How to Choose Ink for Fountain Pens
Good fountain pen ink can not only enhance the writing experience, but also protect your precious fountain pens. Ink with different brands and types has different fluency, toning and durability. How to choose a bottle of ink that suits you? This article will provide a detailed guide to help find the perfect one among all kinds of ink in the market.
What do we focus on when choosing fountain pen ink?
1. Fluidity
Fluid ink can ensure smooth writing and reduce the risk of nibs clogging. The fluidity of ink is closely related to viscosity. Highly fluent ink makes a smooth writing experience, which is suitable for users who need to write for a long time. When choosing fountain pen ink, it is good to choose ink from well-known brands which is specially designed for fountain pens and avoid using ink for ballpoint pens, which may cause clogged nibs.
2. Colors
Color is an important factor in choosing fountain pen ink. Common fountain pen ink colors include black, blue, red, green, etc. Black and blue are the most common and suitable choices for formal occasions, while blue-black ink is suitable for writing occasions that require high contrast and professionalism. Red and green are more used for annotation or artistic creation. Nowadays, people love journaling in different colors so many ink companies publish colorful inks.
3. Durability
The durability of ink refers to the property that ink is not easy to fade on paper. For documents or written works that need to be preserved for a long time, it is crucial to choose ink with anti-fading ability. High-quality ink can usually maintain bright colors for a long time on different types of paper without fading over time.
4. Drying speed
If you are used to writing quickly, choosing an ink with a faster drying speed will avoid graffiti and blurred marks when touching with fingers. For writing enthusiasts, a fast-drying ink is particularly important to reduce ink smudging.
5. Environmentally Friendly
Environmental protection and safety are also important factors to consider when choosing ink. Some high-quality inks on the market use natural raw materials to reduce the impact on the environment. At the same time, ensure that the ink does not irritate the skin and eyes.
Pen case helps to protect our pens from the outside while good ink protect our pens from the inside.
Types of fountain pen inks
1. Water-based ink
Water-based ink is the most common fountain pen ink, suitable for most fountain pens. It is smooth, dries quickly, and has bright colors. It is widely used in daily writing and office. Water-based ink is usually gentle and do no harms to fountain pens.
2. Oil-based ink
Oil-based ink is more durable than water-based ink and is suitable for documents that require high-density colors and long-term preservation. It has poor fluidity and is suitable for users who do not require high writing fluency.
3. Dye ink
Dye ink is usually bright in color and has strong penetration, which is suitable for artistic creation and painting. It can form bright colors on paper, but may appear reverse printing on some thinner papers due to penetration.
4. Pigment ink
Pigment ink has strong color stability and water resistance, which is suitable for documents that need to be preserved for a long time. The particles in pigment ink are usually not easy to dissolve, so it is not easy to fade or dissolve after contact with water, but it may also cause slight damage to some high-quality papers.
How to choose ink according to your needs?
1. Daily use: It is recommended to use water-based inks that flow smoothly and dry quickly.
2. Artistic creation: You can choose dye inks with bright colors and strong permeability.
3. Documents: Choose pigment inks to ensure long-term color stability and water resistance.
Choosing the right fountain pen ink brings great writing experience. Different ink types and brands have their own characteristics in terms of fluidity, color, drying speed and durability. According to your personal writing habits and needs, choose a fountain pen ink that suits you, so that every writing is extremely smooth and full of fun. I hope that the recommendations and selection guides in this article can help you find the fountain pen ink that suits you best and add color to your writing journey!
If you are a fountain pens and inks collector, you may also need our wooden pen case to keep your precious collection from dust and moisture.
You can also share your favorite inks on the comment zone.