weaver's ink is made up with glue. ”

“ It may be relevant to suggest that the human skin is ideal for inking purposes, and that a printer’s composition roller is an imitation of its qualities.
The layout man, in addition to the study of ink harmony, should learn to blend colors and tints of paper stock. He should know that a buff or cream inside paper reflects the color of a yellow-brown cover stock, and hence makes a prettier combination than white inside paper and brown cover stock. Another important point is the color blending of a tipped-on illustration and the stock acting as a background. ”

“ A jet-black ink will test the quality of the writing by “showing up” all the faults; “pale” or “tinted” inks rather conceal the faults, and lend a false appearance of excellence (p. 322) . A thin ink greatly adds to the ease of writing (see Addenda, p. 23) . Waterproof inks, as a rule, are too thick or gummy, and do not flow freely enough.
The ink-bottle is kept corked when not in use, to keep the ink clean and prevent evaporation. Thick or muddy ink should be put away: it is not worth while trying to use it.
A small brush is used for filling the pen.
PENS
Fig. ”

“ The ink is a rich brown fluid, and, as its name imports, is indelibly fixed on the paper as soon as it is dry; thus allowing the artist to work or wash over it repeatedly, without its being disturbed. ”

“ In pouring out the ink a very thick layer prevents the strengthening of the finest lines.
Dirt on the plate often comes from handling the drawings; it must be scratched off and the plate must be perfect before proceeding.
Now comes the changing of the ink into an etching varnish. But before beginning we must cover the free edges of the zinc for the distance of half a centimetre around the drawing with a solution of ink in turpentine; the same applies to large white surfaces in the drawing, which it is more convenient to cut out with a scroll saw. ”

“ Writing traced with a quill or gold pen dipped in this ink dries to a pale blue color; but if now a heated iron be passed over its surface, or the page of manuscript be held near a fire, the writing will quickly assume a jet black appearance, resulting from the carbonization of the sugar by a warm acid, and will have become so firmly engrafted into the substance of the paper as to oppose considerable difficulty to its removal or erasure by a knife. ”