Writing is one of the primary forms of communication. People write to convey messages through letters, reports or lists. These documents are dependent on a colored fluid that gives pens the ability to be useful tools for writing. This colored fluid is called ink.

Pen Fuel Basics

Ink is made from a combination of water/oil and pigments. Its thickness varies, depending on the applicator used for the ink. Thin-based ink is used for pens and quills. The thicker ones often come in paste form and are used for machines and printing presses. Its color can also vary, which explains the different colored pens that you will see in department stores.

Two Ways to Create Ink

You have two basic ways to create homemade ink.

• Mixing a Gum Arabic – Based Solution
• Grinding an Ink Stick

Both solutions produce nearly identical results. Just choose an option depending on the availability of materials.

A. Gum – Arabic Based Ink

Gum Arabic, often used as a stabilizer for food products, is a good regulator for the consistency of ink. By controlling the amount of gum arabic, you have the option to turn your ink into a thin solution for pens or a thick fluid for printing purposes.

Different Processes for Different Pigmentations

The items mixed with gum arabic differ based on the ink’s pigmentation. The coloring agents used are pretty abundant. A trip to the local grocery or the convenience store should cover all of the materials for pigmentation.

• Black ink’s color is produced by heating the gum arabic based solution or by purchasing a stick of carbon black from specialty stores.
• The color blue is produced through a fabric coloring solution called laundry bluing.
• The color brown is derived from tea.
• The color red comes from red dye.

Black Gum Arabic Ink

The consistency is the key factor when creating black ink, the most popular color pigmentation for pens. The amount of water and gum arabic must be precise to produce ink with good consistency. If you miscalculate the amount, you may end up with a custard-like solution or a thin and messy version of black ink.

Materials Used:

• 1 oz gum arabic
• egg yolk
• 8 oz honey
• thick glass jar with lid
• water
• candle
• microwaveable saucer

Procedure:

Place the egg yolk and the honey in the glass jar. Mix both ingredients.

Add the gum arabic while continuing to stir the mixture.

Light the candle.

Transfer a small portion of the mixture to a microwaveable saucer.

Set the saucer right above the candle’s flame, until a black substance forms from the mixture.

Mix the black mass with the mixture.

Return the saucer’s contents to the jar, then mix the solution until the color settles.

Repeat steps 4 – 7 until the jar contains blank ink with your desired consistency.

When you have created the ink, cover the jar and store it in a cool dry place. The ink will eventually thicken after storing the jar. Just add a little water if the ink becomes too thick.

The black mass that forms from the mixture is called carbon black or lamp black. It is sold in specialty stores and is commonly used for coloring tires, shoes and other products.

Alternative Procedure

A shortcut for producing black gum arabic ink is to purchase a carbon black stick and use it to create ink. You still need to create the egg yolk, honey and gum arabic mixture, but heating the mixture above the candle is no longer necessary. Just grab small chunks from your stick of carbon black and hem to the mixture until you produce blank ink with good consistency.

Blue Gum Arabic Ink

Blue is one of the most popular ink color for pens. Naturally, you must learn how to create blue ink if you know how to make black ink.

Materials Used:

• ½ cup laundry bluing
• water
• gum arabic
• mixing bowl
• jar with cover

Procedure:

Place the laundry bluing and some water in a mixing bowl. Mix the solution well.

When the color settles, you can add more laundry bluing to increase the color’s intensity or add more water to make the color fade slightly.

Add and mix gum arabic to the mixture until you get your desired consistency.

Transfer the blue ink to a glass jar and store it at room temperature.

If you are having trouble finding gum arabic in the supermarket, cornstarch comes as a good alternative. You can mix the food product with ink to thicken.

Brown Gum Arabic Ink

Brown, as an ink color, is not really popular but it comes in handy when writing on stationary and other stylized platforms. You might as well create it and add a brown pen to your collection.

Materials Used:

• 5 teabags
• water
• 1 oz gum arabic
• cup
• mixing bowl
• jar with cover

Procedure:

Pour some water in a coffee cup and then immerse the bags for about 10 minutes. The color of the water will eventually turn brown. If you find the brown color too thin, you can immerse a few more teabags.

Pour the mixture in a mixing bowl and add gum arabic. Stir the mixture thoroughly. If the ink becomes too thick, add a little water and then mix.

Transfer the brown ink to a jar. Cover it and store it at room temperature.

The type of tea used, when forming the brown color, is not really a determinant. Just use cheap generic tea to minimize your costs.

Red Gum Arabic Ink

Red is the standard color for checking papers and editing documents. Teachers, editors and proofreaders are required to have red pens in their professions.

Materials Used:

• red dye
• gum arabic
• water
• mixing bowl
• jar with cover

Procedure:

Pour water into a mixing bowl. Add a small portion of the dye, then mix both ingredients. You can add more dye or water depending on the resulting color of the mixture.

Add a tiny chunk of gum arabic. Stir the mixture until the paste-like substance settles. You can add more gum arabic if you want to thicken your ink’s consistency.

Transfer the red ink to a jar then close the lid. Store it in a cool dry place.

Red ink is easy to make. You can make a good supply in less than half an hour.

B. Making Ink Via Ink Sticks

Ink sticks are your easier alternative when making black ink. Instead of doing the lengthy heating process of heating the gum arabic solution, you simply need to grind the ink stick then mix it with the solution to form your ink. Ink sticks are also available in different colors so the process for making different colors of ink is practically the same.

Materials Used:

• ink stick
• grinding stone
• water
• a pinch of salt
• mixing bowl
• paper
• brush
• ink container with lid

Procedure:

Purchase an ink stick and a grinding stone from an art store.

Place the salt and the water in a mixing bowl. Mix the solution thoroughly.

Apply a small amount of the salt solution on the grinding stone.

Hold the ink stick as if you are holding a pen, then rub the stick on the stone back and forth. Small amounts of ink will then form.

To speed up the process, start rubbing the stick in a circular motion.

Collect the ink using the mixing bowl. You can add water if the ink is too thick. If it’s too thin, you can grind more ink using the ink stick and the grind stone.

Transfer the ink in an ink container.

Store in a cool dry place.

Using ink sticks is your most reliable option for creating ink. The consistency and the color of the ink produced remain intact for long periods. You also don’t have to go through the trouble of doing different processes for making various colors of ink. Just purchase a box of ink sticks and you’ll get all the colors that you need.

When you create ink, you won’t have to worry about your favorite pens running out of ink. Simply grind or heat your choice of ink material and you can give life to your empty pens and quills. You can even sell homemade ink to printing companies, if you create ink by bulk.

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