Cranfield : Lithographic Ink : 500g : Stiff Crayon Black

Cranfield Lithography Inks are a traditional formulation of highest quality single pigment colours, except for carefully selected blends of pigment for the earths. Lithography is the printmaking process that transfers the thinnest layer of ink onto the paper, so the ink needs to be highly loaded with pigment and mixed to the right viscosity to transfer and yield vibrant results. Cranfield's formulation has barely changed in generations, but the quality of the pigments available today, and the superior grinding power of modern mills, produces exceptionally high strength, lightfast, and durable colours and a rich, velvet black.

All of Cranfields Lithography Inks are intermixable, and can be used for stone lithography, plate lithography, Prontoplate printing, and relief printing, the exceptions being the Roll-Up, Workshop, and Stiff Crayon Black which are specialist blacks developed with specific technical applications in stone and aluminium plate lithography.

Drying rate will vary according to colour and drying conditions. Optimal results are obtained between 20-30 degrees C, with a relative humidity below 60%. Refer to ‘Cranfield Technical Note – Drying’ for further advice. The Roll-Up, Workshop and Stiff Crayon Black have a separate Technical Sheet for reference.

Cranfield Traditional Lithographic Stiff Crayon Black has been formulated to meet the demand for a very stiff lithography black to match the historic formulations previously available but latterly increasingly difficult to source. Such is the extremely high viscosity and tack of this very popular formulation that a tin can be picked up from the bench, simply by inserting an ink knife into the ink! Stiff Crayon Black provides a velvet black colour and, along with the other two inks in the series, is formulated for traditional lithography, using high quality pigments and modern grinding techniques.