Question: How is black ink made?

Luisa Islas answered on 15 Mar 2024:

Oh, very good question! How do you think it’s made?

I’ve never made it myself, but ink is a dispersion of a pigment (this is what gives it color) in a solvent (the liquid where it is dispersed or spread out). In the case of black I think you could use some materials like carbon powder mixed in water. Now, the size of the carbon powder has to be very small so that it doesn’t immediately sink to the bottom. I suspect you then might have to add stabilizers that will help the carbon black stay in the solution for longer, as well as viscosity modifiers (for example, if you would like a thicker in or something that will flow quickly), and other additives to help give you the best product. These other additives could be ingredients that help dry the ink quicker so that it doesn’t run on your paper.