??China has been producing ink for a long time. The predecessor of ink was pine ink. China uses pine smoke, glue (mainly cowhide glue, which plays a role in bonding cigarette ash), and water to make black ink. Started as a writing tool and later used in the woodblock printing industry. Ink developed rapidly in the early stages of China, but after the Middle Ages, it remained stagnant and satisfied with traditional secret formulas, lacking creativity. At that time, wooden printing in Europe was mainly water-based, but its application was not good, so it was changed to oil-based. Later evolved into modern printing ink. The development of printing technology has stimulated the development of the ink industry, resulting in inks that meet various printing requirements, have multiple functions, and high quality.?

? ? Internationally recognized, China was the first country in ancient civilization to use ink. As early as the Western Han Dynasty (200 BC), China began using ink, which could be used to write and transmit information on bamboo and silk. Some of its functions can be compared to contemporary ink.?

? ? The development of ink and printing plates go hand in hand, because if the two do not match, the imprint will be unclear, the ink film will fall off, and the printing quality will be affected. For example, during the period of carving woodblocks, ink is made by uniformly mixing and drying charcoal and gum from wood, which is water-soluble. When printing, apply ink to the plate, then place the paper on it, and gently wipe it with a cloth or brush to transfer the text and images on the engraved plate to the paper through ink transfer. In the era of metal plates, due to the uneven application of water-based ink on the plate, oil-based ink was invented, which is made by uniformly dispersing pigments in oil. The initial ink pigments were natural inorganic minerals, and the binders were plant or animal oils. This type of ink has a slow drying speed, poor glossiness of the printed material, and poor adhesion to the substrate. With the development of the chemical industry, it has brought vitality to the ink industry. New synthetic resins and advanced Organic Pigments are widely used in ink manufacturing, making the variety of ink more abundant and the performance more excellent. The development of ink has entered a new stage, and ultimately traditional flat, relief, gravure, and screen printing have all developed mature ink systems.?

? ? With the advancement of human civilization and the development of the printing industry, substrate materials are constantly being developed and expanded, and printing methods are constantly innovating. The production process of ink is becoming more sophisticated, and the types and varieties of ink products are constantly increasing. The promotion of waterless offset printing technology has increased the demand for waterless offset printing ink, and the rise of flexible digital printing has also brought digital printing ink to the historical stage. The strong call for green and environmental protection has also sparked the re selection of ink raw materials and the reform of manufacturing processes, such as water-based ink, soy based offset printing ink, UV ink, FB ink, etc. Ink, the largest source of pollution in the printing industry, is striving to reduce the volatilization of its organic matter and the use of harmful metals. We have reason to believe that the development of the ink industry in the future will move towards the direction of caring for life, embracing nature, and a harmonious society