The New International Encyclopædia/India Ink

INDIA INK. A black pigment, formed by mixing lampblack and gum into a paste and then pressing it into molds where it dries into sticks of various shapes. It was originally made in China and Japan, and the best grades are still produced in those countries, the common lampblack of Occidental countries being too coarse for many purposes. It is said that the Chinese collect the lampblack used in its manufacture from the oil of sesame. In China India ink is applied with a brush, both for writing and painting. In Europe and America it is chiefly used for black-and-white drawings, it being possible to regulate the depth of the shade by the amount of water used in mixing the ink. India ink is the only true black ink produced, all other grades having a tinge of some other hue.