Last week, we looked at making basic black ink the sort Jane Austen probably use. But black can be dull and boring, right? Where colored inks a thing then?

They absolutely were!

So let’s take a look at how colored inks might have been made.

Glossary of Terms

In case you’ve slept since last week, here’s the glossary of term to help make the recipes make a little more sense.

Colored Inks

Ink was not limited to black–where would the fun in that be. Recipes existed for inks of all the primary colors.

Red Ink

609 . Red Ink . Take a quarter of a pound of the best Brazil wood , ( get it in the log if possible , and rasp or shave it yourself ) one ounce of cream of tartar . and one ounce of alum ; boil these ingredients in a quart of clear water till half is consumed , then add to the ink , when filtered hot , one ounce of gum arabic and one ounce of fine sugar . A little salt added will prevent it from becoming mouldy .

~New famiy receipt book

Blue Ink

191. To make Blue Ink . BLUE ink may be obtained by diluting indigo : and ceruse in gum water .

~Manual of Useful Knowledge

Green Ink

189. To make Green Ink . TAKE an ounce of verdigrise , and having powdered it , put it to a quart of vinegar , and after it has stood two or three days , strain off the fluid , or instead of this use the crystals of verdigrise dissolved in water , then dissolve in a pint of either of these solutions , five drachms of gum arabic , and two drachms of white sugar .

~Manual of Useful Knowledge

Yellow Ink

190. To make Yellow Ink . BOIL two ounces of the French berries in a quart of water , with half an ounce of alum , till one – third of the fluid be evaporated , and then dissolve in it two drachms of gum arabic and one drachm of sugar , and afterwards a drachm of alum powdered .

~Manual of Useful Knowledge

Just for fun—Invisible Ink!

Yes, believe it or not, invisible ink was a thing even in Austen’s day and recipes for it were easily found.

(Easily found, but often rather dangerous or toxic, so be careful…)

617. To make Sympathetic , or Invisible Ink . Let quick lime be quenched in common water , and while quenching let some red orpiment be added to it , ( this , however , ought to be done by placing warm ashes under it for a whole day ) , and let the liquor be filtered and preserved in a glass bottle well corked . Then boil litharge of gold , well pounded , for half an hour , with vinegar , in a brass vessel , and filter the whole through paper , and preserve it also in a bottle closely corked . If you write any thing with this last water , with a clean pen , the writing will be invisible when dry ; but if it be washed over with the first water it will become instantly black . And it is wonderful , that though sheets of paper without number , and even a board , be placed between the invisible writing and the second liquid , it will have the same effect , and turn the writing black , penetrating the wood and paper without leaving any traces of its action , which is certainly surprising .

~New famiy receipt book

194. A way of Writing which will not be Visible , unless you hold the Paper to the Sun , or to the Light of a Candle . TAKE flake white or any other whitening , and dilute it in water impregnated with gum adragant . If you write with this liquor the writing will not be perceivable , unless you hold the paper to the sun or the light of a candle . The reason why it is so is , that the rays of light do not pass with the same facility through the letters , formed with this liquor , as through the other parts of the paper . Man

~Manual of Useful Knowledge

198. Method of Writing on Paper , so that what is written will be invisible till held to the Fire , when it will immediately turn as Black as if written with the finest Black Ink . LETTERS written with oil of vitriol , diluted with as much water as will prevent it from corroding the paper , are perfectly invisible when dry , but instantly appear as black as if written with the finest ink , on being held to the fire . The proportions of the oil of vitriol and water , may be one part oil of vitriol and three parts water .

~Manual of Useful Knowledge

Buying Ink

By now, you might have noticed by now that ink was not easy to make and involved many toxic and dangerous chemicals involved. If one was not inclined to manage these hardships, ink could also be bought ready made.

Stationers, who sold pens and paper, often formulated their own inks as well. Bookshops often dabbled into the same market, featuring books on penmanship and the supplies necessary for practicing it.

A more colorful source of ink came in the form of traveling ink-sellers who would pass through cities and towns, carrying their wares in barrels on the back of donkeys, in their carts or suspended from a bandolier or shoulder strap. Buyers would supply their own bottles for the peddler to fill. While peddler’s ink was often less expensive than shop-bought ink, the quality could be quite variable.

I love colored ink and have a pen cup full of colorful pens on my desk. What about you, do you use colored pens? Tell me in the comments.

Find part one here.

Find more on the art of writing here.

References

Bugbee, Lindsey. Iron Gall Ink: A Timeless Favorite. The Postman Knocks. August 3,2021. Accessed March 3, 3023. https://thepostmansknock.com/iron-gall-ink-a-timeless-favorite/

Gupta, Anisha. The Ins & Outs of Iron Gall Ink. American Philosophical Society. February 25, 2021. Accessed March 7, 2023. https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/ins-outs-iron-gall-ink

Hurford, Robert.  Handwriting in the Time of Jane Austen. PERSUASIONS ON-LINE V.30, NO.1 (Winter 2009). Accessed 11/28/22.  https://jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol30no1/hurford.html

Kane, Katheryn. Ink-Regency Writing Fluid. The Regency Redingote. September 18, 2009. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/ink-regency-writing-fluid/

Pybus, William. A Manual of Useful Knowledge.  Printed for the author by William Rawson: London 1810.

The New Family Receipt book. Squire and Warwick:London. 1811.

Willich, A. F. M. and Cooper, Thomas. The Domestic Encyclopedia. Abraham Small: Philadelphia. 1821.