How to Make Invisible Ink with Baking Soda
Mix baking soda and water., Dab a small brush or cotton swab into the solution., Write your message on white paper., Allow the “ink” to dry., Consider steaming the page.When you write your message on the page, the watery “ink” will warp the paper...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Mix baking soda and water.
Making a solution suitable for invisible ink will take almost equal parts baking soda and water.
For the best results, you want to mix as much baking soda as you can into a small bowl of water.
Add a little baking soda at a time and mix slowly to fully saturate the water. 1/4 cup (60 mL) of water will hold 3 tbsp. (45 mL) of baking soda.If your “ink” has deposits of baking soda that won’t dissolve, the solution is over saturated.
Just work backwards: add a little water at a time until the baking soda dissolves completely. -
Step 2: Dab a small brush or cotton swab into the solution.
Treat the baking soda mixture as you would ink or watercolor paint and load up only a little of the solution at a time. , Using the brush or swab, write your message in clear block letters on a piece of paper.
Make sure you write your letters large enough to be legible.
The water will bleed into the paper, distorting the letters, so practice using your brush or swab ahead of time.
Consider writing your message in code for added security.
For example, a simple substitution code replaces each letter of the alphabet with another letter or a number in a pattern set ahead of time.
A regular index card makes a great surface for short messages. , You want the message to dry without leaving signs that the paper has been tampered with.
For better results, try the following:
Press the page between heavy books or other weights.
Add a few pieces of paper above and below the page carrying the message so excess moisture does not ruin the books that you use for weight.
Hang the paper.
Photographers hang developing prints to let them dry because gravity will help keep the paper from warping.
You can use the same trick by using clothes pegs to hang your message.
If you use a heavy, high-quality paper or card stock to carry your message, the thicker paper will warp less than standard copier paper. , By lightly steaming the page, you can hide all evidence that the paper has been tampered with, which increases the chance your message will go undetected.
There are two good methods for steaming your secret message:
Boil water in an electric kettle or a large pot and hold the page near the rising steam.
Steam is extremely hot (hotter than boiling water) so use kitchen tongs or a similar utensil to hold the page.
Use an iron on the lowest steam setting.
Keep your fingers safe from the steam and lightly iron the page.
If you do steam the page, be sure to use one of the advanced drying methods listed above. , After all, who would go through the trouble of delivering a blank piece of paper? By writing a decoy message on the page, you can throw enemies off your trail.
For instance:
Writing a grocery list over your secret message is a classic spy trick.
Nobody suspects the humble shopping list.
If you plan on revealing your secret message with a liquid method (grape or red cabbage juice), don’t write your decoy message in pen! The ink from the pen will bleed across the page when you apply the wash. -
Step 3: Write your message on white paper.
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Step 4: Allow the “ink” to dry.
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Step 5: Consider steaming the page.When you write your message on the page
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Step 6: the watery “ink” will warp the paper
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Step 7: leaving marks that are visible even after the paper dries.
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Step 8: Consider writing a decoy message on the dry paper in pen or pencil.If your message is intercepted before delivery
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Step 9: an empty page would look suspicious.
Detailed Guide
Making a solution suitable for invisible ink will take almost equal parts baking soda and water.
For the best results, you want to mix as much baking soda as you can into a small bowl of water.
Add a little baking soda at a time and mix slowly to fully saturate the water. 1/4 cup (60 mL) of water will hold 3 tbsp. (45 mL) of baking soda.If your “ink” has deposits of baking soda that won’t dissolve, the solution is over saturated.
Just work backwards: add a little water at a time until the baking soda dissolves completely.
Treat the baking soda mixture as you would ink or watercolor paint and load up only a little of the solution at a time. , Using the brush or swab, write your message in clear block letters on a piece of paper.
Make sure you write your letters large enough to be legible.
The water will bleed into the paper, distorting the letters, so practice using your brush or swab ahead of time.
Consider writing your message in code for added security.
For example, a simple substitution code replaces each letter of the alphabet with another letter or a number in a pattern set ahead of time.
A regular index card makes a great surface for short messages. , You want the message to dry without leaving signs that the paper has been tampered with.
For better results, try the following:
Press the page between heavy books or other weights.
Add a few pieces of paper above and below the page carrying the message so excess moisture does not ruin the books that you use for weight.
Hang the paper.
Photographers hang developing prints to let them dry because gravity will help keep the paper from warping.
You can use the same trick by using clothes pegs to hang your message.
If you use a heavy, high-quality paper or card stock to carry your message, the thicker paper will warp less than standard copier paper. , By lightly steaming the page, you can hide all evidence that the paper has been tampered with, which increases the chance your message will go undetected.
There are two good methods for steaming your secret message:
Boil water in an electric kettle or a large pot and hold the page near the rising steam.
Steam is extremely hot (hotter than boiling water) so use kitchen tongs or a similar utensil to hold the page.
Use an iron on the lowest steam setting.
Keep your fingers safe from the steam and lightly iron the page.
If you do steam the page, be sure to use one of the advanced drying methods listed above. , After all, who would go through the trouble of delivering a blank piece of paper? By writing a decoy message on the page, you can throw enemies off your trail.
For instance:
Writing a grocery list over your secret message is a classic spy trick.
Nobody suspects the humble shopping list.
If you plan on revealing your secret message with a liquid method (grape or red cabbage juice), don’t write your decoy message in pen! The ink from the pen will bleed across the page when you apply the wash.
About the Author
Jonathan Price
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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