A coloured fluid used for writing, drawing, and printing. The earliest inks from China and Egypt date from at least 2500 bc. They were usually black (lampblack) or red (red ochre) and were moulded, with glue or gum as the binding agent, into dry sticks or blocks which were then mixed with water for use. Inks brought in such form from China or Japan were known in the West as ‘Chinese’ or ‘Indian’ ink, though these names are also given to a similar preparation made in Europe consisting of a dispersion of carbon black in water, usually stabilized by an alkaline solution.
Printer's inks consist of pigments mixed with oil and varnish and are opaque.
Text source: 'The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms' (2nd Edition) by Michael Clarke
