Ink

Ink, liquid or paste used for writing or printing. Writing inks were used as early as c.2500 B.C. by Egyptians and Chinese, who created ink from natural materials such as berries, bark, linseed oil, and soot. Today, there are thousands of kinds of inks, used both in the printing industry and in ballpoint and fountain pens for writing. Most printing inks contain pigments, as opposed to dyes. Vehicles, which carry the pigment and help bind it to the paper, vary greatly in printing. Thick, sticky inks are used in the printing of books and magazines, and many contain driers to speed up the chemical reaction of oxidation and help the ink dry faster. Most writing ink consists of dyes and resins dissolved in a solvent, such as water and glycol, an alcohol.