Pounce (calligraphy)

Writing sand ( also grit or sand extinguishing ) is a fine-grained sand, which was used in the past to dry wet ink writing. The inks of the Middle Ages dried slower than today's inks. The writing was either stained sand, fine sea or river sand, smashed or burned other materials or powdered (often blue ) glass, also rust-brown iron filings. The write sand / grit was in grit boxes.

Blotting paper was later used instead.

Before the invention of blotting paper, the scattering sands formed an additional source of income of the gold washers on the Rhine. Moreover, derives from this fact the nickname of the Electorate of Brandenburg from, due to the sandy soil it was called box of sand of the empire.