Shaping and drying, Nara ink

When kneading is finished, to get the correct shape, a wooden frame with a compartment is applied and clamped in place. Various traditional designs and lettering are carved on the wooden frame, and these patterns are impressed on the soft ink ball. The ink splits if it dries too quickly, and so the moisture is extracted slowly over a period of between 10 and about 30 days in temperature-controlled wood ashes.