Ink Color Reflection Of Personality?

[sanjay_111]

Has there been discussion here about how our inks are or should be a reflection of our personality?

 

I discovered a passion for inks recently and switched to Fountain pens and am simply overwhelmed by the amount of choice available. If I had infinite budget, I would have at least 30 pens and 30 corresponding inks.

 

I want to know what others think of linkage between ink color and personality. I was told I am a "solid, dependable" man and a little research told me that brown reflects that kind of personality. So I have been having a serious look at browns.

 

Will appreciate some thoughts around this subject of such linkage of color to personality.

 

Sanjay

[NinthSphere]

I don't know that it has any particular correlation for me. I have inks that span the spectrum, although they do tend to be more in the midrange of brightness. Nothing eye searing, but not much in the "so dark it looks black" range either, excluding the one actual black. A color might say more to me about the intended tone of the writing, but then even that might be stretching it, depending on the writer.

[sanjay_111]

That you don't prefer very dark or very bright inks is probably related to your personality. I prefer dark and "solid" inks - say black with just the right tinge of brown or any other shade.

 

I wish more people replied here on fountain pen. I have started a few threads, and seem to get very few replies. I have had many other hobbies, and I find this forum is one that does not attract too many replies.

 

I wonder if it has something to do with my posts, or that the fountain pen hobby community tends to be like this. :-)

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

When I'm on duty I use Blue-Black inks - a one size fits all approach. That said I've started to use a bit of R&K Sepia for graphics.

 

For personal writing, I'll often choose from a much broader array, depending on what I'm wring about and the recipient.

 

Bye,

S1

[ParkerDuofold]

Hello Sanjay,

 

There is a lot of truth to color choice reflecting your personality. They say using green ink is a hallmark of insanity... and wouldn't you know, I use Diamine Sherwood all the time, (when I'm not using Lamy or Aurora Black, Diamine blue-black, Quink Permanent Blue, Diamine Asa Blue or WM Inspired Blue). I think in addition to being loopy, I also have multiple personalities.

 

Seriously though... I think... ink choice DOES reflect your personality just as any other "fashion" decision does.

 

I had a girlfriend tell me I should only use brown or green pens because they complement my brown eyes and olive skin... and as time goes by, I think she was right.

 

She didn't know what ink color to recommend though, because when it comes to religion and politics; I'm as serious as Aurora Black or Diamine Midnight Blue; however, when it comes to my approach to life in general, I'm more like WM Inspired Blue or Noodlers Apache Sunset.

 

I keep a lot of people in wonder.

 

- Anthony

Edited March 24, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[sanjay_111]

I smile as I read your post, Parker. If this post is a reflection of your personality and I have learned anything at all about color psychology, then your soul is colored somewhat like apache sunset, though I would say that Iroshizuku Yu Yake is a better match.

[Mercian]

Colour preferences may well reflect one's psychology, but I would expect that the 'meaning' of one's colour-preferences is not universal; that it will instead vary depending on the culture(s) within which one is raised.

Similarly, the interpretations of/assumptions about your psychology that other people make if they think about your choice of ink will make will also depend on the cultures in which they were raised.

 

Caveat Lector: I am a Brit who uses green ink.

This information may well be useful to you when deciding how much weight to give to my opinions

Edited March 24, 2017 by Mercian

[Jan2016]

If I see how many different colors of ink I have and use I would suffer from Multi Personality Disorder....

I seek colors which in a way correlate with what I write, and so the color does correlate with my mood.

Mercian is very right I think,

[Jan2016]

BTW, I do not think using a specific color will change your personality, so I would only use browns if you really like them, and not use them to appear "solid, dependable" ....

[escribo]

I dunno. I suppose I've been kind of a blue ink sort (whatever that may say about me); I even used it back in school before ballpoints conquered the world. I added black for its contrast on paper and for more formal purposes & situations. So I've been a blue & black man, generally. Upon discovering ancient manuscripts (in this case ancient ~= back to 1500 years ago) I picked up browns in an effort to emulate them. Now I'm gradually branching out, having added Scabiosa (blackish purple) and some umbers (various shades of brown). Just the other day I was given a sample of dark maroon ink, and I can't wait to get it into one of my stub-nibbed pens. I think I might like it.

 

So what's all that? Steady, calm and dependable, followed by flying off the handle?

 

esc

[macaddicted]

In "Life on the Mississippi" Mark Twain comments on his changing view of the river. After becoming a river boat pilot he didn't focus on the beauty of the Mississippi but on the dangers and safe passages. I had something of the same experience when I went to design school.

 

Color has a powerful tie to psychology. Designers use it constantly to message. Which is how I use it. My favorite ink is Tsuki Yo, a dark blue (but not really blue/black) close to my favorite color. But I love not using it in public. Orange, green, light blues and dark purples. It's my "up your's pal" to the world.

 

Anyway, here's a link on color theory and color in design:

https://coschedule.com/blog/color-psychology-marketing/

 

Another with a broader spread of colors:

http://theultralinx.com/.amp/2013/04/psychology-colour-infographic-3/

(BTW, PMS is Pantone Matching System, a system akin to paint color mixing. Mostly it exists so designers with upset clients can yell at print pressmen "That's not the color we spec'd!")

 

And since your question was about color and psychology:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c2/7c/88/c27c885ac0fde6fc70509214ec0465ac.jpg

http://cdn.beau-coup.com/content-images/137990/137990-0.jpg

Lastly: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WY_toVO939E/T4sx9oLl_GI/AAAAAAAAFOY/-Ij18SPlC50/s1600/colors.png

 

For myself I don't think I'm all that mysterious, and if I'm enticing I've missed it entirely.

[senzen]

I wouldn't read too much into it, although using 17 inks in 17 different pens at the same time would probably be my ticket to the lunatic asylum. I prefer to think colours have their own personality, e.g. Vert Empire reflects old authority, Ajisai unfettered freedom. Lately I'm really enjoying writing in sober colours with annotations in wilder ones - I'd been doing the reverse.

[ParkerDuofold]

I smile as I read your post, Parker. If this post is a reflection of your personality and I have learned anything at all about color psychology, then your soul is colored somewhat like apache sunset, though I would say that Iroshizuku Yu Yake is a better match.

Thank you for the kind words, Sanjay... I think I'm going to get a bottle of Yu Yake to express my inner self.

 

- Anthony

[noddle]

I started out buying lots of bright, saturated inks, but I eventually found that they hurt my eyes. Now, I prefer toned-down, murky inks of most colours (esp. browns, purples, greens).

Although I like blue, much of my clothing is blue, I don't like blue inks in general.

 

I'm an INFJ, but what my ink preferences say about my personality, I've no idea.

[KKay]

I tend to like green, blue green, maroon/burgundy, reddish orange, and dark purple. I also like other colors such as turquoise, blue, black, reddish brown, and gray. I like the color yellow, but not for my ink. I also lean towards a little bit of darker colors, because they are easier to see. My favorite color used to be blue when I was young. Then in my later 20's, it was green. So I don't know what that means really. I just like VARIETY. I would be bored silly with just 3 ink colors to choose from.

[inkstainedruth]

My ink color taste is all over the map. You can chalk that up to me having a BFA in Art. Or being a Libra (and therefore TOTALLY indecisive... ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[praxim]

If my ink colours are a reflection of my personality it does not follow that my personality is a reflection of my ink colours.

[LizEF]

If my ink colours are a reflection of my personality it does not follow that my personality is a reflection of my ink colours.

 

Nor does it follow that someone with similar ink color preferences has a similar personality, nor that someone with a similar personality will have similar ink color preferences, nor that anyone can correctly / accurately infer one from the other.

[Arkanabar]

Well, I prefer tones and shades of black, blue-black, blue, green, and brown for most writing. This is because most pure colors are rather bright for reading, with the possible exception of purple.

[sanjay_111]

Colour preferences may well reflect one's psychology, but I would expect that the 'meaning' of one's colour-preferences is not universal; that it will instead vary depending on the culture(s) within which one is raised.

Similarly, the interpretations of/assumptions about your psychology that other people make if they think about your choice of ink will make will also depend on the cultures in which they were raised.

 

Caveat Lector: I am a Brit who uses green ink.

This information may well be useful to you when deciding how much weight to give to my opinions

Interesting you say that. I read somewhere that people using green color are not taken very seriously. You seem to be saying the same thing. I don't at all not take your seriously as you can see from my reply. If you have some research or something that supports what I vaguely remember about green, please share. I would like to keep it in my archives