4292. Red Marking-Ink for Clothing.

The Manufacturer and Builder 11, 1889

—Can you give me a receipt for making a red ink that will be indelible, and can be used for marking clothing without injury? - C. R., Dover, Del.

Answer. A German formula for a red marking-ink suitable for use in marking clothing, and that is said to be unaffected by either soap, alkalies and acids, is the following: Enough finely-pulverized cinnabar to form a moderately thick liquid is very intimately mixed with egg albumen, previously diluted with an equal bulk of water, beaten to a froth and filtered through fine linen. Marks formed on woven tissues with this liquid, by means of a quill, are fixed after they have become dry, by pressing the cloth on the reverse side with a hot iron. The ink will keep in well-closed bottles for a long time, without separation of the suspended cinnabar.