thumb|Bottles of ink from Germany thumb|Writing ink and a quill Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker inks, in paste form, are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing.
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Ink is a liquid or paste containing colorant (like dye or pigment) that is used to create images, text, or designs on surfaces through writing, drawing, or printing. It matters because it has been essential for communication and artistic expression throughout history, serving as the medium for everything from handwritten documents to printed materials.
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Article
17 sectionsContents
- History
- Types
- Colorants
- Pigments
- Dyes
- Functional colorants
- Health and environmental aspects
- Carbon
- Iron gall (common ink)
- Indelible ink
- Inkblots
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Bottles of ink from Germany thumb|Writing ink and a quill Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker inks, in paste form, are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing.
Ink can be a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants, solubilizers, surfactants, particulate matter, fluorescents, and other materials. The components of inks serve multiple purposes; the ink's carrier, colorants, and other additives affect the flow and thickness of the ink and its dry appearance.