RED INK (MEDĀD-E SORKH)
A total of 15 recipes on red inks were found from the treatise Resāle-ye Buqalamun by Bahmani (15th C), a few of which are mentioned below.
First Recipe:
اگر خواهد که از یک ستیر مازوی یک من مداد کند بستاند یک ستیر روغناس و یک ستیر صمغ عربی و بچهار من آب وی را بجوشاند تا به دو من باز آید. وزان پس فرو گیرد تا سرد شود و به کار برد
If you want to make 1 Mann (3 kg) ink with one Sir (75 g) gall nuts, purchase 1 Sir (75 g) madder, and 1 Sir (75 g) gum Arabic and boil these in 4 Mann (12 kg) of water until it is reduced to 2 Mann (6 kg). Afterwards remove from fire, allow to cool, and use as desired.
Second Recipe:
In another recipe similar to the first, cinnabar is used instead of madder.
Gallnut
Sumac
Madder
Cinnabar
Gum Arabic
Gum Arabic
Third Recipe:
مداد سماق رنگ بستانند نیم رطل سماق و بندازند بروسه رطل آب و در آفتاب نهند تا رنگ به آب دهد. آنگاه در هم بمالند و پنج روز دیگر در آفتاب نهند و بندازند و بر هر یک رطل پنج وقیه صمغ عربی در هر روز یک وقیه و بگذارند تا درو بگدازد و بستانند زاج آن قدر که خواهند و بسیار نه که می سوزانند مركب را
‘Sumac (Somāq) ink: Gather ½ Raṭl (194.88 g) sumac and add to it 3 Raṭl (1.17 kg) water and place under sunlight for the colour to be extracted. Then mix and leave for another 5 days and filter while adding gum Arabic in a manner that for each Raṭl (389.76 g) of the sumac water, 5 Waqiye (162.4 g) of gum Arabic in total should be added; 1 Waqiye (32.48 g) each day. Once the gum Arabic is dissolved well, add as much vitriol as desired but not too much for it shall burn the ink.’
Green Vitriol