If you have ever looked at Diamine ink at your local pen store or online, you know that the offerings are plentiful, and everyone seems to have their favorite. Pen and ink blogs are full of opinions about the best shade of blue or gray or the reasons why they love to use deep purple ink. However, it can be overwhelming to sort through all the colors, searching for the perfect shade for you. The good news is that diamine inks are well-behaved as a general rule and work well in most pens, making them the ideal choice for artists, calligraphers, and 9-5 heroes.
The Diamine Ink Company
Based in the United Kingdom, the Diamine Ink Company began manufacturing inks in London in 1894. In 1925, they moved their production to a new high-tech facility in Liverpool, where they still manufacture inks today. Most of their inks are water-based, making them easy to clean up. However, this water solubility comes with a catch. These inks are not permanent. Mother nature can easily clean up your writing with a little rain. You will want to keep your work away from drinks, sinks, and other wet areas.
Perhaps the wisest business decision the Diamine Ink Company made was to make their inks universal. Their fountain pen inks are compatible with nearly any pen. In addition to being water-soluble, their inks contain non-clogging pigment particles and a special lubricant that makes writing with them smoother. They offer well over 100 ink colors sold in decorative glass bottles, as well as cartridges, which are universal sizes. Diamine offers many options for lots of people with a range of pens.
Fountain Pen Collections
Standard Inks: The main line of Diamine inks consists of just over 100 unique colors, including 17 shades of red and just as many greens. The classic glass bottles contain 80ml of ink for refilling your pen. These same colors are also available in single color cartridges or cartridge variety packs consisting of four cartridges of five complementary colors for a total of 20 cartridges in all. These packs are great if you like to change up your color from time to time.
Music Collection: This unique gift box contains a variety of colors inspired by musical composers. With 20ml of ten distinctive colors unique to this collection, it is a great place to start exploring colors and discovering your personal preferences.
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Flower Collection: Similarly, the flower collection is a boxed set of unique colors. Each color represents a different flower, making the set as vibrant and colorful as a spring garden.
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Shimmer Ink: While the color choices are limited to just 40 in this line of inks, they are truly unique. Each color contains tiny flecks of silver or gold that make your projects sparkle and shine. Shimmer ink is somewhat more expensive for a 50ml bottle than what you pay for a mainline 80ml bottle of ink, but it is worth it for such a unique product. Refilling with this type of ink does present a unique challenge. The gold and silver particles suspended in ink settle to the bottom of the jar. You must shake the ink before refiling your pen and complete the job before settling occurs in the bottle once again.
150th Anniversary Collection: In 2014, Diamine introduced 16 exclusive colors, which are included in this anniversary collection. These inks are instantly recognizable as they come in triangular-shaped bottles. The bottles display well on a desk or shelf, with a collection of eight bottles forming a perfect circle.
Specialty Inks
Registrar’s Ink: While most Diamine inks are water-based and wash away easily, the registrar’s ink is permanent. This ink is archival quality and can be used on official documents. Although the ink appears blue at first, it oxidizes as it bonds to the cellulose in the paper. The final appearance is a standard black color. This ink, however, is acidic and can be harmful to pens manufactured from porous materials.
India Ink: Popularly used for outlining comics, calligraphy, and other art projects, India ink is not a great choice for fountain pens. The ink can solidify inside the pen, causing clogs. Dip pens and brushes are the best tools to apply this type of ink. While traditional India Ink was made from soot, this ink is acrylic. It provides a deep, rich black color and is water-resistant when fully dry.
Calligraphy Ink: These acrylic inks are perfect for lettering with dip pens and calligraphy brushes. While there are not as many colors available, each color is rich and vibrant. It comes in timeless colors such as black, white, silver, and gold, as well as two or three shades of every other color in the rainbow. Because they are acrylic, these inks are water-resistant when dry, making your work more durable.
For more than 100 years, the Diamine Ink Company has supplied writers and artists with high-quality inks in a plethora of colors. These water-based inks are approachable for those at any skill and experience level. They work well for drawing, writing, signing, and everything in between. Their universal compatibility makes them an excellent choice for any pen enthusiast.
