# Staining Wood with Ink



## jennifertemple (Oct 30, 2011)

I just tried a new stain method. I painted a table with India Ink, let set a couple of minutes and wiped off. This must be the most perfect black stain I have ever used! I am now going to try a variety of colored inks on some scrap to see how they work out. Has anyone else used such methods. I thought I try Jacquard Piñata Alcohol Inks for colored staining.


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## thepm4 (May 18, 2020)

Interesting....pics when u can would be nice.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

India Ink is great for ebonizing wood. I've only messed around with them as a hobby and nothing ever professionally though. Vinegar wipe then India Ink. Neat way to make new stuff look distressed as well. There's other pre-treatments you can use other than vinegar, (acetic acid), but I don't know enough about them to give any recommendations. Good for you though @jennifertemple. It's always fun to learn something new, especially after being in the trades as long as we have.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> India Ink is great for ebonizing wood. I've only messed around with them as a hobby and nothing ever professionally though. Vinegar wipe then India Ink. Neat way to make new stuff look distressed as well. There's other pre-treatments you can use other than vinegar, (acetic acid), but I don't know enough about them to give any recommendations. Good for you though @jennifertemple. It's always fun to learn something new, especially after being in the trades as long as we have.


You are referring to iron acetate (result of dissolving iron into acetic acid) which chemically reacts with tannin rich woods. Doesn't do much on species like pine which lack tannic acid but great results on fir, oak, cedar, cherry, and even alder. Diluted solutions can be used to age into a silver grey. Pretreating wood like pine with tannic acid will also produce a nice result.

I use 2 #0000 / gallon vinegar ; will produce a good concentrated solution but you can use more or less. To make rustic fir beams we usually dilute this concentrate 20:1 with water


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

I’ve used India ink sprayed on open wet gesso to provide an antique look on gesso painted cabinetry & furniture. The gesso was tinted to Prussian blue then misted with India ink while still wet which provided an antique nuanced effect followed by clearing it with acrylic. 

Below is a pic of a floor I colored using iron gall ink and finished with 6 coats of tung oil.


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## jennifertemple (Oct 30, 2011)

Pics just in:
































The lighting seems to make the black look dark brown but it really is a deep black. I thought I'd finish them with a wipe on poly.


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

I use dye stain. Same effect. Did a steak house with it. Best way I know to tone the wood and then shift the color the way you want to go with a penetrating stain over that.


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