Major components of inks have molecules that are vibrationally active and thus give infrared spectra. These components are related to both the type of ink involved, and they are part of a total system, along with possible metal ion-based molecules, that make up the chemistry of inks. In this proposed study, modern synchrotron radiation-based---as well as conventional---infrared spectroscopy wil...

In applications that require spectral color information, such as fine art printing field, industry has been able to improve reproduction quality substantially in the past decade by increasing the printer gamut space and improving other print quality attributes such as metamerism. As the number of inks used in the printer is increasing and researchers are able to understand the ink and media int...

Writing ink analysis is used in establishing document authenticity and the sources and relative ages of written entries. Most analytical methods require removing samples or visibly altering the document. Nondestructive, in situ analysis of writing inks on paper without visible alteration is possible using mass spectrometry with a new ion source called Direct Analysis in Real Time. Forty-three d...

By separating the optical dot gain from the physical dot gain, it is possible to study different behaviors of color inks on different papers. In this study we are investigating the dependency of dot gain and wavelength in color print. Microscopic images have been used to separate optical and physical dot gain from each other. The optical behavior of primary color inks in different absorbing wav...

Since ancient times, steganography, the art of concealing information, has largely relied on secret inks as a tool for hiding messages. However, as the methods for detecting these inks improved, the use of simple and accessible chemicals as a means to secure communication was practically abolished. Here, we describe a method that enables one to conceal multiple different messages within the emi...