DIY (do it yourself ink) is easy to make. By this I’m referring to water-based ink for intaglio and relief printing. This is very useful if you want to mix a small batch of an odd color or you are out of a particular color. Using a large palette knife, mix together on a piece of glass, dry colored pigment with Lascaux screen printing paste. This is a Swiss product and is officially called, “Siebdruckpaste”. The amount of pigment to add and the viscosity are up to you. The consistency should be similar to Akua inks. Add a couple of drops of acrylic retarder to slow the drying time. Another method is to add 1/4 to 1/3 Daniel Smith relief ink to D.S. intaglio ink. This creates an ink that can be cleaned up with soap and water. A great source for dry pigments – besides collecting your own (see earlier post) – is Sinopia in San Francisco.
DIY Ink
