According to Wikipedia, the earliest known surviving document dates back to 26th century BC, as ancient Egyptians used their form of ink on papyrus. With Gutenberg’s invention of what would become a letterpress printing press, a new type of ink was needed. In Gutenberg’s case, it was a combination of lampblack and varnish.
Today, there are many types of printing presses, all of which have their own advantages and markets. Letterpress, which was a staple of printing until the 1940s, is very infrequently seen today. As such, there are several types of inks as well.
Here are the main types of inks that are used by printers today:
Offset (Paste) Inks
Letterpress inks were phased out by offset inks. While a letterpressContinue reading this story and get 24/7 access to Ink World for FREE
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