Unsolved Mystery of the Disappearing Print Ink

September 29, 2012 10:12 PM

What is this non-permanent printer ink I've received in a print? I didn't know that ink couldbe erased with a simple pencil eraser, but indeed the postcard-sized print I received on relatively heavy paper (possibly watercolor paper) was erasable with a pencil eraser. I only wanted to see if I could slough off a speck of dirt, and instead skin color came off the portrait. What's going on? Is this kind of ink going to fade and disappear in a couple of years even under glass?

For detail, I received this as a reproduction of a 5x7" watercolor painting (definitely a medium that resists erasers). I'm not sure what sort of printing process was used-- that's kind of the mystery. I've tested my eraser on inkjet printer ink and the ink wouldn't smudge, so it's not a magic eraser. I'm not sure if this is just the cheapest ink in the world or what-- I tried searching for 'non-permanent printer ink' and only found markers. It's not vital since it was pretty cheap and need not last that long, but I probably wouldn't have paid even this much for erasable ink. Now I just want to know it really does exist.

posted by reenka to media & arts (10 answers total)

Are you sure you didn't just take some of the paper off with the eraser?
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 10:46 PM on September 29, 2012

It could just have been shitty ink or the printer was messed up. We had an old laser printer at my last job that sometimes would not set the ink on the page.
posted by radioamy at 10:51 PM on September 29, 2012

In all likelihood, it's the paper and not the ink. A paper that's going to look good for a watercolor reproduction is probably going to have a lot more tooth than a paper suited for photo or everyday printing, and an eraser is just going to take a lot of that paper off via friction since it's really not meant to be eraserified.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 11:02 PM on September 29, 2012

No, absolutely sure the paper is fine. It also just looks different than my inkjet printer stuff, but I could be wrong. Also, I realize prints come from places other than printers if they're artwork.
posted by reenka at 11:02 PM on September 29, 2012

I wonder if it's a silk screen? In that case, it isn't really ink; it's more like paint.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:05 PM on September 29, 2012

Is it possible to post a picture of the damage? Also a closeup of the paper might help. It may be a bad fuser in a color laser printer. Does the ink in the print smudge when you rub it with your finger? If so I'd be asking for a replacement print if you paid for it. Or (less likely) a dye sublimation or heat transfer printer with either bad paper or dye ribbons/cartridges. If it's something like an Alps printer it could reproduce near photo quality prints but would be relying on NOS ribbon tapes which may no longer be stable (all speculation here.) If you can get a replacement consider spraying it with fixatif or even cheap spray lacquer to keep the image safe.
posted by mcrandello at 1:08 AM on September 30, 2012

Maybe Xerox Solid Ink?
posted by mirage pine at 1:16 AM on September 30, 2012

Could the ink not have had time to fully dry? A normal eraser will make a noticeable impact on a fresh newspaper (much to the chagrin of Saturday crossword solvers everywhere).
posted by clorox at 4:57 AM on September 30, 2012

I print fine art reproductions and what you describe is possible through a screwup. The most likely cause would be a print surface designed for solvent inks that has been printed upon with water-based ink. Water-based inks need a receptive surface so they will sink in and bond, whereas solvent inks prefer a non-absorbent surface for best colour. If you mix up surface and chemistry you will either get a fragile print or something that looks washed out.

I would get in touch with the print vendor and ask for a free reprint as the print was contaminated.

A professional print shouldn't be that fragile -- but on the other hand, I always tell my customers to never touch the surface except with a clean microfiber dusting cloth, and even then only if a puff of air doesn't help, because who needs a scratched print?
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:28 AM on September 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

Well, there are several possibilities and I don't know if I can provide a tie, but the paper doesn't smudge with my finger. There are slightly different kinds of paper used for little cards that were included, also erasable. The artist says she uses a laser printer for some of her other work, not sure about this. And I would have a hard time picturing the damage since it's a really light skin tone and I blended it a bit with the eraser.
posted by reenka at 9:51 AM on September 30, 2012