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
The history of offset printing could fill volumes. Instead I would like to highlight more modern advances in offset printing as it relates to sheetfed and web printers. 1875: The first press to use offset lithography and the offset printing process is invented in England. It used a cardboard covered cylinder to transfer the image from stone to a metal surface. 1880: Rubber is discovered as a more effective transfer method on an offset printing clylinder. 1892: First four color rotary press is invented. 1895: Harris Automatic Press Company is founded in Niles, Ohio. The company begins research on how to better the offset printing process. 1903: Ira Washington Rubel of the United States first uses the offset process and uses it to print on paper. He discovers that images print sharper by printing from the stone to the blanket and then to the paper. This forms the basis for all modern offset lithography. 1911: Man Roland enters the offset printing mark