Printed Notes On: Making Botanical Ink — Volume 2
Botanical ink is one of the oldest art materials in the world. Oak gall ink — the same type used to write the Magna Carta and pen Jane Austen's novels — can be made at home, from plants you've gathered yourself, with nothing more than a saucepan and a handful of kitchen ingredients.
Printed Notes On: Making Botanical Ink is a full colour, 32-page printed booklet by Emma Hogbin of Princetown Press, made in Devon on recycled paper. It takes you step by step through the process of turning foraged and kitchen plant matter into richly coloured, chemically reactive botanical inks.
Covering the three core stages of ink-making from collecting plant matter, creating plant liquor, to adding a binder: this booklet goes deep into the details that make the difference: how water pH affects your colours, how to test saturation with paper strips, how to work with gum Arabic (including how to make your own), and how to get the most from each batch. Detailed recipes are included for nettle ink (greenish yellows to olive greens), spruce bark ink (warm reddish browns), classic oak and iron gall ink (near-black, historically proven), and hawthorn haw ink (an extraordinary range from salmon and orange through to red, purple, and grey).
An extensive section on modifiers — kitchen staples like citric acid, baking soda, and vinegar alongside more advanced options like iron sulphate, copper salts, and tin — opens up a world of colour play and experimentation that makes every batch feel like a collaboration with the plant itself.
This booklet is perfect for:
- Watercolour artists and illustrators looking for expressive, earth-connected media
- Calligraphers and dip pen enthusiasts wanting to make their own historically inspired inks
- Foragers, gardeners, and naturalists ready to take their relationship with plants one step further
- Crafters who love hands-on, slow making with natural materials
- Nature lovers seeking a genuinely unusual and thoughtful gift
All of our papers are recycled, and British where possible. We can provide you specific details on certifications each paper has, and the mill where they were made.
All of our papers are recycled, and British where possible. We can provide you specific details on certifications each paper has, and the mill where they were made.
- Delivery costs will be calculated at the checkout
- Free UK delivery on all orders over £30
- You can return your order for a full refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase
- Delivery costs will be calculated at the checkout
- Free UK delivery on all orders over £30
- You can return your order for a full refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase
Botanical ink is one of the oldest art materials in the world. Oak gall ink — the same type used to write the Magna Carta and pen Jane Austen's novels — can be made at home, from plants you've gathered yourself, with nothing more than a saucepan and a handful of kitchen ingredients.
Printed Notes On: Making Botanical Ink is a full colour, 32-page printed booklet by Emma Hogbin of Princetown Press, made in Devon on recycled paper. It takes you step by step through the process of turning foraged and kitchen plant matter into richly coloured, chemically reactive botanical inks.
Covering the three core stages of ink-making from collecting plant matter, creating plant liquor, to adding a binder: this booklet goes deep into the details that make the difference: how water pH affects your colours, how to test saturation with paper strips, how to work with gum Arabic (including how to make your own), and how to get the most from each batch. Detailed recipes are included for nettle ink (greenish yellows to olive greens), spruce bark ink (warm reddish browns), classic oak and iron gall ink (near-black, historically proven), and hawthorn haw ink (an extraordinary range from salmon and orange through to red, purple, and grey).
An extensive section on modifiers — kitchen staples like citric acid, baking soda, and vinegar alongside more advanced options like iron sulphate, copper salts, and tin — opens up a world of colour play and experimentation that makes every batch feel like a collaboration with the plant itself.
This booklet is perfect for:
- Watercolour artists and illustrators looking for expressive, earth-connected media
- Calligraphers and dip pen enthusiasts wanting to make their own historically inspired inks
- Foragers, gardeners, and naturalists ready to take their relationship with plants one step further
- Crafters who love hands-on, slow making with natural materials
- Nature lovers seeking a genuinely unusual and thoughtful gift
All of our papers are recycled, and British where possible. We can provide you specific details on certifications each paper has, and the mill where they were made.
All of our papers are recycled, and British where possible. We can provide you specific details on certifications each paper has, and the mill where they were made.
- Delivery costs will be calculated at the checkout
- Free UK delivery on all orders over £30
- You can return your order for a full refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase
- Delivery costs will be calculated at the checkout
- Free UK delivery on all orders over £30
- You can return your order for a full refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase