How to make your own Black Ink

Black ink has been made for thousands of years for writing and printing.  It was first used by the ancient Egyptians 4,600 years ago and by the Chinese 2,500 years ago.  They both used Carbon Blacks, but with different binders (additives used to keep the pigment in suspension and to act as a thickener).  The Egyptians used Gum Arabic from Acacia trees, whilst in China they used Hide Glue.

Black inks fall into two groups, Carbon Blacks and Iron Oxide Blacks, and I am going to tell you how to make black ink from each group.

Carbon Blacks

The first group, the Carbon Blacks, covers three traditional methods:

Vegetable Black, which is made by burning vegetation and wood - as in charcoal,

Bone Black, which is made by charring animal bones - as in Ivory Black, which is probably the best known Bone Black, and which was originally made by burning ivory.

Soot Black, which is made by collecting soot from inefficient combustion - as in Lampblack, which was made by collecting the soot from oil lamps.

How to make Soot Ink

Soot is the source of Indian ink and prison tattoo ink and is traditionally made from superfine carbon particles which can be collected by burning something that produces a heavy black smoke.  Resinous wood such as pine produces thick smoke (Pine Black ) and in prisons, plastic or oil is often burnt.  The best way to collect soot is by burning something in a container such as a tin can or metal dustbin and covering it with aluminium foil or a metal lid.  The soot will collect on the inside of the lid and when cool it can be scraped off. You can also collect small amounts of soot from a burning candle by holding a spoon over the flame.  Once collected you add an equal amount of hide glue solution and then carefully grind the mixture together in a pestle and mortar.  But be warned, this can take some time and is best done intermittently over a few days.  Once you are happy with the consistency you will need to add a preservative such as a couple of drops of Rosemary essential oil.  And there you have it, your own black soot ink ready to use.

Iron Oxide Blacks

The second group, the Iron Oxide Blacks are extensively used these days as black pigment and they are usually manufactured synthetically.  Traditionally of course our ancestors made their Iron Oxide Blacks out of naturally occurring ingredients.  These blacks are very opaque and have a very high tinting strength.  They are also permanent and are therefore used in al fresco and concrete tinting.

How to make Iron Water

All you need to make Iron water is a glass jar and some rusty metal such as old nuts, bolts, screws, nails or anything small enough to fit into the jar.  Put the rusty metal into the jar and add some vinegar to cover the metal.  Leave the jar for a month or so in a very safe place .  You do need to make absolutely sure that none of this liquid can get spilt as the stain cannot be removed.  I once spilled some iron water onto my wooden kitchen worktop only a couple of days after mixing it and the only way I could remove the black stain was with sandpaper and a lot of hard work!  Making black iron water is as easy as that and the srength of colour that you get will depend on your metal to vinegar mix and the length of time you leave it to work.

How to make Iron Gall ink

Iron Gall Ink, also known as Oak Gall Ink, Common Ink or Standard Ink, was extensively used in Europe between the 5th and 9th centuries for manuscripts and it remained in common use until well into the 20th century.  Its earliest known use was described by Gaius Plinius Secundus, who lived 23-79AD.

Oak Galls are rich source of tannic acid and were the most usual source of tannic acid for the makers of Iron Gall Ink.  So, the first thing you need to do is to collect some oak galls or oak apples as they are also known.  You then need to crush the galls in a pestle and mortar and simmer the crushed galls for several hours in water.  Let the liquid cool, strain it, and add a teaspoon or two of vinegar (which acts as a preservative).  The result is a lovely sepia coloured liquid.  If you now add one teaspoon of iron water into a cup of your oak gall ink the colour will change as if by magic to a deep opaque black, a colour shift which is shown on the cover photo of this blog.  Your ink can now be thickened with Hide Glue or Gum Arabic and there you have it - you have made the ink that was once used to write the Magna Carta!

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