Disappearing Ink Inkjet Cartridge
The Concept
Along the lines of the Lemon Juice Inkjet Cartridge, the Disappearing Ink Inkject Cartridge is made to work in just about any inkjet printer. With it, one can print out disappearing text on any medium your inkjet printer can handle. Either replace your black cartridge and print it all in disappearing ink, or replace one of your color cartridges to interweave permanent and disappearing text.
Uses
There are thousands of uses for printing with disappearing ink.
- Print contracts with extra clauses that you don't want to honor - in 10 minutes they're gone!
- Print clothing over pornographic pictures so you can print them on that fancy printer at work and not get into any trouble. Then by the time you get back to your cube the clothes are gone!
- I'm sure there are lots more
- Really, I'm sure there are...
A while ago I posted a couple of ideas such as this one. Now, you'd think most people would read them and come to the conclusion that perhaps they mightbe a bit tounge-and-cheek. Oddly enough, however, I've actually received what seem to be serious interest. Below is some email correspondence with one interested person, followed by a single email from another. I just thought it was a bit humorous.
Alex Templeton - PHD Student
Email 1
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 16:31:24 +0100
Subject:
From: "alex templeton"
To: mike@masino.com
I want to buy some of your disappearing ink - can you tell me how long it
takes to disappear and on what paper it should be used
regards
alex temeplton
ps I am in London
Reply 1
From: Michael Masino
To: a.templeton@virgin.net
Subject: Re:
Date: Thu, Jul 18, 2002, 2:12 am
I must say that you have the honor of being the very first person to
inquire about any of the various ideas I have posted on our website. To be
honest, I've never much gotten past the R&D stage, so I haven't gotten to
marketing or production.
Email 2
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 09:31:05 +0100
Subject: Re:
From: "alex templeton"
To: Michael Masino
well - we should talk!!
I am an artist in London - and am doing a PHD at central st Martins.
and have been trying to make a disappearing ink for about a year - fit in a
Ink jet printer - it is very, very hard
any ideas ??
kindest regards !
alex templeton
Response 2
From: Michael Masino
To: a.templeton@virgin.net
Subject: Re:
Date: Fri, Jul 19, 2002, 1:58 am
Alex,
Apologies for the last message, it was sent prematurely by accident...
I was going to reply to your request for information about what type of
paper, how long it takes to disapear, etc, so I will do so now... It's not
a subject I thought too much about, to be honest. Invisible Ink would
probably work best with paper that would absorb it somewhat. It might
simply evaporate from glossy paper. As for disapearing ink, I am not really
up on the exact science of it.
There are lots of mis-named products which claim to be or include
disappearing ink. Turns out, most are for what I would call invisible ink
(though technically it disappears and can then be re-appeared... Anyway, if
you are interested, I did look around a bit and find a recipe for what _I_
consider disappearing ink (see below)... As I understand it, you some solid
molecules which have color when acidic or basic but are colorless when
neutral, and some acid or base which will evaporate thus allowing the
change. An example I read was thymophthalein, which is blue in solutions
that are basic and is colorless under neutral conditions. When mixed with
something like an alcohol (ethanol) it is blue until part of the solution
evaporates and results in a neutral reside. Thus the thymophthalein is no
longer experiencing basic conditions so it changes colors and "disappears".
It was also mentioned that adding an acid (vinegar) will speed the color
change and change color without part of it evaporating.
So, for an inkjet cartridge you'd have to work out the right mix of
base to allow to evaporate and solids. Not sure what consistency is
required for the inkjet heads to be able to apply it, but maybe you could
play with a neutral base to get the right consistency and then the base and
"pigment" could be added to that.
Anyway, I guess this just goes to show that I should really have put
more thought into the matter. Out of curiousity, what did you think of the
invisible ink(jet) cartridge? Or any of the other ideas?
As a side note, my wife happens to be from England (from Dorset). I
have been over a few times to visit her family, but have not yet spent any
time in London (except, of course Terminal 4 at Heathrow).
What are you working on for you PHD?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disappearing Ink Recipe
Materials: 1/4 cup water, iodine, spray starch, disposable pie pan, cotton
swab, white paper
Procedure: Place the water and 5 drops of iodine in the pie pan. Spray
starch in the pan by holding down the nozzle for 10 seconds. (Do this step
outside.) Dip a cotton swab into the liquid and write a message on a white
piece of paper. Watch the paper. Over the next few hours the message will
disappear.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Mike
Email 3
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 12:23:11 +0100
Subject: Re:
From: "alex templeton"
To: Michael Masino
Mime-version: 1.0
X-Priority: 3
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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Message-Id: <20020721123154.DAH24372.mta3-svc.business.ntl.com@[62.253.73.66]>
Dear Michael
Yes it is so interesting, many things are called disappearing ink- but they
seem to be unable to harness i.e. I need to find an ink that disappears
within a set amount of time - not too quickly . For instance they just go
immediately or they take years. I have not come across a disappearing ink
that fades and then returns - as you mention. I would be interested in this
? do you know where you saw it ??
If you do have a recipe I would be most interested. it is wonderful to find
someone who is equally fascinated with disappearing ink. I am amazed the
world has not demanded it!! But trying to make an ink that cam go through an
ink jet printer and will disappear in matter of hours or days ( preferably
UV affected.) is very hard. Would be most interested in your suggestions.
I have been looking along the irongall ink avenue - do you know it?
thymophthalein,is something I looked at a while ago - but I moved away
form it and I can't remember why ? Oh yes - because it is PH affected only
and I need something that disappears as the book is read - so that is faded
by light - essentially.
I love Dorset - it is on of my favourite counties. I stay with friends every
summer on their farm near Axminster and go to Beamster and Bridport
regularly for the weekend. It is very beautiful and of course Thomas Hardy
lived there.
Do let me know if you have any revelations!!
with best regards
alex templeton
Response 3
I seem to have lost my reply to this last message. Or perhaps I never got around to it. In any case, I have not heard back as of yet. I'd be interested to hear about Alex's progress...
Brian Murphy of Chromatic Technologies, Inc
This email was sent to every email address we advertised on the contact us page. Zoe actually replied and indicated that he should talk to me instead of her, but we never heard from him again...
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 08:11:50 -0600
From: Brian Murphy
Subject: Disappearing ink
To:
Organization: Chromatic Technologies, Inc.
Hi Mike,
I am looking for a source for disappearing ink. I am doing some research into
the product. Any help you could provide would be appreciated.
Take care,
Brian J. Murphy
Business Development Manager
Chromatic Technologies, Inc.
Phone (719) XXX-YYYY
bmurphy@interactivecolors.com www.interactivecolors.com