A Dictionary of Arts: Printing ink.

A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines; containing A Clear Exposition of Their Principles and Practice

by Andrew Ure, M. D.;
F. R. S. M. G. S. Lond.: M. Acad. M. S. Philad.; S. PH. DOC. N. GERM. Ranow.; Mulh. Etc. Etc.

Illustrated with nearly fifteen hundred engravings on wood
Eleventh American, From The Last London Edition.
To which is appended, a Supplement of Recent Improvements to The Present Time.

New York: D Appleton & company, 200 Broadway. Philadelphia: George S. Appleton, 148 Chestnut St.
MDCCCXLVII

1847

PRINTING INK. (Encre d'imprimerie, Fr., Buchdruckerfarbe, Germ.)
* In his work on the Preparation of Printing Ink: 8vo. , London. 1832. After reviewing the different prescriptions given by Moxon, Breton, Papillon, Lewis, those in Nicholson's and the Messrs. Aikins' Dictionaries, in Rees' Cyclopedia, and in the French Printer's Manual, Mr. Savage* says, that the Encyclopædia Britannica is the only work, to his knowledge, which has given a recipe by which a printing ink might be made, that could be used, though it would be of inferior quality, as acknowledged by the editor; for it specifies neither the qualities of the materials, nor their due proportions. The fine black ink made by Mr. Savage, has, he informs us, been pronounced by some of our first printers to be unrivalled; and has procured for him the large medal from the Society for the Encouragement of Arts.

1. Linseed oil. Mr. Savage says, that the linseed oil, however long boiled, unless set fire to, cannot be brought into a proper state for forming printing ink; ant that the flame may be most readily extinguished by the application of a pretty tight tin cover to the top of the boiler, which should never be more than half full. The French prefer nut oil to linseed; but if the latter be old, it is fully as good, and much cheaper, in this country at least.

2. Black rosin is an important article in the composition of good ink; as by melting it in the oil, when that ingredient is sufficiently boiled and burnt, the two combine, and form a compound approximating to a natural balsam, like that of Canada, which it itself one of the best varnishes that can be used for printing ink.

3. Soap. - This is a most important ingredient in printers' ink, which is not even mentioned in any of the recipes prior to that in the Encyclopædia Britannica. For want of soap, ink accumulates upon the face of the types, so as completely to clog them up after comparatively few impressions have been taken; it will not wash off without alkaline leys, and it skins over very soon in the pot. Yellow rosin soap is the best for black inks; for those of light and delicate shades, white curd soap is preferable. Too much soap is apt to render the impression irregular, and to prevent the ink from drying quickly. The proper proportion has been hit, when the ink works clean, without clogging the surface of the types.

4. Lamp black. - The vegetable lamp black, sold in firkins, takes by far the most vanish, and answers for making the best ink. See BLACK.

5. Ivory black is too heavy to be used alone as a pigment for printing ink; but it may be added with advantage by grinding a little of it upon a muller with the lamp black, for certain purposes; for instance, if an engraving on wood is required to be printed so as to produce the best possible effect.

6. Indigo alone, or with an equal weight of Prussian blue, added in small proportion, takes off the brown tone of certain lamp black inks. Mr. Savage recommends a little Indian red to be ground in with the indigo and Prussian blue, to give a rich tone to the black ink.

7. Balsam of capivi, as sold by Mr. Allen, Plough-court, Lombard-street, mixed, by a stone and a muller, with a due proportion of soap and pigment, forms an extemporaneous ink, which the printer may employ very advantageously when he wishes to execute a job in a peculiarly neat manner. Canada balsam does not answer quite so well.

After the smoke begins to rise from the boiling oil, a bit of burning paper stuck in the cleft end of a long stick should be applied to the surface, to set it on fire, as soon as the vapor will burn; and the flame should be allowed to continue (the pot being meanwhile removed from over the fire, or the fire taken from under the pot), till a sample of varnish, cooled upon a pallet-knife, draws out into string of about half an inch long between the fingers. To six quarts of linseed oil thus treated, six pounds of rosin should be gradually added, as soon as the froth of the ebullition has subsided. Whenever the rosin is dissolved, one pound and three quarters of dry brown soap, of the best quality, cut into slices, is to be introduced cautiously, for its water of combination causes a violent intumescence. Both the rosin and soap should be well stirred with the spatula. The pot is to be now set upon the fire, in order to complete the combination of all the constituents.

Put next of well ground indigo and Prussian blue, each2&rac12; ounces, into an earthen pan, sufficiently large to hold all the ink, along with 4 pounds of the best mineral lamp black, and 3½ pounds of good vegetable lamp black; then add the warm varnish by slow degrees, carefully stirring, to produce a perfect incorporation of all the ingredients. This mixture is next to be subjected to mill, or slab and muller, till it be levigated into a smooth uniform paste.

One pound of a superfine printing ink may be made by the following recipe of Mr. Savage: - Balsam of capivi, 9 oz., lamp black, 3 oz.; indigo and Prussian blue, together, p. æq. 1¼ oz., Indian red, 3/4 oz.; turpentine (yellow) soap, dry, 3 oz. This mixture is to be ground upon a slab, with a muller, to an impalpable smoothness. The pigments used for coloured printing inks are, carmine, lakes, vermilion, red lead, Indian red, Venetian red, chrome yellow, chrome red or orange, burnt terra di Sienna, gall-stone, Roman ochre, yellow ochre, verdigris, blues and yellows mixed for greens, indigo, Prussian blue, Antwerp blue, lustre, umber, sepia, browns mixed with Venetian red, &c.