| Ink is not created equal. Scanning through the isle of | | | | was wrong, it could penetrate your paper and cause |
| pens in your neighboring office supply store will result | | | | corrosion to the pen.o Soy ink is made from soybean |
| in a wide selection of ball point and gel ink pens. | | | | oil that is environmentally friendly and safe. It became |
| Ballpoint ink is oil based, thick and pasty. Gel ink is | | | | an alternative used by the Newspaper Association of |
| water based and becomes liquefied when the ink is | | | | America, replacing the standard petroleum based ink. |
| disturbed. The small balls in ballpoint pens are | | | | The rising cost for petroleum in the 1970's forced the |
| insufficient for gel ink pens. Amazingly, gel pens are | | | | industry to find more reliable and cost effective |
| gaining notoriety among everyday writing | | | | methods for printing. The color from soy ink creates |
| instruments. | | | | sharp, bright images on newsprint.o Printers ink was |
| You must be extremely careful to use specific types | | | | greasy in texture. This type of ink was not the same |
| of ink for their intended purposes. For example, the | | | | as writing ink, but it did inspire the type of ink used in |
| type of ink recommended for use in a fountain pen | | | | ballpoint pens. In order to keep the pen from clogging |
| should be used just for that. If you use ink that is | | | | when not in use, this ink dried slowly and was |
| not recommended for your fountain pen, you risk | | | | formulated to avoid leakage around the ball of the |
| the chance of ruining your pen's filling system. | | | | pen.o Dye-based ink can produce more color, based |
| The development of ink comes in a variety of | | | | on density. While dyes have the tendency to soak |
| textures, weights, intensities and purposes.o Indian | | | | into the paper, they can potentially allow the ink to |
| ink invented by Chinese Philosopher Tien-Lcheu, was | | | | bleed at the edges. To alleviate this problem, |
| a mixture containing soot and oil of lamps, combined | | | | dye-based inks contain solvents that dry quickly. |
| with donkey skin and musk to rectify the scent of | | | | They can be more susceptible to fading if exposed |
| the oil. The Chinese perfected this ink for blackening | | | | to ultraviolet radiation (ie. sunlight). |
| the surfaces of hieroglyphics.o Pigmented ink contains | | | | One brand of ink made by Parker Pens, "Quink," |
| a variety of agents ensuring the adhesiveness of | | | | became known as the world's first quick drying ink. |
| pigments to the surface, through materials referred | | | | The name "Quink" is short for the combined words |
| to as resins or binding agents. Pigments are the main | | | | "quick" and "ink." Besides its marketing success as a |
| components of ink. This type of ink stays on the | | | | quick drying ink, some of its other benefits included |
| surface of paper whereby less ink is needed for | | | | water resistancy, non-clogging, quality of ink flow, |
| creating intensity. Hue, saturation and brightness are | | | | non-corrosiveness and it did not fade. It was |
| inherent qualities of ink.o Walnut ink is made from the | | | | manufactured in shades of China Red, India Black, |
| shells of walnuts. It is popular for staining paper to | | | | Pan American Green and Tunis Blue. |
| mimic aging for that antique appearance. It is available | | | | Sheaffer avoided using the word "ink" when referring |
| in a liquid or powdered crystallized form. The | | | | to its name brand called Skrip. Instead, Skrip was |
| powdered crystals can be dissolved with hot, not | | | | called "writing fluid." The original Skrip came in eleven |
| boiling water. Longevity of the shelf life is based on | | | | colors. Since October 1997, Sheaffer has been a part |
| storage in a cool, dark location. This ink may be used | | | | of the BIC Pen Corporation. |
| primarily with craft projects.o Iron-Gall Nut ink was | | | | Ingredients in ink respond to such conditions as |
| made from tannic acid and iron salt. This ink was | | | | temperature and outdoor weather conditions. The |
| transparent and penetrated the paper leaving | | | | benefits of ink quality, durability and absorption that |
| permanent markings. When a water soluble thickener | | | | we enjoy today catapulted through experimenting |
| was added, the ink flowed better. This allowed it to | | | | with chemical compounds, additives and colorants by |
| stay in place on the paper. However, if the mixture | | | | early inventors and innovators. |