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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. |
