Ink (re)mixing
| Ink (re)mixing | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Duration | 20 minutes |
| For series | All series |
| Tools | Pliers Electric drill/driver Paint mixing attachment |
The preferred method of mixing (or remixing) riso inks is directly in the ink tube—this can be done with any paint mixing drill attachment which is small enough to fit within the ink tube.
Background
There are two main reasons to mix inks:
- To reconstitute separated ink back into printable ink.
- So long as ink or oils haven't drained out of the end of the tube, the separated contents can be remixed and printed with again (though it is recommended to quarantine separated tubes until they can be remixed, due to the risk to the drum when printing with separated ink).
- While new inks have a shelf life of 2–5 years (generally), a remixed ink will probably separate again within 6 months to a year, so they should be printed with immediately.
- To mix custom riso compatible inks—custom colors and blends (usually from existing riso inks, though sometimes with non-riso pigments in Clear Medium.