The ubiquitous ink roller or brayer is really a newcomer to the world of printing. For centuries ink balls were used to “roll” out ink by rubbing their surfaces together. When the thin film of ink was just right, this gently pliable surface was used to dab the ink onto the surface of the type and images locked up in the press bed. “Dab” is perhaps not the right verb as the individual doing the inking was called a “beater” and the process involved some force and a great deal of speed. I recently created small, replica ink balls for use with the BookBeetle Press. These accurately recreate the experience of rolling the ink around between the balls, one held in each hand, to create a smooth thin layer. Ink balls were made of a thin soft layer of wet leather, well wrung out, and stretched over firm wool stuffing. The leather was held in place on wooden ball stocks with tacks. The leather coverings would lose their effectiveness if allowed to dry out, so they were stored covered with liquid. Many printing historians describe this liquid as “chamber lye” or urine, but I prefer to use water and happily store my ball covers in a plastic container in the freezer for longer periods between printing. These miniature ink balls give a perfect introduction to the process of inking the wooden screw press. Civilization relied on this simple technology for the printing of the entire collection of books in Western culture for 350 years! I now sell ink balls along with the BookBeetle Press to enhance the printing experience for educators and artisans. A set of two balls is $90.