Inky T O D - Have You Ever Had An Ink Fade?

[amberleadavis]

Now, we're not talking about inks that have been deliberately put in an office window (or a caboose window) as part of an experiment. In your daily life, have you had an ink fade on you? Perhaps in a journal?

 

Tell us about your inky experience, please.

[AllenG]

I have some of my grandmother's letters circa 1910 and most are just fine, but one or two are degrading.

Of my personal writing I've had nothing fade. Printer ink on the other hand, I've had lots of that fail me. Sometimes within months.

[doggonecarl]

I had a couple months of Franklin Covey planner pages sitting on my desk. The topmost one had number of fountain pen ink entries in Parker Quink Blue. They faded in a couple months. Not in direct sunlight, but exposed to light.

 

That's when Parker Quink Blue got relegated to grocery list use.

[amberleadavis]

Hopefully, Ethernautrix and Tanzanite will post about their recent experiences.

[amberleadavis]

I pulled out my journals that were in the dark and in cool areas. I had blue ink fade dang it. The highlighters were really faded. I'll try and find a picture.

[theverdictis]

Not yet, even from my school books. Most of the letters I have found from my mum, and grandmother have written are still in great shape. Hopefully they never do!

 

Ben

[inkstainedruth]

Yup. Quink Washable Blue. After just a few months in a closed journal. That's when I started looking for better ink (Quink Permanent Blue no longer seems to be sold anyplace in the US ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Charles Rice]

No.

[David_W]

I've got a lot of school and university notes I wrote 20-30 years ago in Quink Blue Black (the now discontinued Solv-X formulation). All are stored in a dark cupboard, some are in a filing cabinet in that cupboard. All have suffered the well known teal shift of Quink Blue Black and the contrast is definitely lower than it was when freshly written, but none of it would count as illegible. The not especially great paper has yellowed to some extent, which doesn't help.

 

In truth, I have little use for these old papers now, but am holding on to them because I can't bear to throw them out and I don't desperately need the space for something more useful..

[dcwaites]

One of the J.Herbin inks (Myosotis Bleu?) fades overnight, but it is designed to do that.

Parker Quink Blue-Black (vintage, with Solv-X) fades dramatically, and turns green, on some less than optimal papers.

 

Paddler, in this post, and Chris, just below, relate their fading examples.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a couple of books that belonged to my grandpa. Published in 1923 - one he signed and dated in October 3, 1923 one of the others on March 22, 1935

 

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/Runnin_Ute/20130327_205015_zps188a6a7b.jpg

 

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/Runnin_Ute/20130327_205502_zpse795e2f1.jpg

 

The color in the photo is very close to what you actually see.

[kwzi]

I have a couple of books that belonged to my grandpa. Published in 1923 - one he signed and dated in October 3, 1923 one of the others on March 22, 1935

 

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/Runnin_Ute/20130327_205015_zps188a6a7b.jpg

 

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/Runnin_Ute/20130327_205502_zpse795e2f1.jpg

 

The color in the photo is very close to what you actually see.

 

This is propably Iron Gall ink - one of more fade resistant type of inks, so you know ...

Generally I do not have problems with ink fading with exception of Parker and Waterman Blue and Blue Black - this was one of main reasons why I don't use them any more. I can live with that the ink is going to fade in 50 years, but if he does it in 5 months, than this is an issue.

[casualmerlinconstant]

Quink Blue fades quite dramatically for me, but never to the point of illegibility.

[knarflj]

I just picked up a notebook from about a dozen years ago and noticed that many of the notes in it are very faded. It's been stored either in my desk or on a bookshelf since I wrote in it, and rarely opened. I didn't make a note of what ink I was using at the time, but I'm guessing it was Waterman blue-black. I think I'm going to have to recopy those particular notes someday fairly soon, before they disappear entirely.

[Paddler]

I started to journal in the 50s with the Sheaffer cartridge pen we were given in school. The cartridges were Skrip washable blue. I also used pencil and sometimes Skrip red. The journals have been kept in a desk drawer all this time, away from high heat and light. The blue has faded to almost illegibility. The pencil and red ink are still hangin' in there.

 

Edited to add: This says nothing about the longevity of modern Skrip washable blue. The formulation could have changed a dozen times since I used it as a kid.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Paddler

[Bigeddie]

Parker Quink Washable Blue, and Parker and Waterman Blue-Black (which I understand are now the same ink).

 

Both seem to loose their punch over a few days, the blue backs turn a sort of teal quite quickly.

[Jerome Tarshis]

Blue and blue-black ink in college-style notebooks from the 1970s and possibly early 1980s have held up. Not exposed to light except when (infrequently) opened and read. Since the mid-1980s my notebooks have not done well with blue inks. I believe this has to do with changes in paper, not changes in ink. Exposure to light has been minimal.

 

For me nothing has vanished entirely, but the look is distasteful. Black inks may have faded, though not painfully, so for some time now I've standardized on black, with a few others used for variety: Pelikan Brilliant Brown, a lively color; Bril Royal Blue, given me by an Indian friend and I think less prone to fading than other blues on the paper I now use; Waterman (insert adjective) Blue, which I have now given up on because of the threat of serious fading, although I find it a pleasant color when first laid down; Herbin Vert Empire, if I've got the name right; and Montblanc British Racing Green, which I don't like nearly as much as I'd thought I would. Haven't used BRG long enough to comment on fading over the years.

[athenian]

Pelikan Royal Blue fades quite quick.

[amberleadavis]

If any of you have pictures, I'd love to see them and include them in my comparisons.

[Tanzanite]

In this photo you can see what has happened to ink after ten days on a table without direct sunlight. I'm really disappointed.

The first three Edelstein inks have faded very much in this short time. Ruby and Turmaline are the worst fading inks I have seen.

J Herbin Violette Pensee is now greyish.

Bleu Nuit has faded slightly.

Waterman Tender Purple has lost some blue and is more red. Looks like a different ink.