Details:
Summary:
Ink is the most important element in printed materials that gives color and individuality to a design. Therefor it is essential that we avoid a Tower of Babel in referring to the various ink pigment(s) and call them according to their Colour Index name which is common language that uniquely defines any colorant. In addition, the visible spectra of an ink serves as its fingerprint so that it can be recognized and distinguished from any other pigment. Both the measured reflectance of an ink, drawn down on a substrate, and the transmission of a diluted ink dispersion can provide the spectral data. However, since transmission measurement is not influenced by the substrate spectrum, this is the preferred method of identifying ink colorants. We have developed a flow cell for measuring diluted ink dispersion which makes transmission measurements very convenient and leads to ink fingerprinting as well as determination of strength and shade for quality control purposes. Examples of pigment naming, spectra determinations, and flow cell construction will be given in the presentation.