Brandon Gunn helped preserve a centuries-old tradition of lithography ink

Lithography printers use more black ink than any other color during the printing process. So, when the global industry faced a critical shortage and black ink supplies were rapidly decreasing at print houses worldwide, Brandon Gunn, UNM Tamarind Institute's director of education, eagerly stepped up to help preserve this centuries-old tradition and traditional ink printing.

For Gunn, his shrinking supply became a concern about three years ago when he was unable to get more black ink. At the time, ink production was sporadic. Cranfield Colour, the industry's top ink manufacturer, had never made a "non-drying" ink that lithography printers need, quickly making this a concern for printers worldwide.

Cranfield Colour started hosting focus groups with printers to understand what they needed in a new ink. Gunn eagerly jumped at the chance to participate. His ability to clearly articulate his own and other printers' ink needs caught the attention of Cranfield's CEO, Michael Craine.

From these conversations, a global collaboration began to form among a group of experts from Bristol, England and the U.S. Three key aspects came together in this partnership. These areas were key to the success of this project, as it was a huge learning experience for all involved to make a "non-drying" ink.

First, research with Stephen Hoskins, a professor of fine print and founder of the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol), and his colleague Milly Hardy, a research associate at UWE Bristol.

Hoskins received a grant to research historical inks to reproduce their recipes and preserve the integrity of traditional inks dating back over 200 years.

Second, production expertise came from Cranfield Colours, led by Craine and the company's lead chemist, Paul Lee.

Third, Gunn provided application expertise, including testing knowledge and helping ensure the ink was formulated correctly for printing.

Gunn received an invitation to join this team in Bristol for two and a half weeks in June 2024. What he initially thought would be him assisting with the ink testing quickly expanded into a complete research and development role, making him an integral part of the entire project.

Gunn would spend time with Lee in the Cranfield chemistry lab, working with the ink, and then commute to UWE Bristol's research print lab for testing.

The team conducted over 80 experimental formulations before Gunn arrived in the UK. Upon arrival, he immediately suggested examining how the ink felt and performed during printing. This led to the realization that the ink needed to be stiffer.

Working closely with Lee in the Cranfield lab, they created countless small-batch samples, adjusting the ink materials to as little as a 10th or even a hundredth of a gram.

They considered factors such as viscosity, tack, drying time and print performance to determine the success of each batch.

Once the team had a successful small batch, they needed to test it on a large-scale production run on Cranfield's industrial-sized three-roller mill. The mills are large and generate a lot of heat and force that can alter the chemistry of the ink.

"In one batch, the ink was so stiff that running it through the mill to keep it moving became almost impossible," said Gunn. "It almost sucked in the knife they use to move the ink around. That was a bit shocking."

This process became a learning curve for each team member, as they learned to work with the new ink at every stage.

Once they were satisfied with a large-scale batch, the team then worked with Rachel Volpé, Cranfield's raw material ordering and production manager, to ensure that all materials used in the ink were non-toxic to ensure that labeling and global shipping standards are met.

Gunn then worked with Takach Press, an Albuquerque ink distributor, to ensure that the ink could be sold in the U.S.

When Gunn returned home, he continued working with the team and conducting additional printing tests over the following five to eight months to perfect the formula.

With the final formulation of the ink, Cranfield was able to manufacture three inks for distribution in soft, medium and stiff blends: Loose Roll-Up Black, Workshop Blac and Stiff Crayon Black. Through word-of-mouth alone, the first batch sold out. Cranfield is now in its third production batch.

This project saved a nearly lost ink through an intensive, hands-on experiment.

"A group of highly skilled and knowledgeable people came together, and each one was vital in their area of expertise," said Gunn. "Everyone was necessary; no single person could have solved this problem alone."

To learn more about the inks, visit the Cranfield Colour's website.