New Iron Gall Recipes With Fancy Colours

[pharmacist]

I am currently experimenting with a stock non-dye iron gall solution (the same and optimized formula used in my Urkundentinte/Document ink IG fountain & dip pen ink) and mixing it several new dyes I have found in my Martin Dale and accordingly to the molecular properties of these dyes should be compatible to my IG solution.

 

The standard blue-black Urkundentinte contains so much IG content, which causes the writing become completely black. For more fancier colours with a more pronounced tail of the original colour, I have to dilute the ink to lower the IG content significantly.

 

Sofar the dyes seem to be compatible to the IG solution without precipitation, but I will wait for a few days and see what will happen.

 

I once tried other dyes which immediately precipitated with the IG solution and where useless.

 

I will update this post later and also with some scans of the writings with a dip pen.

Edited March 17, 2012 by pharmacist

[hari317]

to me, the attractiveness of IG is the permanency factor. I would prefer an IG ink that starts out with whatever color but should develop into an intense black. looking for a green IG ink in fact. YMMV.

[fiberdrunk]

I watch your experiments with fascination, pharmacist! I wish I had access to such chemicals.

 

There's an issue of Popular Science from January 1935 (pg. 54) that has a recipe for the U.S. "standard ink" (iron gall).

 

11.7 g tannic acid

3.8 g gallic acid

15 g iron sulfate

3 cc hydrochloric acid

1 g carbolic acid

3.5 g china-blue aniline dye (water-soluble)

1000 cc distilled water

 

The article also mentioned methyl violet dye could be used to make a violet iron gall ink (it didn't give the amount) and soluble nigrosine dye for an immediate black iron gall ink. I wonder if R&K Scabiosa uses methyl violet dye to get its purple?

 

eta: By the way, I am currently attempting a cold-process black walnut ink. I soaked some black walnut husks for 5 months rather than cooked them down repeatedly as is the usual way. I'm going to let it evaporate to the ink strength I'm after, rather than cook it down. (I'll boil the ink for 20 minutes or so to kill the ink beasties, but that's all.) Anyway, we'll see how it turns out. My cooked black walnut ink in the past formed a thick sludge precipitation over time-- I don't know if this is as troublesome to black walnut inks as it is for iron gall inks-- I know for iron gall inks, that's a sign that the ink is no longer fit as a permanent ink. With the black walnut ink sludge, I am able to stir some of it back in to some extent. Anyway, I thought I'd try it "cold-process" this time to see if this same phenomenon happens.

Edited March 17, 2012 by fiberdrunk

[pharmacist]

Hi Fiberdrunk,

 

I tried the methyl violet.....it turns out to be disastrous. So I would not use this dye.

I know this article. The aforementioned dyes (methyl violet and nigrosine) are only used in dye-only inks, because these dyes are less suitable for real IG inks.

Edited March 17, 2012 by pharmacist

[fiberdrunk]

Oh shucks! That's good to know. I'm sorry it turned out disastrous!

[Brian C]

to me, the attractiveness of IG is the permanency factor. I would prefer an IG ink that starts out with whatever color but should develop into an intense black. looking for a green IG ink in fact. YMMV.

 

I would love to see a green that turns into a black as well. Green is my favorite color but not acceptable at work...but...if it turns black I'm good. Will be watching with interest.

[Brian C]

Also, could a black IG ink be made? So it comes out black and just darkens even darker? I love black inks.

[mcbender]

This looks like a fun project, Pharmacist.

 

Have you tried any bright colours with it (perhaps a yellow or orange)? I could see that giving a much more dramatic transition from the dye to the oxidised IG colouration, which would be fun to watch (and baffle my colleagues with).

[Uncle Red]

I was looking for a red-black myself but I bet a lot of people would go for a green-black.

 

I've got Salix, Scabiosa and RI. I find the RI turns very dark but that it is clearly not black compared to a regular black, the blue is subtle but present.

[pharmacist]

Just some news for the moment. The red dye (Bordeaux Red, very nice colour) flocculates after a few hours with the IG ink, so sorry no red at this moment :embarrassed_smile: . Maybe it is compatible with gallic acid only, so I will try to reformulate it with a pure ferrogallic ink (without the more permanent ferrogallotannic pigment).

 

The other colours seem to stay perfectly translucent with only traces of sediment (probably little impurities in the copperas used).

 

Two colours seem to be very promising: a sunset orange (fluorescent orange) dye and peacock blue (cyan). The yellow colour is too light for ink, but it can be mixed with the blue dyes to make a green ink.

[gmrza]

Just some news for the moment. The red dye (Bordeaux Red, very nice colour) flocculates after a few hours with the IG ink, so sorry no red at this moment :embarrassed_smile: . Maybe it is compatible with gallic acid only, so I will try to reformulate it with a pure ferrogallic ink (without the more permanent ferrogallotannic pigment).

 

The other colours seem to stay perfectly translucent with only traces of sediment (probably little impurities in the copperas used).

 

Two colours seem to be very promising: a sunset orange (fluorescent orange) dye and peacock blue (cyan). The yellow colour is too light for ink, but it can be mixed with the blue dyes to make a green ink.

 

The orange and cyan sound quite interesting!

 

 

 

[pharmacist]

Today I use a dip pen to write a few samples with these new colours:

 

Cyan, green (mixture of cyan and yellow) and orange:

 

 

The last tail is done over a section treated with a ink eraser pen to force the oxidation of the IG ink and to see the underlying and final colour of the writing.

 

Note: the amount of dye still have to be determined and these preliminary mixtures are for testing only.

Edited March 18, 2012 by pharmacist

[MaikeruS]

I love the look of the orange in particular. That looks amazing and I really hope it all works out. Looking forward to trying out your Urkundentinte, which to me has the same character, and the appeal is in the character for me.

[gmrza]

Today I use a dip pen to write a few samples with these new colours:

 

Cyan, green (mixture of cyan and yellow) and orange:

 

The last tail is done over a section treated with a ink eraser pen to force the oxidation of the IG ink and to see the underlying and final colour of the writing.

 

Note: the amount of dye still have to be determined and these preliminary mixtures are for testing only.

 

Hmm, it looks like I'm going to be wanting to order more ink from you.... Damn this ink addiction!

 

 

 

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I am tickled pink that you are exploring non-Blue dyes that are compatible with I-G ink.

 

In response to curiosity (perceived need) to 'put the blue back in blue-black', some samples using the Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink were mixed with off-the-shelf Turquoise and Blue inks. It seemed favourable to dilute the ESSRI prior to mixing: in part to alter the pH, and to reduce the density after oxidisation so as to retain the added colour. Link to Post № 414

 

I would like to voice my desire for an I-G ink of Sepia colour, if you're not too busy.

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Sandy,

 

I do not think it will be a problem to produce a sepia colour. I think I might mix the orange with a splash of blue to create that sepia look. The ink then will be become: sepia > dark brown, provided I will lower the IG content significantly so it will not become a dark black.

 

However my wish is to produce a bright red and purple IG ink, but the used dye is unfortunately incompatible to the IG compounds.

 

 

[myyrkezaan]

Please announce if and when you are going to sell those other colors, love your blue-black.

[fiberdrunk]

These colors look wonderful! Congratulations!

[Chrissy]

I particularly like the orange-reddish colour

[Uncle Red]

Yes, the orange looks great! I like the cyan too.