![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/F%25C3%25BCller-tinte_hg.jpg/640px-F%25C3%25BCller-tinte_hg.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Ink
Liquid or paste that contains pigments or dyes / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about ink?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
SHOW ALL QUESTIONS
For other uses, see Ink (disambiguation).
Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker inks, in paste form, are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/F%C3%BCller-tinte_hg.jpg/640px-F%C3%BCller-tinte_hg.jpg)
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%A3%2C_%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%95.jpg/640px-%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%A3%2C_%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%95.jpg)
Ink can be a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants, solubilizers, surfactants, particulate matter, fluorescents, and other materials. The components of inks serve many purposes; the ink's carrier, colorants, and other additives affect the flow and thickness of the ink and its dry appearance.