Reviews
4 parts of printmaking inks and paper, explained
A review framework for printmaking inks and papers: which specifications actually differ, what the labels are required to tell you, and what to test yourself.
What to take away
- Four parts carry most of the decisionink pigment, ink vehicle, paper fiber and paper sizing. Tack, body, lightfastness and buffering hang off them.
- We do not run laboratory tests, so we review the specification and the label, then tell you what to test on your own bench.
- Ink is judged on pigment, vehicle, tack and lightfastness. Everything else is packaging.
- Paper is judged on fiber, sizing, weight, formation and whether it is buffered.
- Art material labels in the United States follow a standard that Congress made into a regulation. Read them.
The four parts of printmaking inks and paper
Ink has two parts worth naming: pigment and vehicle. Paper has two: fiber and sizing. Everything else on a spec sheet follows from those four.
Pigment. A pigment index name tells you what is in the tin. PB15:3 is phthalocyanine blue, PR108 is cadmium red, PW6 is titanium white, and PBk7 is carbon black. The index shows whether a color is a single pigment or a mixture. Lightfastness belongs to the pigment, and makers publish a rating for it.
Vehicle. Linseed oil, burnt plate oil, water-miscible oil and acrylic emulsion carry pigment differently, and the vehicle decides cleanup and drying. Akua Intaglio is a water-based ink that cleans up with soap and water. Cranfield Colours makes Caligo Safe Wash, an oil-based relief ink that also washes with soap and water. Tack and body describe how that vehicle behaves on the roller.
Fiber. Cotton rag, alpha cellulose and wood pulp take pressure differently. Arches Cover is a 250 gsm cotton sheet with two deckle edges. Rives BFK is a mold-made 100% cotton sheet sold in 250 gsm and 280 gsm. Stonehenge is a 245 gsm cotton paper. Yupo is polypropylene, so it has no fiber and no grain.
Sizing. Internal sizing goes into the pulp, surface sizing is coated on top, and some sheets get both. Rabbit-skin glue is the traditional surface size for etching papers. Sizing sets absorbency and decides whether a sheet can be dampened for intaglio. Buffering comes from the pulp chemistry, so it sits with this part.
What a useful ink review covers
| Attribute | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pigment | Named pigment index, not a color name | Two inks called crimson can be unrelated |
| Vehicle | Oil, modified oil, or water-based | Decides cleanup and drying |
| Tack | Stated or comparative | Governs pick and paper choice |
| Lightfastness | A published rating | Decides whether the print survives a wall |
| Body | Stiff, medium or soft | Governs how much modification you need |
| Cleanup | Solvent, soap and water, or water alone | Water-miscible oils and acrylic inks change a studio routine |
A color name tells you nothing. A pigment index tells you what is in the tin, whether it is a single pigment or a mixture, and lets you compare across manufacturers.
Ink prices track the pigment and the vehicle. As of 2026, a 37 ml tube of oil-based etching ink typically costs $10 to $30 in the United States, and a 300 ml can typically costs $30 to $90.
The labels are not optional text
Art materials sold in the United States carry chronic hazard labeling under a standard Congress folded into federal regulation. The statute on the labeling of art materials provides that the American Society for Testing and Materials standard D-4236 applies.
The standard as it stood on a specified date is covered. As modified by the statute, it is deemed a regulation issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
That is why a tube of ink carries a conformance statement, and why some carry a warning while others do not. The statement is a review input, not a legal formality to skip past.
Pigment chemistry is part of the same question. Cadmium pigments remain in use, and occupational exposure to cadmium in any form has its own federal standard. The action level is an airborne concentration averaged over eight hours.
The exposure risk for a printer is not bound ink rolled onto paper; it is dry pigment powder, sanding, and heating. Buy the ink, not the raw pigment, and the question mostly disappears.
What a useful paper review covers
- Fiber.Cotton rag, alpha cellulose or wood pulp. This decides longevity and how the sheet takes pressure. Arches Cover and Rives BFK are cotton, and Yupo is polypropylene.
- Sizing.Internal, surface, or both. This decides absorbency and whether the sheet can be dampened. Rabbit-skin glue is the traditional surface size.
- Weight and thickness.Different things. Two sheets at the same weight can differ noticeably in bulk. Stonehenge is 245 gsm and Rives BFK comes in 250 gsm and 280 gsm.
- Formation.Hold it to a light. An even sheet prints evenly.
- Buffering.Alkaline buffering protects most work and destroys iron blue photographic images. The buffer is usually calcium carbonate.
Paper prices track fiber and weight. As of 2026, a 22 by 30 inch sheet of cotton rag typically costs $5 to $20, and alpha cellulose of the same size typically costs $2 to $6.
What to test on your own bench
Three tests answer most questions. Roll a known ink film across six papers and compare take-up. Drop water on each sheet and time absorption to judge sizing. Fold a corner and look for cracking to judge brittleness.
Record the results next to the specification, because the useful knowledge is where the two disagree. Our comparison of studio measuring tools covers the equipment that makes those tests repeatable, and our guide to storing consumables explains how quickly an untested purchase becomes a shelf problem.
