|
Ink was
already in use for printing (from wooded blocks)
at the time of Gutenberg developed his movable type
system. Early inks consisted of lampblack or soot
mixed with animal glue or vegetable oils. Ink making
became a highly developed art among the Chinese.
They introduced earth colors and printed from hand-cut
block in the 11th century 400 years before Gutenberg.
In the
early day of printing, the printer made his own
ink with lampblack and boiled linseed oil which
he cooked according to a secret formula. Much of
the success of Gutenberg's invention of printing
is due to the special ink he developed for transfer
to and from the cast metal type. Ink making became
a commercial process in the 17th century. The first
ink factory was established in America in 1742.
In the early
manufacture of inks, little color was used until the
discovery of coal tar types in the middle of the 19th
century. Linseed oil (a vegetable oil) was the main
vehicle in printing ink until the mid-1930's when
new vehicles and heat-set ink were introduced for
letterpress maga zine printing in the United States.
UV (ultraviolet) and EB (electron beam) curing vehicles
for ink and coatings were introduced in the 1970's.
More recent develop ments in inks have been water-based
ink for gravure and flexography, and soybean ink for
lithography. Today ink making is a highly refined
industry with special ink for each printing process
and purpose. The ink industry represents a multi-billion-dollar
industry in the United States alone. |
