Introduction Printing ink is so much more than just the black stuff that you put on a page. It has been around for thousands of years, and it's been used in everything from newspaper presses to digital printers. As you can see, we're not talking about offset printing ink which is oil based. I want to have a little fun and talk about how you can make your own ink for your printer. At home! Ready? Ingredients You will need the following ingredients: Soot (5 tbsp) : This is as purest as it gest. You can make the soot yourself by holding a glass up to a flame. This will allow you to slowly accumulate the soot. Water (2 tbsp): For the base of your ink, use distilled water so that you don't introduce any impurities into the mix. Distilled water is also easier to clean up than tap water because there are no minerals or residue left behind from tap water. Alcohol (2 tbsp) (grain alcohol): This ingredient works as a preservative for your ink and allows it to last for several mo
Ink is Only a Fraction of Offset Costs Ink is only a fraction of the actual cost of offset printing , but can be the root cause of a myriad of problems. This makes troubleshooting offset printing ink a daunting task at times. There are so many demands on ink to print good quality in a complicated process. Let's examine how you can troubleshoot just a few problems with your offset printing ink . 1. High Dot Gain Ink is not the only factor to consider in this case. There are many other factors to consider relating to your plates, pressure settings and chemistry. Let's just consider a couple possibilities that may involve the ink itself that is causing high dot gain . Cause: Ink viscosity too low. Solution: Consult your ink manufacturer and request change. Increasing your viscosity may make an improvement, but cause problems in other areas. Ask your supplier for help to understand all the underlying issues. Cause: Improper ink and water balance. Sol