History of Ink
Humans have been writing and leaving marks since the beginning of civilization, and the earliest records of ink date back over five thousand years ago. Ancient Sumerians and Egyptians used vines, leaves and bark to create inks for their purposes. The ancient Egyptians were the first to utilize a structural form to their ink composition. They used carbon, gum and honey for the pigment, and the recipe produced a black-hued ink which remains common to this day.
Ink from animal sources has also been in use for centuries. In China, cinnabar was an element used to produce red-colored inks. Cinnabar was a source of mercury, which was combined with a special varnish to produce the red-hued ink. In Eastern cultures, silkworm excrement was also used to produce unique inks.
During the Middle Ages, oils were also integrated into the ink production process. Specifically, monks used oils to make some of the more indelible inks. The ingredients for the ink durables included walnut and sheep’s gall. These formulas essentially guaranteed that the ink could not be blotted, smeared or rubbed off. Consequently, it was also referred to as “indelible” or “bulletproof writing”.
In the late 19th century, ink production significantly changed with the invention of the fountain pen and the ballpoint. The fountain pen introduced a liquid ink in which the penholder had to be constantly refilled, whereas the ballpoint stored the ink internally. As a result of the improvements to writing processes, calligraphy soon became a popular art form.
By the latter half of the 20th century, printer technology become commercially available and a variety of modern inks were developed to support various applications. In addition to the classic writing inks, a range of specialty inks have also been developed, including inks with anti-counterfeiting features, glow-in-the-dark inks and timer inks that change color over time.
Today, ink production has become an incredibly precise process, with inks being designed for specific applications and industries. From low-viscosity inks for magazine and newspaper printing, to high-viscosity inks for crisp, vivid graphic designs – the advances in ink technology have changed the way people express themselves.
