This article is about composition of offset inks,from what substances they are constructed of.
Ink is constructed of three most important substances: Pigment, the coloring material in the ink; Vehicle, which is the liquid that holds the particles of pigment; and Modifiers, which control the drying of the ink along with other factors such as smell, scuff resistance, and fading. PIGMENT: There are two essential types of pigment applied in printing inks. Organic pigment,which happens to be produced from carbon, is used for making black ink. Inorganic pigments, which are created by mixing various chemicals together,are being used for colored inks. For example, sulfur,silica, or china clay can be combined with either soda ash or sulfate salts to make ultramarine blue ink. VEHICLE: Vehicle is the liquid that holds the particles of pigment and carries them to the paper. There are two kinds of vehicles utilized in offset inks: oils such as soya oil or linseed oil (and that is a yellowish oil made from flax); and synthetic vehicles, which are liquids resulting from the mixture of chemicals. For example, phenol and formaldehyde mixed together make phenolic resins, in some cases used in printing inks as a vehicle. MODIFIERS: Modifiers are elements added to the ink to control drying and other qualities such as smell and resistance to fading.
Saso is a graduated printing engineer specialized in offset printing(also
pre press and post press technics) with 15 years working experience who
likes to share and upgrade his knowledge with anybody who is interested
or need advice about this printing technology.
