The ink vehicle is the fluid part of the ink that
transports the pigment onto the substrate. This is typically an oil
based material.
The pigment is the part of the ink that imparts
gloss, color, texture, and other characteristics to the printed
image. Pigments can be black, white (either opaque or transparent),
and colored. The colored pigments are usually produced from either
mineral sources or from derivatives of organic coal tar. Other
materials such as metallic powders are used for specialty
inks.
