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
I asked this question recently to one of the head press installers for Man Roland. So here is the answer. It's time to change your pins when they are either damaged or worn. Sounds simple, but it is apparently a little more involved than that. If you work on a press folder that uses pins, you may be interested to know the three reasons he outlined for changing them. They can help in troubleshooting folder problems . 1. They get damaged. This is when most of us pressmen change the pins. They get bent or break off in a folder jam. Even then, if you are like me, you will not change the pin unless it is really bad. 2. Worn beyond bevel. This is a less noticeable reason to change the pins. Quite often at the tip of each folder pin, there is a small bevel that leads up to the point where the pin is meant to pierce the paper. As time goes on, this bevel will wear down. What makes it less perceptible, is that the bevel can wear down with it. Once that bevel disa