Ink Mixing

Our natural ink base was developed for screen printing and painting on textiles however you can also experiment with the base and pigments on use on other media.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Measuring Spoons
  

• Scale (if you have one)
  

• Flat bottom dish
  

• Spoon for mixing
  

• Natural Ink Base
  

• Natural pigments
  

• Jar of water for washing equipment
  

• Dry, pre-washed fabric

Screen Printing

1. Determine the amount of base you will use. (as a guide, 15ML of the ink base is enough to do a test print for a medium size design on a 20x30cm screen.)
   

2. Determine your pigment quantity, we recommend starting with 3% of the amount of ink base. E.g 50ML base= 1.5g pigment
   

3. Measure your pigment and place your pigment in a flat bottom dish or bowl.
   

4. Shake your ink base well before each use. After shaking, measure and pour your natural ink base on top of the dye.
   

5. Mix well using the back of a spoon, mortar and pestle or glass muller if you have one approx 2 minutes. Good mixing is key to a great color result!
   

6. Create your print or artwork.
   

7. Air dry for 8hrs. Rinse with cool water and line dry.
   

8. Iron out any creases, ironing on the reverse side only…do not iron over the top of your print.
   

TIP!

Use measuring spoons and a scale to easily and accurately measure out your base and indigo.

You can experiment to get a shade you like, but we recommend no more than 10% pigment to the amount of natural ink base…too much will dry out the mixture!

PAINTING

If you wish to paint cloth or canvas with the mixing method is the same as screen printing, except add 1-2 tsp of water to the mixture to give a better consistency for painting.  Again you can experiment with how fluid or gel like you keep the ink. 

We also like brushing some water on the cloth first before painting. The ink dries quite fast, so keep a dish of soapy water near by incase the ink dries on your brushes (especially if you’re painting outside or somewhere with a hot, dry climate.) 

CARING FOR YOUR ARTWORK

Hand wash your textile artwork with a natural soap, and dry in the shade Avoid harsh soaps, and heavy machine washes. Do not put in the drier and do not iron with a very hot iron. Your print is ready to rinse after 8-24hrs of air drying time.

For non textile artworks, keep your artwork out of direct sunlight to best maintain the integrity of the natural dyes. Rotate your artwork if you keep it on display, to avoid fading.

WHAT OTHER NATURAL PIGMENTS CAN I USE?

You can experiment adding your own pigments to our natural ink base! We cannot guarantee the color fastness of the result of pigments we’ve not tested but we encourage you to enjoy the magic of experimentation and build your own palette.

In addition to indigo and ceriops we have explored: 

• dried pomegranate skins
  

• fresh achiote seeds
  

• various ground stones and clays

• Marigold- boiled and then ground in the blender.
  

Very high and low PH mordants or modifiers, may break the ink, Iron also does not mix well. Pure pigments with little or now additives work best.

STORAGE

• Rounded Ink base: store sealed in cool dry place, keep in the fridge if you live in a hot climate. Use within 6-12 months of purchase, and within 2 months of opening.

• Dry pigments: store sealed in a cool, dry place. No expiry when stored properly.

• Once you have mixed your pigments with the base you can keep them stored in the fridge between 1-4 weeks.

DISPOSAL

• How to dispose of old ink: add some water to your ink jar and shake well. Pour onto the garden or into your compost.

• When to dispose of your ink: If your ink has large lumps inside, or remains separated even after you shake/mix the bottle it is time for a new batch.

CLEANING YOUR EQUIPMENT

• Rinse with water, avoid the ink drying on your silk screen or brushes.

• For stubborn residue, soak and rinse your equipment in warm, soapy water.