- 1). Clean the marble, or inking surface, to remove all traces of ink debris. Use a shop rag and mineral spirits to thoroughly wipe down the marble; even the tiniest amount of ink residue can change the tone of your color.
- 2). Choose the ink color from a Pantone guide for uncoated colors. Select a color that's slightly lighter than your desired shade.
- 3). Refer to the recipe underneath your chosen color swatch to determine which inks you need. More likely than not, these will include opaque and transparent white, Pantone black, and one or two additional colors.
- 4). Measure out the correct proportion of ink according to your Pantone swatch's recipe. The easiest way to do this is by skimming a thin bead of pigment from your ink can with the edge of a flexible putty knife. Place the knife's ink-covered edge flat on your inking surface and draw it backward to transfer the ink to the inking surface. Place one bead of ink on the inking surface for each whole part you need. For example, if a recipe calls for 24 parts transparent white, place 24 beads of transparent white on the inking surface.
- 5). Portion out the other ink colors in the same manner. Either clean your putty knife between colors, or use a separate one for each to avoid contaminating your ink cans with traces of foreign inks. Place each color in a different spot on your ink-mixing surface.
- 6). Combine whites together first. Many color recipes call for both opaque and transparent white, and you will have to mix both of these shades together before you add the other colors. Use your putty knife to scoop up the white for which you have the least amount of ink and add it to the other white. Mix the two whites until they are completely combined. To create the least amount of mess when you mix inks, push the edge of your putty knife against the inking surface and angle the handle slightly upward. Slide the knife into the pile of ink. When the knife clears the pile, lift it up, flip it over and place the ink-covered edge flat on the inking surface. Apply moderate pressure and pull the knife backward to redistribute the ink on the inking surface. Repeat these actions until your inks are well-combined.
- 7). Add darker colors one at a time, scooping up a tiny amount and mixing it into the white. Add additional tiny amounts of color until your ink is the correct shade.
- 8). Test the ink on the surface you intend to print. To make an accurate sample swatch, apply slightly less pressure when you pull your putty knife backward to remove ink. You should have a thin coat of ink remaining on the edge of the knife. Place this inked edge face-down on your paper, apply pressure and pull back. Check the resulting swatch against the Pantone color swatch. If you need to adjust your ink color, add tiny increments of your colors and mix again.
SHARE
