Cranfield CALIGO Safe Wash Etching Ink

Cranfield CALIGO Safe Wash Etching Ink

COLOR CHART

Cranfield is a family-run British colour maker with a heritage spanning three generations, rooted in traditional craftsmanship and a deep respect for artists’ needs. Originating from the ink-making heart of London in the late 1920s, the brand was formally established in 1976 to preserve time-honoured colour-making methods as industrial processes began to disappear. By combining historic machinery, rare expertise, and carefully selected raw materials, Cranfield produces exceptional inks and paints trusted for their richness, permanence, and performance. Today, staying true to its artisan origins, Cranfield continues to create colour as it should be - made with integrity, skill, and lasting quality.

About this product:

COLOR CHART

• Oil-based and washable - artist quality etching printmaking inks for nontoxic printmaking;
  
• Can be washed away with liquid soap and cold water;
  
• Etching can be a demanding discipline that deserves the most suitable ink formulation - Cranfield perfectly balance colour intensity with the ability to wipe cleanly from the plate, without compromising your desire to avoid solvents when cleaning up;
  
• Beautiful pigments, finely ground into the purest oil for archival results;
  
• These inks have good lightfast ratings (Blue Wool Scale 6 or higher) and are highly pigmented;
  
• The majority of the colours are made from single pigments, so the inks make excellent bases for creating vibrant colour mixtures;
  
• Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks behave in the same way as traditional oil-based etching inks - they are suitable for printing on dry or damp paper, however it is recommended that paper is kept fairly dry and there is no surface water on the paper or plate;
  
• Damping just the back of the paper with a damp sponge works well;
  
• It is the printmaker’s preference and practice that dictates whether the wish to use a heated plate for softening inks or use additives such as wiping compound or plate oils;
  
• Caligo Safe Wash Etching Inks will dry in the same way as traditional oil-based inks by absorption into paper, surface oxidation and slow polymerisation of the remainder of the printed ink film.