iron gall ink

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iron gall ink

Produced from the tannic acid of oak bark in a reaction with iron salts, it was a popular ink from the 12th to 19th century.

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 12030
Chemical description: synthetic ink. water-soluble ferrous tannate complex. Because of its solubility, the ink is able to penetrate the paper surface, making it difficult to erase. When exposed to oxygen a ferric tannate pigment is formed. This complex is not water-soluble, contributing to its permanence as a writing ink Kremer PDF
Color: black
Color Index:

Iron gall ink is one of the most historically influential writing and drawing materials, used for over 1,500 years across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Made from a reaction between tannins (extracted from oak galls), iron salts, and a binder such as gum arabic, this ink produces a deep purplish-black tone that slowly darkens as it oxidizes. Its permanence, fine flow from the pen, and resistance to fading made it the preferred medium for manuscripts, official records, artistic drawings, and personal correspondence from the medieval age through the 19th century.

During the Middle Ages, iron gall ink became essential in monastic scriptoria. It was used to write illuminated manuscripts, musical codices, and legal documents. Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, and Rembrandt used it for sketches, studies, and delicate wash drawings, exploiting its subtle gradations and fluid line quality. Its presence is equally prominent in early modern cartography, archival records, and scientific notebooks that shaped the intellectual history of Europe.

However, iron gall ink has a fragile side. Over time, excess acidity and iron content can lead to ink corrosion: the gradual browning, cracking, and even loss of paper.

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