[Scriptoris] Red Ink

[Star Signet Herald]

AHA!!!!

I have found a recipe!  3 actually!  In "A Boke of Secrets" there are 3 recipes
for period red ink.  The third one looks to be a bit confusing.  But the other
2 call for Brazil wood as the main ingredient.

They are as follows(and they are still in the old written English, so you might
have to translate a bit):


Of red colour, and first of Brasill.

You must take care when you seeth Brasill, that you do it when the element is
clear, without clouds, raine, or wind, otherwise it will not be good, you must
make it thus:

Take quicklime (which as I understand it is calcium carbonate soaked in water
for at least 3 months to get it nice and elastic-like), poure raine water upon
it, let it stand all night, in the morning poure the water softly from the
lime, or straine it through a cloath, and for a quart of water, take an ounce
of Brasill, let it seeth till it be halfe consumed, then put into it one ounce
of beaten alum, one ounce of gum Arabike, two ounces of gum of a Cheritree, or
else two ounces of cleane glue, straine it from the wood: you may likewise put
into it some chalke beaten to pouder.

(Ok, this one seems really difficult and time consuming.  I don't know that I
will be trying this one in the near future... although I do need slaked
lime/quicklime for another project.)


To seeth Brasill another way.

To an ounce of Brasill, take the third part of a quart of beere, wine, or
vineger, put it in a new pot( I am thinking that this is to make sure it is
really really clean and not oily), let it stand a night, in the morning set it
on the fire and let it seeth till it be halfe consumed, then for every ounce of
Brasill, take two pennyworth of alum, beaten to pouder, and as much beaten gum
Arabike, stir them wel together, and let them seeth againe but if you desire to
have it somewhat darke, then scrape a little chalke into it: when it seeteth,
let it not seeth over the pot, and being cold, strain it through a cloath, and
put it into a glasse well stopped.


(This one sounds feasable.  A little confusing on the when to steep and when to
get it cold, though.  Will have to wxperiement to get it just right.)


Another red colour.

Mingle salt and honny together in a bason, let it stand eight daies, then seeth
it, and it will be a red colour.

(I think the Brazil wood is missing from this recipe.  It doesn't sound as if
salt and honey would turn red to me, but then I am not a chemist.)

Well, I hope that someone else will try these too and we can compare notes.

Annais
(Do a Zoom-do.... Do a Zoom-do... )






Quoting Star Signet Herald <star_signet at ansteorra.org>:

> Hi all!
>
> After gathering my walnuts and oak galls, I am attempting to make ink.  Wish
> me
> luck.
>
> But I just had a thought.  Red ink was used in period as well (as well as
> blue
> and other colors).  And it's difficult to find a good color of waterproof,
> colorfast and archival red ink.  I know if you water down crimson red
> gouache,
> it comes close to the correct color.  But that can be a real pain at times
> to
> get the right consistancy and make sure that all the color is ground up and
> there's no graininess.
>
> So, I was wondering if anyone out there had a recipe for red ink or any
> other
> color?  And if they do, would they mind sharing it with the list?
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Annais
>
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