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How To Make Printing Ink

  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
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Who invented offset printing ink?



Though printing ink has been around for thousands of years, it is generally accepted that Ira Rubel of Nutley, New Jersey was the inventor.  

While printing on a printing press with conventional oil based inks, he noticed that when a sheet was missed, the plate left an image on the rubber impression cylinder. When another sheet was passed, the rubber impression was better than the one from the plate!

So in 1903 Rubel made what is accepted today as the very first offset printing press that duplicated this error. 

The ink for this offset press was formulated and refined during the years 1903 to 1905 as it was operated in his printing factory. This is believed to be the first real use of ink used and designed for offset printing.  

Formulas continued to be refined as the offset printing process gained momentum.

 

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