Ink

Is it possible to use oil paint instead of ink?

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Updated. I would say no for the following reasons: Paint has a lower pigment concentration than ink. Paint only achieves its colour strength when people paint with it because they apply it at a much higher film thickness. Another reason is that if you put the same amount of paint on a press that you usually use when you put ink on, it would dry much too fast on the press. A third reason is that the solvents in the paint might attack the rollers on the press.

Ink is carefully formulated with finely ground pigments in a vehicle, or specialized varnish, which is designed to transfer well from the ink disc or fountain, to the rollers, to the type, and then to the paper. In each of these transfers the ink film splits and becomes thinner because the entire ink film is not transferred to the new surface; some of it is left behind. However, there is still enough ink applied to the type or plate so that the correct amount of ink is printed on the paper. Ink is designed for this; paint isn’t.

In the comments above, I’m talking more about the type of oil based paint which is used on buildings and machinery. Artists’ paint may work better because it is thicker and dries slower. I seem to recall that one person in a Briar Press discussion recently commented that they had good luck with opaque white acrylic artists’ paint. However, I would personally stick with ink rather than try to use any type of paint. I’m pretty sure that if I print something with ink, it will work. I don’t want to find out later, and maybe from a customer, that there are problems with a job. Hope this helps.

Geoffrey, thank you so much for your reply. I imagined it wasn’t the optimal choice, but thought I’d ask anyway!