Craft · 6 pages · 12 min

How ink sits on paper

Ink stays up on a coated sheet or sinks in when the paper is porous.

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From the opening

Printing ink meets paper as pigment or dye carried by a vehicle, and the sheet either holds that film near the surface or pulls the vehicle inward. Where the mark rests depends on porosity, on any coating over the fibers, and on how thick the ink was when it arrived. The opening covers vehicle carries the pigment, porous sheets pull ink inward, and coatings hold the dot up.

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Inside

Vehicle carries the pigment
Porous sheets pull ink inward
Coatings hold the dot up
Show-through means the ink traveled
Where the idea stops applying
A distinction worth keeping

Sources

Ink vehicle and paper absorption
Coated paper versus uncoated stock

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How ink sits on paper

From the opening

Inside

Sources

Also on the desk