Can Culinary Solvent be used with alcohol inks?
Answer: Yes. The 100% alcohol content of Culinary Solvent's 200 proof Ethanol interacts well with all popular brands of concentrated alcohol inks, and can be used to craft your own inks from permanent markers or acrylic paints.
Is ethanol safe to use for dissolving alcohol inks?
Yes. 100% food grade ethanol contains no toxic additives, while remaining a powerful solvent exhibiting clean evaporative properties. Culinary Solvent is safe to get on your fingers and skin, care should be used to avoid eye contact, however it is the pigment in the dye that will cause any issues in both situations.
Is ethanol better than Isopropyl alcohol for alcohol inks?
The two alcohols, ethanol and isopropyl, actually interact with alcohol inks differently. Both ethanol and isopropyl will create blooms in the alcohol inks, the isopropyl will create blooms with more distinct borders. Also, fresh ink dropped into isopropyl blooms will not continue to propagate, unlike the ethanol sample which continues to bloom and marble.
Youtuber @Nina Ribena compares ethanol and isopropyl the alcohol ink dissolving here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQn6qOsD80
Because the two alcohols interact with alcohol pigments differently, customers must look at other properties to make the determination.
Why choose Culinary Solvent over isopropyl for alcohol inks?
Culinary Solvent's 100% ABV alcohol content contains no water and no toxic additives. The results are clean consistent evaporations leaving behind the vibrant pigment of your alcohol ink. Isopropyl alcohol comes in a variety of strengths, ranging from 99% to 70% alcohol by volume. The non-alcohol percentage represents the amount of water contained in the solution. Added water increases dry time and can affect bleeding, blooming, and paper durability. When choosing an alcohol solvent for alcohol inks, the %water contained should be kept to a minimum. Culinary Solvent 200 Proof Ethanol contains 0% water.
Where can I buy Culinary Solvent?
Shop for Culinary Solvent 200 proof ethanol using our secure online store here. At this time, Culinary Solvent is only sold from CulinarySolvent.com and shipped direct from the distillery in Maine.
Can I buy Culinary Solvent where I live?
The answer is usually Yes, but sometimes there are permits or prohibitions depending on where you live. View our current map of states we ship to with links to each state's rules and regulations governing non-beverage ethanol.
