inks for letterpress

jennyschenal
on 22 Jul 12 (16:29)

Hi there,

I’ve just buyed a Heidelberg letterpress machine and I was wondering which kind of colours to use to start my adventure.
Reading many posts about soy inks or other oil based inks I’ve tryied to make up my mind, but a queston still remain:
where can I buy oil-based inks in Europe?
Does anyone can suggest any good company that ship in Europe with reasonable shipping costs?
Van Son charge 100$ to delivery 2 lb of colour… too much!

Many thanks to everyone!

Jenny

dickg
on 22 Jul 12 (16:56)

Jenny, if i were you i would check with some print shops in your area, most printers have cans of ink they don’t mind parting with. Most any kind of printing ink will run on your windmill.

Girl with a kluge
on 22 Jul 12 (22:57)

The ink in tubes guy has a good selection and I’m sure his shipping is no where near that price. Check the yellow pages in this site as there are others too.

thomas gravemaker
on 23 Jul 12 (00:00)

Jenny, where are you based in Europe, as there are plenty of addresses available to get ink in Europe. Don’t forget Van Son is a company based in the Netherlands, so why ship it from the States. You can find good inks at Drucken-und-Lernen in Germany as well.

Lobster Shift
on 23 Jul 12 (03:39)

dickg is right

most any job shop offset ink will work

you should be able
to find ink for much
much less money

root around
i bet the local small offset
print shops are paying

less far less

last month
bought big can
made in Korea Van Son warm red
on e bay for 16 bucks U.S.

please note

all over the world
there are lots of ink makers

you do not half to just use Van Son

yours truly

mac

jonathanjeclipse
on 23 Jul 12 (09:50)

Hawthorn Printmakers supplies in Uk-v good inks for hand press might be worth trying a sample for your press, small 220 gms tin sizes, good range incl metallics and flourescents give them a ring.. Also try Joop Stoop in uk, europe eg at polymetaal .nl. they were used on flatbed litho presses, again ask for a sample ,Hostmann Steinberg? do some ranges in eu too.Contact presses like elegante press in Lithuania or Latvia sorry can’t remember which for example, and see what they use.

thomas gravemaker
on 23 Jul 12 (10:29)

And not to forget Lawrence in the UK, they have a very good charcoal black ink, nice and stuff, perfect for letterpress.

bogtrykkeren
on 23 Jul 12 (10:59)

I buy all my ink from Hostmann-Steinberg. Its traditional oil based sheet offset ink in 1 kg cans. They have offices all over Europe and are very friendly, helpful and relative cheap - just easy to deal with!:-)
Gott grüß die Kunst
Jens

thomas gravemaker
on 23 Jul 12 (14:41)

Thanks Jens, for that one, I didn’t know them yet.

jonathanjeclipse
on 24 Jul 12 (05:17)

I have tried to contact H-S in Uk but never get a reply from the dealer/agent, sad cos I would like to try them, they used “to do a range called “federfarbe” in europe which Rudolf Broulim(lithographer) swore by,but formula’s change, the old varnishes were much better, so if you find it hang onto it.———-Joop Stoop used by Atelier fFanck Bordas in Paris for editioning artists stone lithos, good colours, also AMRA.ch in Switzerland does inks, but again be careful what you select-it would be nice to know of all the options /manufacturers on a reference sheet on Briar maybe’s, suitable for what machines…..
so much lost for litho, eg transfer inks and transfer papers like Everdamp, Berlin onionskin, Scotch transfer papers, so images like etchings, and text, drawn images could be transferred to litho plates.
Plus ca change…..