I know that this is a very old post, but the comment about optical density reminded me of a paper that might be helpful to some looking to brew their own ink. This is a cheap OD meter that uses minimal parts and 3D printing. You can get quartz cuvettes but honestly, as long as what you get is...
recently retired with a long history of interest in photography.
I stumbled across piezography and have been scouring the web for more information, especially home made inks.
I was a chemist in my former life so this is in the right ball park for me.
Hoping to learn a lot.
Glad to meet you all...