Diamine “Forever” Inks: Pigmented, Water-Resistant, Lightfast

Diamine has been making inks since 1864, originally in London and Liverpool. They have a huge variety of ink available, including their shimmering inks, anniversary editions, and their ever-popular Inkvent calenders. 

These Forever inks are decidedly different; while most fountain pen inks are dye-based, these are pigmented, meaning that they are water-resistant and lightfast. They are fountain-pen-friendly* and come in a 50ml glass bottle.

A fun application for these is the ability to use water-based media on top of them without smudging; you can do your line work with Diamine Forever inks, then do your color fill with dye based inks or watercolor!

*Note: pigmented inks behave a little differently than standard dye inks- the particles can settle inside of the solution and accumulate. You may have to flush out your pen more often than with dye inks. These inks are not iron-gall, they will not damage your fountain pens.

Red Ochre is a warm, earthy red with brown undertones.

For those interested in matching their pens, here's a few to consider:

• Kolo Tino San Marzano
• Pelikan M200 Red Marbled
• Montegrappa Elmo 02 Piston Plus Spice
• Visconti Divina Matte Bordeaux
• Pilot Custom Heritage SE Marble Red