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
If you have the luxury of working in a printing plant that uses only OEM parts, my hats off to you. It says a lot about where you work. For the rest of us that use aftermarket parts, I thought I would list the pros and cons of each since we have seen the pitfalls of both. Even though you may not be the decision maker, I thought some of you would appreciate some of the pitfalls of each. OEM PARTS Pros Good Quality - Your press manufacturer will provide the exact part you need, designed to do precisely what you need. Plug and play. Warranty - If the part doesn't work, a manufacturer will stand behind the product and usually back it up with some sort of warranty. We have had this happen a couple of times. Exact Parts - Finding parts is a no brainer. The press manufacturer will have the exact part and you do not need to choose between different brands or types. Cons More Expensive - Manufactured in Germany? Then that's the price you pay for German engineerin