A story about the composition and use of coloring liquids for writing and drawing: ink and ink, you need to start with a brief history of the appearance of both. Let's start, of course, with mascara as the oldest product, the durability of which has been tested for thousands of years.
History of appearance and application of mascara
This paint predated papyrus and paper. The ancient treatises of Egypt and China speak of the use of ink to better highlight inscriptions carved in stone. Initially, ink was made from improvised materials: black carbon, fat, gelatin, musk, etc.
With the translation of writing from clay and stone to papyrus, ink appeared in ancient Egypt, the main component of which, as now, is the soot of burnt plants. In order for the paint to remain stable, to stick better to the papyrus, it was mixed with the juice of certain plants (gum) that appeared on the bark. Ink is found during excavations, dried in jars or separately in the form of a bar (to the inkclay-kaolin was added). Such bars were rubbed in special trays (inkers) with pestles, mixed with water.
In ancient China, the ink was thicker than in Egypt, so they wrote with brushes, not sticks. In ancient times, paint was also widely used to apply drawings on the body in the form of tattoos: ink was applied to the skin, and then tattoos were made with needles, which fixed the drawing.
History of appearance and application of ink
Ink appeared with the advent of writing on parchment. What was needed was a substance that would eat into the skin and leave a trace of a contrasting color on it. Ink in many languages comes from the word "black". However, they were originally multi-colored, as they were made from a variety of raw materials. They were made from juices, decoctions, vegetable glues, insects, etc. The added dye, in addition to the most popular - soot, was obtained from juices, decoctions, vegetable glues, insects and marine animals. Yes, and various types of trees, leaves, seeds, etc. were burned for soot.
Differences in the composition of ink and ink
The main difference between ink and ink is that the latter is a solution, and not a suspension of coloring particles in water, like ink. Therefore, the ink penetrates the material on which it is applied completely. This leads to another difference: the ink dries much faster, since only it dries itself, and the entire layer soaked by them dries in the ink. Therefore, the second indicator of how ink differs from ink is the drying speed:mascara dries faster, which is often very important.
The quality of the received line is of great importance for writing. Ink loses ink in this: it gives a deeper color, thick and shiny surface of the coating. This is the difference between ink and ink.
To work with ink, you need a dense base, as ink often spreads on a porous surface. Good quality mascara lays down, fixing itself with a thin film, without penetrating into the material. This is the fourth difference between ink and ink.
Big differences in the light fastness of ink and ink. A letter executed in ink fades over time, which cannot be said about the ink on the oldest scrolls that have come down to us. This is the fifth difference between ink and ink. There are even sympathetic inks that, when dry, become completely invisible. This property makes ink indispensable in calligraphy, graphics and other artworks.
Types of ink by usage
All inks must contain solvents, dyes, viscosity and drying speed modifiers. Water, glycerin and ethyl alcohol are used as solvents. The composition of dyes is very wide. There are also a lot of modifiers. The composition of the ink will depend on where it will be used: different techniques use a variety of ink modifications.
The current ink can be divided into several groups according to the types of application:
- for pen writing;
- for fountain pens;
- for capillary pens and markers;
- for inkjet printers and manyother species.
Quill ink is used to fill documents. You can add a certain coloring pigment to them, then they will become unique, and it will be easier to identify a fake.
For ballpoint pens, as a rule, pasty wax-based ink is used. The paste continuously flows onto the paper, leaving a greasy impression. Over time, the ink trail fades and may disappear altogether.
Ink for capillary pens, as well as for felt-tip pens, is made using dissolved dyes in various alcohols.
Inkjet ink
What is the difference between printer ink? Printer manufacturers have gone to great lengths to securely hold the ink in the cartridge (tanks) and deliver it to print at the required speed. Original cartridge inks always meet the requirements for them: in terms of saturation tone, acidity, surface tension and specific gravity, and other parameters. Work on original ink is a guarantee of continuous and uninterrupted operation of copiers, high-quality work. Two types of inks are used for printers: water-soluble and pigmented. What is the difference between pigment ink and water based ink?
Pigment dyes for printers
Pigment inks include water without impurities (deionized), a coloring matter in the form of a pigment that is insoluble in water, and even before20 components to obtain high-quality, light and moisture resistant elements. What is the difference between pigment inks for printers?
Because very fine abrasive particles are used in the cartridge, pigment ink cartridges are more likely to fail. Printers with this ink element are more expensive due to the cost of the ink.
When using pigment liquid dyes, print one multicolor job at least once a week. These are shortcomings.
The advantages of such printers include:
- clearer printing, even on poor paper;
- resistant to light and water, which is indispensable for street images;
- can be printed on both sides.
Water soluble ink for printers
Water-soluble dye ink should be used if:
- The printer often prints photos on special photo paper, matte or glossy;
- if your printer is only capable of using water-soluble ink.
Disadvantages of these printers:
- insufficient moisture resistance;
- The lightfastness of such inks is also much lower than that of pigmented counterparts, they fade under the influence of the sun, such photos and documents must be stored in a place protected from light.
The main advantage of water-soluble inks is their natural transfer of color and light.
More goodies:
- the ink supply system is less likely to clog, and if the printhead is still clogged, it is easy enough to wash it;
- stability during long periods of inactivity.
Technology is constantly being improved. Perhaps soon there will be an ink that combines the advantages of pigment and water-soluble dyes, but without their disadvantages.
