Chapter XVII: Inks

RUBBER STAMP INK.

Aniline blue soluble, 1 B 3 parts.
Distilled water 10 ”
Acetic acid 10 ”
Alcohol 10 ”
Glycerine 70 ”

For other colors the following aniline colors may be substituted in proportions given:

Methyl violet, 3 B (violet) 3 parts.
Diamond fuchsin I, (red) 2 ”
Methyl green yellowish 4 ”
Vesuvin, B (brown) 5 ”
Nigrosin, W (blue black) 4 ”

For very bright red 3 parts of Eosin BBN. are used. In this case the acetic acid must be omitted. In all cases the colors should first be rubbed up with the water in a mortar, and the glycerine should be added gradually. These inks will answer for the hektograph.

_Hektograph Ink._--Aniline color, 1 part; water, 7 parts; glycerine, 1 part. A little alcohol may be used with advantage to dissolve the aniline color. It can be expelled by heating if it proves objectionable.

_Aniline Ink Vehicle._--Prof. E. B. Shuttleworth, of Toronto, Ont., suggests the use of castor oil in place of vaseline and other vehicles for typewriter ink. The aniline colors may first be dissolved in alcohol, and the solution may be added to the oil. They may also be dissolved directly in the oil in which most of them are soluble.

_Indelible Stamping Inks._--I. Asphaltum, 1 part; oil of turpentine, 4 parts; dissolve and temper with printer’s ink. The ink may be omitted, and solid dry color added.

II. Sodium carbonate, 22 parts; glycerine, 85 parts; dissolve and rub up in a mortar with gum arabic, 20 parts. In a separate vessel dissolve silver nitrate, 11 parts; in officinal aqua ammonia, 20 parts. Mix the two solutions, and heat to the boiling point, 212° F. (100° C.). After it darkens, add Venice turpentine, 10 parts. After applying to the cloth, a hot iron should be applied, or it should be exposed to the sun.

III. Dr. W. Reissig’s formula:

Boiled linseed oil varnish 16 parts.
Finest lamp black 6 ”
Ferric chloride (sesquichloride of iron) 2 to 5 ”

Dilute a little for use with varnish. After this ink has been removed, no matter how completely it can be detected by dipping the paper into a solution of ammonium sulphide.

IV.

Aniline black in crystals 1 part.
Alcohol 30 ”
Glycerine 30 ”

Dissolve in the alcohol, and add the glycerine afterwards.

_Show Card Ink._--

Pure asphaltum 16 parts.
Venice turpentine 18 ”
Lamp-black 4 ”
Oil of turpentine 64 ”

Dissolve the asphaltum in the turpentine, and thoroughly mix.

_Stencil Ink._--Shellac, 2 ounces; borax, 2 ounces; water, 25 ounces. Dissolve by heat if necessary, first the borax alone, and then adding the shellac. To the clear solution add gum arabic, 2 ounces. Color with lamp-black, with Venetian red, or with ultramarine, to suit the taste. Another formula gives shellac, 4 parts, borax, 1 part, and omits the gum arabic.

_Copying Ink_ (for use without a press by simply pressing and rubbing with the hand), by Prof. Attfield, F.R.S.--Use ink of any kind of extra strength. This in many cases can be made by evaporating common ink down to six tenths of its volume. Then mix with it two thirds of its volume of glycerine, so as to restore the original volume.

_White Ink._--Barium sulphate, or “flake white” is mixed with gum arabic water of sufficient thickness to keep it suspended, at least while in use. Starch or magnesium carbonate or other white powder may be used instead of the barium sulphate. The powder must be of impalpable fineness.

_White Ink on Blue Paper._--A solution of oxalic acid in water is used for this purpose. It may be applied with a rubber stamp or with a common pen. A quill or gold pen is the best as a steel pen is soon corroded. The ink bleaches the paper wherever it touches it, giving white lines on a blue ground.

_Gold Ink._--Gold leaf with honey is ground up in a mortar, best an agate mortar, or on a painters’ slab with a muller. It is added to water, and thoroughly mixed and at once poured off from the first sediments, filtered out, and washed. This is done to secure the impalpably finely ground gold only. The resulting powder is mixed with a suitable vehicle, such as white varnish or gum arabic water.

_Silver Ink._--As above, using silver leaf.

_Zinc Label Ink._--I. Verdigris, 1 part; ammonium chloride, 1 part; lamp-black, ½ part; water, 10 parts.

II. Platinum bichloride, 1 part; gum arabic, 1 part; water, 10 parts.

_Diamond Ink for Etching Glass._--This consists essentially of hydrofluoric acid mixed with barium sulphate to the consistency of cream. The barium sulphate is quite inoperative except as giving a body to prevent the ink from spreading. It is applied with a rubber stamp or pen and allowed to remain for ten minutes or until dry. On removal of the white powder, the design will be found etched on the glass. The following is a formula for it.

Saturate hydrofluoric acid with ammonia, add an equal volume of hydrofluoric acid and thicken with barium sulphate in fine powder.