Can i get blue black from mixing blue and black?

[tonysameh]

Can I get blue-black from mixng blue and black?

If yes,

what is the percentage.

 

I have blue (Parker and Pelikan) and black (Parker and Pelikan).

 

Thanks

[penmanila]

that's what i do, with those two brands especially (parker and pelikan); both do sell "blue-black" ink but i find myself adding a little more black to deepen the color. it's trial and error for me--you'll find that different pens and nibs will register different shades of the same ink or the same mix.

[dcwaites]

Can I get blue-black from mixng blue and black?

If yes,

what is the percentage.

 

I have blue (Parker and Pelikan) and black (Parker and Pelikan).

 

Thanks

Generally, somewhere in the range of 1 part in 10 to 1 part in 20 of black to blue will get you what you want.

Start with 1 part of Black, eg PQ Black, add 10 parts of Blue, eg PQ Blue. If that is too dark, add more Blue till you get the shade you want.

 

 

[aupoint]

I buy old ink, and several blue blacks that I have bought looked dull gray as if the blue component disappeared. I add blue to these

until I reach a shade that I like, which is a dark blue. I have no recipe or ratio that I can pass on. I had one that looked teal, and added

black to bring it more to my liking. I encourage you to experiment.

[tonysameh]

Can I get blue-black from mixng blue and black?

If yes,

what is the percentage.

 

I have blue (Parker and Pelikan) and black (Parker and Pelikan).

 

Thanks

Generally, somewhere in the range of 1 part in 10 to 1 part in 20 of black to blue will get you what you want.

Start with 1 part of Black, eg PQ Black, add 10 parts of Blue, eg PQ Blue. If that is too dark, add more Blue till you get the shade you want.

 

Thanks so much..

I actually didn't wait to get replies and mixed blue and black but i put too much black (may be 20%)

The color was bluish black...

It appears that I need a lot more blue...

[Inka]

I've been recently doing just this, after finally getting some Polar Black to blend with my old Polar Blue ink.

I too started with @ 10:1 ratio, which gave me a Navy blue since Polar Blue is a lighter blue color than most.

I ended up with a 5:1 ratio, in order to achieve a nice blue/black that rivals Noodlers' Aircorp Blue-Black and others I've seen.

I have the 4.5oz eye-dropper bottles of Noodlers' mostly, so that makes ratios/measuring accurate and easy, as just going drop-by-drop and recording each try is a cinch.

I also have a few old glass eye-droppers on hand that I do the same with, using a smaller glass bottle for blending and a printer refill syringe for filling plunger/vacuum converters & *old cartridges.

In fact, I've just today made a batch of Polar Blue/Black ink and used this system of measurement; e.g. 50 drops of Polar Blue to 10 drops of Polar Black [5:1 ratio] for a true blue/black ink.

 

*I never throw out old cartridges any longer, always clean/dry them and refill with my own blends, then use the small rubber printer-cartridge refill stoppers to plug them for storage.

[Dave S]

The best blue black I've ever seen was from chasing Waterman South Seas Blue with Havana Brown. I haven't a clue what the ratio would be as the SSB was just whatever was left in the feed before adding the full cartridge of HB.

[nickyd]

Can I get blue-black from mixng blue and black?

If yes,

what is the percentage.

 

I have blue (Parker and Pelikan) and black (Parker and Pelikan).

 

Thanks

Generally, somewhere in the range of 1 part in 10 to 1 part in 20 of black to blue will get you what you want.

Start with 1 part of Black, eg PQ Black, add 10 parts of Blue, eg PQ Blue. If that is too dark, add more Blue till you get the shade you want.

 

Thanks so much..

I actually didn't wait to get replies and mixed blue and black but i put too much black (may be 20%)

The color was bluish black...

It appears that I need a lot more blue...

 

You might have to write this one off! It has to be easier to add a little more black to blue than try to dilute this blue/ black mixture with another 100mls of blue,say.If that doesn't work you may end up with half a litre of ink that you may not use!

[pengoddess]

Feeling a little historical today ;-)

 

Blue-Black ink was originally invented and formulated to write blue and then turn black on the paper as it oxidized.

 

So what ya'll are really making is very dark blue ink since that's what you get when mixing blue and black. I find it interesting that blue-black is still made today, even though it's really just dark blue (sometimes with grey or green tones), I'll guess that it was such a popular color and firmly a part of ink history, that none of the old ink makers like Parker, Waterman, Sheaffer dare to take this color off the market or to rename it dark blue! Whadya think?

 

Sam

[tonysameh]

Can I get blue-black from mixng blue and black?

If yes,

what is the percentage.

 

I have blue (Parker and Pelikan) and black (Parker and Pelikan).

 

Thanks

Generally, somewhere in the range of 1 part in 10 to 1 part in 20 of black to blue will get you what you want.

Start with 1 part of Black, eg PQ Black, add 10 parts of Blue, eg PQ Blue. If that is too dark, add more Blue till you get the shade you want.

 

Thanks so much..

I actually didn't wait to get replies and mixed blue and black but i put too much black (may be 20%)

The color was bluish black...

It appears that I need a lot more blue...

 

You might have to write this one off! It has to be easier to add a little more black to blue than try to dilute this blue/ black mixture with another 100mls of blue,say.If that doesn't work you may end up with half a litre of ink that you may not use!

 

No No I didn't mix a whole bottle... I'm talking about a single cartridge, using a syringe

[Goodwhiskers]

Feeling a little historical today ;-)

 

Blue-Black ink was originally invented and formulated to write blue and then turn black on the paper as it oxidized.

 

So what ya'll are really making is very dark blue ink since that's what you get when mixing blue and black. I find it interesting that blue-black is still made today, even though it's really just dark blue (sometimes with grey or green tones), I'll guess that it was such a popular color and firmly a part of ink history, that none of the old ink makers like Parker, Waterman, Sheaffer dare to take this color off the market or to rename it dark blue! Whadya think?

 

Sam

Sounds plausible to me. Every once in a while someone asks here about whether this brand's or that brand's blue-black ink has iron gall (the oxidizing substance in the pre-fountain-pen blue-black inks), and the answers always come back, "Only these certain brands' blue-black inks contain iron gall while still being safe for fountain pens under proper maintenance."

[nickyd]

Can I get blue-black from mixng blue and black?

If yes,

what is the percentage.

 

I have blue (Parker and Pelikan) and black (Parker and Pelikan).

 

Thanks

Generally, somewhere in the range of 1 part in 10 to 1 part in 20 of black to blue will get you what you want.

Start with 1 part of Black, eg PQ Black, add 10 parts of Blue, eg PQ Blue. If that is too dark, add more Blue till you get the shade you want.

 

Thanks so much..

I actually didn't wait to get replies and mixed blue and black but i put too much black (may be 20%)

The color was bluish black...

It appears that I need a lot more blue...

 

You might have to write this one off! It has to be easier to add a little more black to blue than try to dilute this blue/ black mixture with another 100mls of blue,say.If that doesn't work you may end up with half a litre of ink that you may not use!

 

No No I didn't mix a whole bottle... I'm talking about a single cartridge, using a syringe

 

That's good. This brings back memories of school 'semi-micro quantative anaylsis'(Spell checker didn't like that) . My old chemistry master always reckoned that 'bucket chemistry' never worked anyway!.When it comes round to mixing inks,I totally agree.

N.

 

[Inka]

I think I've finally created a really nice blue-black blend

 

I'm still using my Polar ink blend of Polar Blue and Polar Black at this moment, will probably continue using it every day I like it that much.

I've found the perfect ratio [to my eyes at least] is exactly 7:1, or precisely 7 drops of Polar Blue and added just one drop of Polar Black.

I too did this in an old ink cartridge, just enough ink to wet the feed and nib after a full cleaning & drying of the nib-end components and cartridge first.

Then as usual, I did my harsh wash-testing of scalding HOT water running over the paper until the paper got saturated, then swabbed with 91% Isopropyl alcohol and 100% Clorox bleach.

This blend is 100% waterproof, not a drop washed out when hit with running hot water, still completely "bulletproof" as not even 100% pure undiluted bleach could take it out.

Now it's my daily-use ink, used in my daily-writer for journals, notes, signatures, you name it.

It's close to Aircorp Blue-Black in some ways but since it's a pure Polar blend it's slicker than all get-out and even my XF+ nib glides over the cheapest paper like oiled glass [no snaggers and no tooth felt].

 

You can see my written review of this blend on the "Ink Recipes" thread by going here .

[Ondina]

The best blue black I've ever seen was from chasing Waterman South Seas Blue with Havana Brown. I haven't a clue what the ratio would be as the SSB was just whatever was left in the feed before adding the full cartridge of HB.

 

I've tried this too and the results are very satisfactory, the blue-black is very nice.

[Inka]

Blue mixed with brown to get a blue-black?

Now that's very interesting, something I never thought to even try.

Now that I have a few brown inks I'm going to give this a shot as see what I can come up with.

[Pravda]

I don't know about mixing but what I like to do sometimes is use black ink in my pen then fill it with blue without flushing it, Montblancs, and I get a nice blue-black in result..

 

Actually, what works best for me is to use black ink and then use blue-black it will give me a darker and richer blue-black that comes originally in the bottle.

 

But then again, I live in a country where we don't get hundred choices of ink everywhere so this is why I have to mix and make do with what I have

 

 

[Inka]

...I live in a country where we don't get hundred choices of ink everywhere...

 

I guess it's not that surprising, that you can't find an ink variety nearby you, since where I live there are no real ink choices in the stores nearby.

Where I live there's basically just Cross, Montblanc, Scheaffer, Waterman cartridges only, plus only cartridges of blue or black.

Sometimes I can find the occasional Waterman Black bottled ink, usually hidden on a bottom shelf behind other inventory, that is if I look hard enough.

If I do manage to find bottled ink nearby, I usually need to get a price-check since there are often no price tags, the employees/managers say they didn't even know they had any in the store, the computers say it's not in the system, or if they do find a price it's only to find out it costs more than inks I can purchase online anyway and I pass on buying it after going through all that.

 

If not for the Internet and online vendors, I too would not have any real choice in ink colors, just the industry standard blue and black inks, normally in off-brand cartridges at that.

I live in a very small city that has one of the highest cost-of-living and the lowest number of places to find employment for hundreds of miles in any direction.

We have the typical Wal-Mart and office supply stores nearby but not one of them carries anything more than the basic cartridge inks in a blue or black only.

So even where I live, you can have any color ink you choose, just as long as you choose either blue or black, sometimes feeling like you need to buy a pen that the cartridges will even fit in.

I can't afford to buy pens that fit the cartridges but that would be nice if I could.

I can see it now, telling my wife "But I needed to buy a new pen, since they only had cartridges to fit this xxx brand... and I needed ink." I don't think my wife would buy that excuse.

 

Having a large variety available isn't all that great at times, as it can be somewhat mentally fatiguing and often very confusing too.

For example, getting one brand or color and not being quite sure if you're really happy with it, wondering if you should have gone with something made by another company or a different shade by the same maker and so on.

Knowing there are other manufacturers and shades out there that may be more pleasing to the eye, may work better in certain pens, just makes buying inks a crazy-making endeavor at times.

Whenever I get a new ink I tend to think to myself "what if"; meaning what if I'd gotten this or that brand or color, would I have liked it any better or would it have worked any better?

It's those "what if" moments that can be very frustrating, so for me it's best I be happy with what I have and try blending inks to make something different.

It's a lot cheaper to mix and blend a few inks than buying every brand and color out there to find one I like, especially since I cannot afford to keep buying and trying.

 

If I hadn't come across the FountainPenNetwork, being able to see and read our fellow-member reviews, thoughts and impressions, I'd have been stuck with the basic blues and blacks myself.

If not for Internet vendors that ship inks worldwide I'd be stuck using the basic blue and black inks too.

I buy all my inks from Internet stores, since there isn't a store within a reasonable distance of me where I have any other choices than blue or black cartridge inks, so I have an idea what you mean.

[ZeissIkon]

I'm still using my Polar ink blend of Polar Blue and Polar Black at this moment, will probably continue using it every day I like it that much.

I've found the perfect ratio [to my eyes at least] is exactly 7:1, or precisely 7 drops of Polar Blue and added just one drop of Polar Black.

 

After looking at your review, I'm clearly going to have to get a bottle each of Polar Blue and Polar Black next time I order some ink -- unless I find the PR Ebony Blue already on the way does the job for me, of course...

[CharlieB]

Blue mixed with brown to get a blue-black?

Now that's very interesting, something I never thought to even try.

Now that I have a few brown inks I'm going to give this a shot as see what I can come up with.

 

Yes, it is true. Blue + Brown = Blue Black. There are some posts from two years ago in which one of our members did some scans of the resulting color, which was a rich, vibrant Blue Black.

[Pravda]

...I live in a country where we don't get hundred choices of ink everywhere...

 

I guess it's not that surprising, that you can't find an ink variety nearby you, since where I live there are no real ink choices in the stores nearby.

Where I live there's basically just Cross, Montblanc, Scheaffer, Waterman cartridges only, plus only cartridges of blue or black.

Sometimes I can find the occasional Waterman Black bottled ink, usually hidden on a bottom shelf behind other inventory, that is if I look hard enough.

If I do manage to find bottled ink nearby, I usually need to get a price-check since there are often no price tags, the employees/managers say they didn't even know they had any in the store, the computers say it's not in the system, or if they do find a price it's only to find out it costs more than inks I can purchase online anyway and I pass on buying it after going through all that.

 

If not for the Internet and online vendors, I too would not have any real choice in ink colors, just the industry standard blue and black inks, normally in off-brand cartridges at that.

I live in a very small city that has one of the highest cost-of-living and the lowest number of places to find employment for hundreds of miles in any direction.

We have the typical Wal-Mart and office supply stores nearby but not one of them carries anything more than the basic cartridge inks in a blue or black only.

So even where I live, you can have any color ink you choose, just as long as you choose either blue or black, sometimes feeling like you need to buy a pen that the cartridges will even fit in.

I can't afford to buy pens that fit the cartridges but that would be nice if I could.

I can see it now, telling my wife "But I needed to buy a new pen, since they only had cartridges to fit this xxx brand... and I needed ink." I don't think my wife would buy that excuse.

 

Having a large variety available isn't all that great at times, as it can be somewhat mentally fatiguing and often very confusing too.

For example, getting one brand or color and not being quite sure if you're really happy with it, wondering if you should have gone with something made by another company or a different shade by the same maker and so on.

Knowing there are other manufacturers and shades out there that may be more pleasing to the eye, may work better in certain pens, just makes buying inks a crazy-making endeavor at times.

Whenever I get a new ink I tend to think to myself "what if"; meaning what if I'd gotten this or that brand or color, would I have liked it any better or would it have worked any better?

It's those "what if" moments that can be very frustrating, so for me it's best I be happy with what I have and try blending inks to make something different.

It's a lot cheaper to mix and blend a few inks than buying every brand and color out there to find one I like, especially since I cannot afford to keep buying and trying.

 

If I hadn't come across the FountainPenNetwork, being able to see and read our fellow-member reviews, thoughts and impressions, I'd have been stuck with the basic blues and blacks myself.

If not for Internet vendors that ship inks worldwide I'd be stuck using the basic blue and black inks too.

I buy all my inks from Internet stores, since there isn't a store within a reasonable distance of me where I have any other choices than blue or black cartridge inks, so I have an idea what you mean.

 

Over here all we've got is Montblanc Black, blue and the discontinued old stock red. Yup, thats it. And only Montblanc.

 

So when purchasing a few pens over the Internet, I have managed to get a few Noodler's bottles and Montblanc blue-black and bordeaux from here and there..

 

Problem with online purchases for us though is customs they make your life hard letting things go through and shipping is a nightmare, so I don't do it unless I really want it.

 

I have been doting over Montblanc violet and maybe another ink or so for months now, knowing that had I been in the US or Europe I could have walked in anywhere nearby and gotten it but for now I have to wait until I buy another pen or travel..