Editing Ink (section)

=== Carbon ===
[[File:Inkstick.jpg|right|thumb|Chinese [[inkstick]]; carbon-based and made from [[soot]] and [[animal glue]]]]
Carbon inks were commonly made from lampblack or soot and a binding agent such as [[gum arabic]] or [[animal glue]]. The binding agent keeps carbon particles in suspension and adhered to paper. Carbon particles do not fade over time even when bleached or when in sunlight. One benefit is that carbon ink does not harm paper. Over time, the ink is chemically stable and therefore does not threaten the paper's strength. Despite these benefits, carbon ink is not ideal for permanence and ease of preservation. Carbon ink tends to smudge in humid environments and can be washed off surfaces. The best method of preserving a document written in carbon ink is to store it in a dry environment (Barrow 1972).

Recently, carbon inks made from carbon nanotubes have been successfully created. They are similar in composition to traditional inks in that they use a polymer to suspend the carbon nanotubes. These inks can be used in inkjet printers and produce electrically conductive patterns.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Simmons|first1=Trevor|year=2007|title=Large Area-Aligned Arrays from Direct Deposition of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes|journal=J. Am. Chem. Soc.|volume=129|issue=33|pages=10088–10089|url = http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/article.cgi/jacsat/2007/129/i33/html/ja073745e.html|doi=10.1021/ja073745e|pmid=17663555|last2=Hashim |first2=D |last3=Vajtai |first3=R |last4=Ajayan |first4=PM |bibcode=2007JAChS.12910088S |postscript=.|url-access=subscription}}</ref>