Abstract: An ink composition comprising: a plurality of metallic nanoparticles suspended in a carrier, wherein the carrier comprises water and at least one organic solvent miscible with water, and wherein the composition is formulated for slow dry rate and proper viscosity for DPN. Also, a method comprising: depositing a composition onto a cantilever, wherein the composition comprises a plurality of metallic nanoparticles suspended in a carrier, wherein the carrier comprises water and at least one organic solvent miscible with water. The composition can be used in direct writing onto surfaces to form patterns and arrays using cantilevers, microcontact printing, ink jet printing, and other methods. The composition is particularly useful for preparing nanoscale features and forming high quality continuous conductive lines and dots, including silver based lines and dots. Applications include surface repair.