Abstract: Methods and apparatus that simulate the environment and conditions to which printers ink is subjected by the rollers and roller nips of a printing process, as well as determine the rheological characteristics of such ink across a range of water concentrations is disclosed, thus permitting a printing press operator to be assured of consistent ink film splitting (in "wet on wet" printing process), good ink to paper adhesion, good lithographic stability of inks or varnishes and good adhesion of one ink color to another ink color (i.e.--elimination of color chasing). The prior art is now benefited by helping to ensure that these inks, shellacs and varnishes function properly by keeping the amount of water added to the material within an acceptable range, despite the now known changes to rheological characteristics of printers ink caused by continuous hammering or pounding while subjected to action of roller nips in a printing press.