The Ingredients That Are Found In Ink

By Keren Kipfer


From the mail in our mailbox to the clothing that we wear to all of our food packages, ink is found everywhere. We use it for writing, printing and decorating, and thousands of businesses depend on ink for at least some part of their production. While this is all true, few people really know much about this all-important product. Here are some general facts about ink.

Formulas vary by brand and type of ink, but generally speaking, ink has three typical components. Colorant is the first component of ink, and these are made using either dyes or pigments. Dyes have a much wider color range and are less expensive than pigment inks. On the other hand, dyes are more easily affected by water, and this water solubility means that even a single drop of water can ruin your print and that dyes take longer to dry. They also have been known to fade more quickly than pigments.

Pigments are costlier and have fewer color options, but they do dry very quickly, are less water soluble and last longer. Pigment inks are often favored by those printing on a glossy surface and by photographers who work with black and white imagery. These days, dye inks dry faster and last longer than they did in the past, so they are used more frequently, especially when you want deep and rich colors.

The second component of ink is known as the vehicle or the binder. This important component is what forces ink to affix to a surface, such as your piece of paper or perhaps a bag of potato chips or an article of clothing. In addition, the vehicle also is essential in helping the ink flow smoothly from the cartridge or ink source onto the surface or substrate. These binders are made of resin, and there are many varieties of resin used for different types of ink.

While there are many different additives placed in ink, all of these additives together are grouped as a third component of ink. They are added because the colorant and vehicles can do all the necessary work, and these additives are the components that improve the flow of the ink and the lubrication as well as improving the drying time of the ink. Waxes, either wet or dry, will keep inks from marring. Different types of oil also are added, including linseed oil, flax seed oil and soybean oil, as well as oils based from petroleum. To improve the oxidation and the drying times, substances such as manganese and also cobalt are added.

Ink comes in several different forms, including liquid form, dry or as a paste. Make-up fluids are then added before the inks are used in a printer. If you own an industrial coder, such as a Domino coder, Altima coder or perhaps a VideoJet id printer, you can purchase low-cost, high-quality inks from a product id company that specializes in selling inks, parts and services for those businesses that use id coders.




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