Description
Gamblin Portland Black Etching Ink
Portland Black Etching Ink: A neutral, black etching ink with a moderate plate tone and easy wiping. Highly recommended for etching, dry point, aquatint, and mezzotint as well as engraving processes. PBk9, PB29
1 lb jar
Gamblin Etching Ink
Gamblin Etching Ink is a strong, reliable ink perfect for edition printing. This palette of pure, intense pigments and wide selection of black etching ink offers an artist quality product as well as a broad range of color mixing potential.
Five blacks, as well as Graphite, are formulated to meet the demands of printmakers who want deep, rich blacks with good working characteristics. Gamblin Portland Black Etching ink as well as Portland Cool Black are ideal for edition printing. Both of these black etching inks offer a strong line and a medium plate tone.
Black Inks – How to choose a Black Ink
| Color | Wiping | Plate Tone | Recommendations For Use | |
| Portland BlackPBk9, PB29 | Neutral | Easy | Moderate | Highly recommended for etching, dry point, aquatint, mezzotint as well as engraving processes. |
| Portland Cool BlackPBk7, PBk9, PB29 | Cool | Easy | Moderate | Highly recommended for etching, dry point, aquatint, mezzotint as well as engraving processes. |
| Portland Stiff BlackPBk9, Pbk29 | Neutral | Moderate | Moderate | Recommended for etching, dry point, aquatint. Highly recommended for mezzotint as well as engraving. |
| Bone BlackPBk9 | Warm | Easy | Light | Highly recommended for etching, dry point, aquatint, mezzotint printmaking as well as engraving processes. |
| Carbon BlackPBk9 | Warm | Hard | Heavy | Needs additives to work well for etching, dry point, aquatint, mezzotint as well as engraving processes. |
| GraphiteNatural Graphite | Gray | Easy | Heavy | Recommended for etching, dry point, aquatint, as well as mezzotint printing. Needs additives for engraving. |
Gamblin Etching Ink is bound in the highest quality Burnt Plate Oil.
Depending on the printmaking technique, you may need to add a Gamblin modifier (below) in order to print perfectly. Temperature as well as humidity, the type of plate, and type of paper all affect how inks perform.
Burnt Plate Oils
Gamblin Burnt Plate Oils are used to lower the viscosity of Gamblin printmaking ink. Burnt Plate Oil should be added to inks sparingly, because the detail of a print may be lost if the ink becomes too fluid. Burnt Plate Oil #2 (SDS) has a higher tack than Burnt Plate Oil #000 and is the primary binder for Gamblin Etching Inks.
Tack Reducer
Because Tack Reducer is a gel made from a very light drying oil, it is completely compatible with the inks. Small amounts added to ink will efficiently reduce tack. Tack Reducer is transparent and allows the intensity of an inks color to be maintained. SDS
Magnesium Carbonate
Magnesium Carbonate is traditionally used to stiffen ink, but it will also reduce an ink’s gloss level. Because Magnesium Carbonate becomes transparent once added to ink, it will not alter the color of the ink. You should only add small amounts at a time, because only a little is needed to add body to an ink. Mix well. It can be used with both Etching and Relief Inks. SDS
Gamsol
Gamblin Gamsol is the safest 100% pure odorless mineral spirit available. It enables printmakers to easily modify inks and is great for studio clean-up, as well as eliminating the need for stronger solvents. SDS
Brand Promise | The Gamblin Guarantee
We will deliver the right product for your work at an honest price. We’re painters too. Count on us to put our heads, hearts, hands and everything we’ve learned into everything we do.
We promise to be kind to you, the team of people here at Gamblin, and the planet we share.
We promise to inform and inspire you, just as your work and ideas inspire and inform us. And we’re always here to help you bring your best self to your biggest painting challenge.
Gamblin materials should feel good from the first squeeze down to the last pour. If you ever feel like something isn’t perfect, we want to hear from you and we will make it right.
We promise to never stop moving painting forward. If there’s a better way, we will find it. We always do.
Always forward. Together.
