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.
