red and black; cinnabar ink
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
red and black (colors); two-color printing or annotation
Refers to the combination of red and black colors, traditionally used in Chinese printing, document annotation, or marking systems where red indicates emphasis or correction.
This ancient book employed red-and-black two-color printing techniques.
The teacher used red and black ink to add detailed comments on the students' compositions.
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The two colors of red and black create a sharp contrast in the print.
noun
cinnabar ink; vermilion ink
Red ink traditionally manufactured from cinnabar (mercury sulfide), used in seals, official documents, calligraphy, or religious texts. Often comes in solid stick form to be ground with water.
Ancient people often used cinnabar ink to write important official documents.
This piece of cinnabar ink is a precious artifact passed down from the Qing Dynasty.
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The calligrapher dipped the cinnabar ink to write characters on rice paper.