The gall solution forming the basis of iron gall ink comes from tannic and gallic acids contained in gallnuts.

This special ink is composed of a solution of tannic and gallic acids. Both acids come from gallnuts.

Widely used to write on parchment and vellum papers, acidic iron gall inks were commmon during the 17th-19th centuries. Acidic iron gall inks may produce a lace or stencil effect by actually eating into the paper until the sketch or words are eaten away. These inks were frequently used in fountain pens in the 1860s and 1870s. Back to text