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How to Make Inks & Colors With Rit Dye

Homemade Rit ink can be used in fountain pens
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Rit is a household dye used most frequently to color fabrics and textiles. It is available at most grocery and craft stores, and comes in both a liquid and powder form. It is available in a variety of shades and hues. Rit dye can also be used to make colorful inks by adding alcohol to help thicken preserve it. This colorful ink can be used for drawing with fountain pens or placed on an ink pad for rubber stamping.

Things You'll Need:

  • Vinegar
  • Jars
  • 91% Rubbing Alcohol
  • Glycerin
  • Rit Dye Of Various Colors

Place 1 tsp. of Rit dye powder or liquid into a jar. Add other colors in 1-tsp. intervals to get the color that you desire based on the Rit Color Formula Guide. Add 1/8 cup of vinegar for each teaspoon of color added to the jar if you are using the powdered Rit dye.

Add a couple of drops of alcohol and gylcerin to the jar and mix it well.

Test the color by applying it to paper. Add more alcohol and glycerin until you achieve the consistency you want. The more alcohol and glycerin you use, the thicker the ink will be.

Use the ink by dipping a fountain pen in it or soaking a dry stamp pad in it. Store the ink with the lid of the jar tightly sealed to keep it from drying out.

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