Ink Analysis

Ink Analysis Quiz Crafted By-

Mani Jain

Scientific Officer

Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science India Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi

Introduction to Ink Analysis

Ink analysis is an incredibly important analytical technique in forensic crime labs. Most commonly, it is used to determine if more than one ink was used on a document, which can help to detect fraud and forgery. Numerous substances are contained in modern inks, improving the quality of the ink; however, these substances can be used to characterize the ink in several ways that TLC can detect. Possibly, the most important of these substances contained in the ink are the pigments and dyes used to produce the color of the ink. Both destructive and non-destructive techniques have been developed for use in ink analysis. However, because of the nature of forensic samples, it is always preferred to use techniques that have a minimal destructive impact on the sample, so it can be retained for possible future testing

Let's look at the questions and their answer. 


Ques 1. The following method is non-destructive technique for ink identification :

a)Solubility test

b) Thin Layer Chromatography

c) UV-Vis spectrophotometer

d) Video spectral analysis

Answer-d) Video spectral analysis


Ques 2. Ink consists of pigments such as __________ to supply color and opacity and a vehicle to carry the pigment and bind it to the paper.

a) Silicon oxide

b) Aluminium oxide

c) Titanium oxide

d) Zinc oxide

Answer- c) Titanium oxide


Ques 3. __________ is the amount of paper that could be covered by ink to achieve a specified print density under operating conditions of a press.

a) Ink tack

b) Ink mileage

c) Ink additives

d) Ink visibility

Answer-b) Ink mileage


Ques 4. Which printing method results in the variation in the thickness of the ink deposited on the paper

a) Letter press printing

b) Lithography

c) Gravure

d) Screen printing

Answer-c) Gravure


Ques 5. Taggants in ink are: 

 a) Pigment 

b) Vehicle 

c) Binders 

d) Compounds used as markers to identify ink 

Answer- d) Compounds used as markers to identify ink


Ques 6. Inks with polyethylene glycol base began replacing the oil-based ink in ball-point pens in the year:

a) 1940

b) 1952

c) 1960

d) 1972

Answer- b) 1952


Ques 7. Which one of the following types of ink, if erased, can be restored with the sulfocyanic acid fuming method?

a) Printing inks

b) Iron base inks

c) Inkjet inks

d) Ball-pen inks

Answer- b) Iron base inks


Ques 8. The most suitable technique for liquid ink individualization is 

a) Reflected light examination 

b) T. L. C 

c) Microscopic examination 

d) Short wave ultraviolet light

Answer- b) T. L. C 


Ques 9. The following method is used for determining the age of an ink by tracking the degradation of certain dyes. 

a) Thin layer chromatography (TLC) 

b) Gas chromatography (GC) 

c) Laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) 

d) High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Answer- c) Laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS)


Ques 10. The approximate age of iron gallotannate ink on document can be determined with the help of 

a) TLC 

b) Colorimetric analysis of ink 

c) Chloride ion diffusion of ink 

d) Change in preservative

Answer- c) Chloride ion diffusion of ink 

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