printing ink

noun

a type of ink that flows smoothly, dries quickly, and is of a consistency able to hold enough color to make printed matter legible: used to transfer the image on a press plate to the printing surface.

Origin of printing ink

First recorded in 1670–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for printing ink

Historical Examples of printing ink

The efficacy is attributed to the materials used in making the printing-ink.
Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt-Book
Eliza Leslie
The printing-ink has a tendency to keep off moths and other small insects.
Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt-Book
Eliza Leslie
They were executed in printing-ink by means of the ordinary printing-press.
Old Time Wall Papers
Katherine Abbott Sanborn
But the reek of printing-ink never was good for the better feelings.
From One Generation to Another
Henry Seton Merriman
They found that it possessed an unlooked-for advantage in its quick absorption of printing-ink.
How To Write Special Feature Articles
Willard Grosvenor Bleyer