An extract from Printing Ink Handbook, 1958

By National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (U.S.).

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WHITE PIGMENTS

Opaque white pigments commonly used in printing inks, listed in order of decreasing opacity are:

• Titanium Dioxide – Cover White
• Zinc Sulfide
• Lithopanes
• Zinc Oxides

Transparent white pigments commonly used in printing inks, listed in order of decreasing transparency are:

• Alumina Hydrate – often called “Hydrate”
• Magnesium Carbonate – often called “Magnesia”.
• Calcium Carbonate
• Blanc Fixe
• Barytes
• Clays

INORGANIC COLOR PIGMENTS

Chrome Yellow is generally lead chromate, modified with other lead compounds, especially lead sulfate.

Chrome Orange and Molybdate Orange are modified lead compounds similar in structure to chrome yellow.

FLUSHED COLORS

Some chrome colors tend to darken on exposure to light, and darken considerably on exposure to sulfur gases in the air.

Cadmium (Selenides) Yellows, Oranges and Reds are very fast to light and have excellent soap and alkali resistance.

Cadmium-Mercury Reds are among the newest additions to the pigment color field. Their properties are very similar to the older Cadmium Reds (Cadmium Selenide).

METALLIC POWDERS

“Gold” is generally a mixture of brass flakes, copper flakes, and other metals mixed to obtain varying shades of “gold” such as Rich Gold and Pale Gold.

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ORGANIC COLOR PIGMENTS

The organic Yellows pigments (Yellow Lakes, Hansa Yellow and Diarylide Yellows) are generally used as replacement for Chrome Yellows in order to avoid the use of lead compounds.