Definitions

In this chapter technical terms of our products will be explained.

1. Colouring matters
Colouring matter is a collective name for all colouring substance.

In this category are dyes and pigments.

a) Dyes
Dyes are organic colouring matters, which are completely soluble in solvents and / or binding agents and therewith enter into a real chemical amalgamation.
You can clarify this exact definition with an example: If you put some sugar candy into hot water and stir it some time, you cannot see anymore sugar candy particles when you look through the glass afterwards. It has completely dissolved in the water.

b) Pigments
Pigments are colouring matters, which are existant insolubly in solvents and / or binding agents.

This can also be clarified by an example:
If you try to mix carbon black with water, you could still see particles of the carbon black, even after long stirring or shaking. The same can be watched with coffee. Consequently the carbon black and the coffee are only finely dispersed, but not completely dissolved. Pigments are mainly used for the production of colours with good covering power.

Hence it can be deduced as follows:
Dyes amalgamate completely with solvents and / or binding agents, while pigments are only dispersed finely, but not dissolved completely.

Furthermore:
Dyes result in transparent solutions, pigments in non-transparent solutions.

2. Colouring matters which are often questioned

a) Aniline
Aniline is not a colouring matter, but is a basic material for production of some dyes and pigments. The final product does not contain any toxically hazardous residues of aniline for the end user.

b) Azo colouring matters
Azo dyes are a comprehensive group of colouring matters. They are used for color shades yellow, orange and red. The products containing one of those colouring matters are toxically harmless.

c) Eosine
Contrary to wide opinion, eosine is not rated as "toxic" or "noxious". It is particularly used as a colouring matter in red inks.

d) Tartrazine
The dye tartrazine is used for colouring substances yellow. It is permitted for colouring of certain food products and cosmetics.

3. Moistures

Moistures are for slowing down the drying of stamp pad ink or inks. Here glycerines and glycoles are mostly used.

4. Fungicides

Fungicides stop the growth of micro-organisms. They raise the durability of the products and prevent an endangering of health by dangerous materials.

5. Solvents

Solvents are liquids, which dissolve dyes, without chemical change to them or themselves.
The most important are:
a) water
b) alcohols
c) oils

Concerning b) and c):
These are physiologically and ecologically harmless and for this purpose in the production.

6. Binding agents

Binding agents are usually all non-volatile components in stamp pad inks and inks included, except pigments.
Binding agents make the adhesion of liquids to non-porous and porous sufaces possible.

7. Catchwords

a) Allergens
Allergens are natural or synthetic substances, which can cause a hypersensitive reaction in some people. Therefore the producers of painting, writing and drawing materials avoid using substances to which reactions are known.

b) Dioxin
Under the subject "dioxine" it is generally understood as a large group of chlorated aromatic carbon-hydrogen connections. Dioxines is not a component of stamp pad inks or marking inks.

c) Toxin
Toxins are usually terms for foreign organisms that cause, even in small quantities, malfunctions in chemical or chemical/physical malfunctions in the living organism. Toxines usually get into the organism from outside, but there are metabolic toxins, which are produced in the body itself. Declarations like "without toxin" or "non-toxic" should be used with great care, because every chemical, dissolved in large quantities, can cause toxic reactions.
e.g.: Sugar dissolved in large quantities, can be deadly!!

d) Heavy metals
Metals with a density of more than 4.5g/cm are called heavy metals. Some can cause bad sanitary malfunctions, if they get into the organism in too big concentrations. Others like iron are vita! necessary for the metabolism. Doubtful heavy metals like Cadmium, quick silver and plummet are not used. Limiting values for eight toxical heavy metals are fixed in the european norm "EN 71-3".

e) Toxicity
- acute toxicity : Toxic reaction after solitary use.
- sub-acute toxicity : Toxic reaction after repeated use, usually 28 to 80 days.
- chronic toxicity : Toxic reaction from use over a large time span (up to several years)

f) EU-instructions
These instructions are constantly reviewed and checked by EU Comissions and are used as drafts for the laws of EU Countries. Especially for meat inspection ink matters the instruction "94-36 EG". This instuction claims the use of special dyes and chemicals only.

e.g.:
E129 = red
E133 = blue
E155 = brown
E422 = glycerine