Printing Inks

What is the ink? Types Printing processes Components Manufacture Properties Formulations Characteristics Applications Problems of printing ink. Ink is a gel sol or solution that contains at least one colorant such as a dye or pigment and is used to color a surface to produce an image text or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen brush reed pen or quill. Thicker inks in paste form are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing. Ink can be a complex medium composed of solvents pigments dyes resins lubricants solubilizers surfactants particulate matter fluorescents and other materials. The components of inks serve many purposes; the ink''s carrier colorants and other additives affect the flow and thickness of the ink and its dry appearance.