Ink: What Percentage Is Water?

[white_lotus]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the ink manufacturers, anyone have an idea what percentage of a bottle of ink is just plain old water? 80% or even less is my guess. I ask because it seems like some of the prices being asked for ink, mere writing fluid, is excessive. There are 63 bottles, each 60 ml (about 2 fluid ounces), or 42 bottles each 90 ml (about 3 fluid ounces) from a gallon of ink. The dyes, surfactants, lubricants, biocides are most likely produced at industrial quantities and priced accordingly.

 

So when we buy ink are we really buying the most expensive water on the planet?

 

[Mr. Pink]

I think you're low. Think of adding water to powdered ink.

 

Oh, and remember that bottled water (the stuff that you can get out of your tap if you want) is more expensive that gassoline.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Charles Rice

[lapis]

Way more. All inks (at least those I know of and use) consist of at least 97-98% water by weight. I have medical scientific equipment and if I weigh, say exactly 1000 µl of an ink, it never weighs more than 1002 to 1003 mg. That means that 1 ml of ink contains up to 2 to 3 mg of dyes or pigments. That's what is expensive. The rest is distilled or deionized water and up to 1 mg of surfactants (usually thicker liquids). Don't worry about phenol and/or other biocides like sodium azide. Manufacturing inks costs money too, like in the direction of making perfumes although of course much less so (I know, perfumes hardly contain any water).

Expensive? Sure! But think about blood which consists of more than 50% plasma. The plasma contains proteins, carbohydrates, homones, mineral ions etc etc and the rest -- all of those blood cells and more... now don't tell me that that can't be an expensive aqueous solution....

 

Mike

[Morphling27]

I think this is one of Noodler's main points is you pay for mostly water - which even if he's using massive quantities of dye and other things, it's still going to be mostly water. Except for actual chemicals, most things are 'mostly' water. Heck, even your expensive liquors generally sit at 80 proof, making them well over half water. Granted, it's delicious, but still mostly water. Milk, orange juice, etc. are mostly water.

 

Also, barring some special editions or whatnot, printer ink seems to be insanely more. HP and their friends should be shot given those prices. We have hand-made, incredibly chemically complex inks that cost significantly less than what HP wants for non-permanent black. Which is why I buy laser printers now because toner is relatively cheaper at about the same cost to replace, yet lasts 5x longer.

[0xabad1dea]

It's definitely mostly water, but you're paying for the expertise to mix uncommon chemicals just right, in relatively small batches, and then the shipment/storage problem, as things that are mostly water are heavy and fragile. This last part matters a lot, to use a specific example I noticed... if I as an American hop on an American website, Diamine 30ml bottles will usually be around $8 each (excluding shipping to me). But Cult Pens in the UK, where Diamine is located, sells them for £2.35 incl vat which is $3.37 currently. Ouch

 

This is part of having a less-common hobby, the prices will be higher because the production batches will be smaller. I guess there's always the option of getting a 600-page textbook and becoming your own Noodler

[FOUR X FOUR]

.

[gzp]

Beef is also mostly water. Why does it cost so much when it comes from grass?

[evyxmsj]

...

 

Oh, and remember that bottled water (the stuff that you can get out of your tap if you want) is more expensive that gassoline.

 

Not in the UK anyway

Edited May 14, 2016 by evyxmsj

[lapis]

Here neither!

[isitisisitis]

Well there is the work that goes into formulating it. I agree with your sentiment though that most ink is overpriced. To put is more plainly, life these days in 'developed' Western nations is widely overbought and underlived. Sending a letter to a loved one remains a good use of one's time, as does intellectual work, for example. Buying and using ink is still less harmful and has more potential for sharpening awakeness than an interest in fast cars, crack, or shiny things.

Edited May 14, 2016 by isitisisitis

[justaninker]

Ink is not the most expensive water, skin care products are mostly water too, so are perfumes, and they easily fetch hundreds of $$ per oz.

[the_gasman]

The authors of all these posts contain tiny proportions of non-water, so it seems a little iniquitous to complain about the ink that we use!

 

Cheers,

David.

[Patrick L]

" I have medical scientific equipment "

 

Hi Mike ,

If I may ask , are you a Doctor ?

[aeba]

The authors of all these posts contain tiny proportions of non-water, so it seems a little iniquitous to complain about the ink that we use!

 

Cheers,

David.

I was thinking yesterday commenting about Soilent green being water, but didn't...

[lapis]

 

" I have medical scientific equipment "

 

Hi Mike ,

If I may ask , are you a Doctor ?

 

No, but I used to work in a university medical center research lab. If I'd started to collect inks before I became an old ink pensioner, I'd now have even more equipment at home.

 

Shhh....