Most printers keep their formulations secret.
1 st pigment was carbon residue called also lamp black- made by burning oil. Carbon particles did not dissolve, created colloidal suspension. Such ink endurance through 30 centuries- attributed to carbon s resistance to light and moisture. China- tree sap mixed with ground up insects to create reddish dye used for printing from wooden block. Cover brushed off onto paper, mixed with gums to form a paste.