Hello everyone, welcome back to the second post in our ongoing series covering the exciting world of printmaking!
You may remember that we briefly touched on inks last time (if not, you can check it out here), but we wanted to put some time aside to elaborate on the subject. With that in mind, today we’ll be presenting several options separated into water-based (blue) & oil-based (green).
If you haven’t checked out our last blog (click here, it's good, we promise), we’ll be sure to include any brief introductions & other relevant info as needed.
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Water-Based Inks
Offering faster drying times, water-based inks are often recommended to newcomers due to their availability, budget-friendly pricing & lessened environmental impact. With lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), these non-toxic inks have little to no odour. Able to be cleaned using just soap & water, they eliminate the need for harsh solvents or cleaning chemicals, making them a solid choice for artists with smaller workspaces.
Ideal for projects requiring speed or multiple prints, their shorter drying time minimizes potential smudging or imperfections. However, this can be a double-edged blade, as it does necessitate a faster working pace, leaving less room for error.
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A solvent-free alternative to oil-based inks, the System3 Acrylic Printing range is available in two variations that offer the strong, clear colour definition typically sought after & often demanded by professional printmakers.
Able to be used directly from the pot (or thinned with an appropriate medium), their opacity, lightfastness & consistency are optimal for screenprinting. Their pigment-based formula ensures a slower drying time for extended working times whilst remaining washable with simple soap & water.
Their soft, transparent pots allow you to identify any colour at a glance & include a flip-top lid that closes with a reassuring "click", so you can be sure they're sealed every time.
System3 Acrylic Printing Ink
Suitable for use with paper, board & certain fabrics, System3 Acrylic Printing Inks are available in 24 vibrant colours that are fully intermixable, providing an almost limitless palette for your work.
System3 Acrylic Textile Printing Ink
Available in 12 vivid colours, the System3 Acrylic Textile range has been specifically developed for use on cotton, silk, natural & synthetic fibres. Once printed, they can be heat set for a hardwearing, wash-resistant finish.
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Available in 250 & 300ml options, these smooth flowing, viscous inks from Esdee are available in 27 bold, intermixable colours.
Specially formulated to provide the maximum working time whilst maintaining excellent transfer properties, they provide excellent coverage & opacity on all grades of paper.
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Made using specialist ingredients, these non-permanent inks offer perfectly balanced working & drying times with enhanced tack and excellent transfer properties.
Available both individually & in a set of primary colours, they're fully intermixable for a broad, extensive colour palette in your work.
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Developed in an effort to make fabric printing more accessible to everyone, these specially formulated inks have a highly viscous consistency that ensures a bold, vivid print that is both soft to the touch & long-lasting once heat set.
Available in 5 individual colours & a set, these fully intermixable colours allow you to blend any shade or tone you'd like!
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Delivering uniform printing results, these student-quality inks are available in 12 colours total, split into 9 standard shades & 3 vibrant neon tones for a potentially limitless colour palette with bold, vivid results.
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Characterised by their unique intensity & excellent lightfastness (exclusively 4-5 stars), these professional-quality inks offer a variety of creative possibilities in both single & multicolour printing.
Made using a combination of organic & inorganic pigments with a gum arabic binder, they’re available in 18 fully intermixable colours in 35, 120 & 250ml size options. Able to be used directly or diluted as necessary, they dry to a smudge-resistant (not waterproof) finish.
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Oil-Based Inks
Often richer in pigment, oil-based inks offer several advantages including additional durability, opacity, fade resistance & extended working times. Additionally, their creamy consistency & smooth application provides sharper prints with fewer imperfections.
Whilst their extended working time does offer greater creative flexibility, it can also be a potential drawback, requiring longer drying periods between print layers & slowing the process.
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Available in both Relief & Etching options, the Caligo Safe Wash range from Cranfield delivers a perfectly balanced combination of vibrancy, versatility & convenience. Offering an incredibly extensive colour palette, their strong, crisp, lightfast & archival finish can be produced on both damp & dry paper.
Whilst most oil-based inks would necessitate potentially harmful solvents, the unique formulation of the Caligo Safe Wash range blends finely ground pigments with vegetable oils. This alteration allows them to be cleaned using simple soap & water (and a little scrubbing).
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Thanks once again for joining us as we slowly unravel the world of printmaking... be sure to check out our new Printmaking materials, you never know what you might find!
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