Ink Dilution Recipes

[fungm]

The bath and tile cleaner is a mild detergent and hence a surfacant. Worked OK and wrote consederably smoother.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

The bath and tile cleaner is a mild detergent and hence a surfacant.

Wow, that's different from what I see sold as such. The products I see sold as that are pretty heavy duty. Guess we have the same name for different bottles of goop.

 

Worked OK and wrote consederably smoother.

Okay, a little bit of detergent will do that. Glad it worked out .

[dcwaites]

The Noodler's Baystate Blue , did not write well with my Lamy Safari with an M nib. Skipping , drying and just being a general pain.

 

Dilution / mix as follows:

 

0.2ml Tile and bath cleaner

1.0ml Tap water (Melbourne)

1.8ml BSB

Tile and bath cleaner ?

 

Isn't that pretty drastic stuff to put in a fountain pen? I'd think it'd do unkind things to the ink, too.

 

Yeah, but he's using Melbourne water. He needs all the help he can get...

 

 

 

 

(from a Sydney sider...)

[Ink Stained Wretch]

So I got rambunctious yesterday, maybe because I ate too much, and I tried a new dilution ink mixture.

 

I did a 1:1 = Noodler's Black : distilled water mixture. And it pretty much works. Next to pure, undiluted Noodler's Black it's not as intense a black, but it's still black, not gray, and it looks like it would definitely photocopy and scan well enough to make good digital records of whatever I'm scribbling.

 

Of course this really stretches the Noodler's Black nicely. The dilution doesn't cut the cost of the ink in half, but the distilled water is inexpensive enough that it almost does. I plan to experiment with this dilute mixture at some point at meetings and see if that works out. If it does I may just use this mixture a lot.

[ajcoleman]

The notebook I am using at work now has thinner paper than some I have used in the past, and the see-through with black ink was bad enough it was hard to use both sides of a page. I am currently using diluted Noodlers Dark Matter. I am currently using it a bit less than 1:1 water to ink. It is a nice neutral black that dilutes well. So far it is working well, and is black enough I could probably dilute it further if necessary. I may end up going to a lighter color ink, but we will try this for now.

[james0tucson]

Hello,

 

Please post your experience with diluting inks. Any brand of ink and any color. Please include the recipe/ratio of ink and distilled water (or whatever). Why you diluted that particular ink: to increase dry time, to increase flow, etc. Also, what are the climate conditions you live in/encounter when writing, we all know humidity can effect things hugely. Any other pertinent info is encouraged, usual pen, paper, nib, etc.

 

Hopefully this thread can be a resource like the ink recipe thread that people can refer to. Please try to be as thorough, clear, and accurate as possible. Thanks!

 

 

I fill my workaday pen with Noodler's Forest Green. If I am at my office when it starts to run low, I will top it off with black Quink. I adore the range of greenish black that results from this.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I don't like saturated, thick ink. I was having loads of trouble with Noodler's and PR (in spite of the fact that I loved the colors) and I even gave away a nearly-full bottle of Noodler's Nav. Turq. (only to buy it again when---)

 

Then I learned you COULD dilute ink with water. I've diluted Noodler's inks up to 50% with regular tap water, and it works. No more smearing, no more clogging.

 

I've used as little as one-third water, with good results, on inks like the new G. I. Green.

 

I don't dilute in the bottle, however. I fill a cart or a small shot glass with the ink/water mix and load from that.

 

Since I don't mind a thin, watercolor-y ink, I might dilute even more, just for fun.

[BiggieD]

Quick question, why distilled water instead of tap water? I always clean my pens with regular tap water -- if tap water is fine for cleaning, shouldn't it be fine for writing?

 

That said, I've never diluted any inks, though this thread has me thinking about trying it with PR Ebony purple!

[mana]

Quick question, why distilled water instead of tap water? I always clean my pens with regular tap water -- if tap water is fine for cleaning, shouldn't it be fine for writing?

Tap water is usually fine for cleaning as it is used to just dilute and flush away residue ink.

 

It however contains a varying amount of chemicals (usually chlorine), metals (copper and iron being more common) and minerals that affect among other things how soft or hard he water is. Also, it's pH value can vary a lot. All of those + other factors (microbiological) can produce a negative result when used to dilute ink, especially in the long term (if the ink is not used right away).

 

So it is safer to use distilled water, the results do not vary from batch to batch and it is safer to make bigger batches of a desired hue/saturation/dilution because of this. Consistent, predictable results and the (relative) longevity of the solution.

[Scrawler]

My Navajo Turquoise was darker than I expected so I now add 25% water to it to get the beautiful aqua color I was expecting. Also it seems to flow better diluted like that.

[BiggieD]

Tap water is usually fine for cleaning as it is used to just dilute and flush away residue ink.

 

It however contains a varying amount of chemicals (usually chlorine), metals (copper and iron being more common) and minerals that affect among other things how soft or hard he water is. Also, it's pH value can vary a lot. All of those + other factors (microbiological) can produce a negative result when used to dilute ink, especially in the long term (if the ink is not used right away).

 

So it is safer to use distilled water, the results do not vary from batch to batch and it is safer to make bigger batches of a desired hue/saturation/dilution because of this. Consistent, predictable results and the (relative) longevity of the solution.

 

Thanks Mana - that makes sense!

[pharmacist]

I suggest you to use this solution to dilute the ink:

 

glycerol 25 ml

isopropanol 5 ml

salicylic acid 1 gram (or you can use 5 ml of "Solution parabeni cocentrata", which is 8% methylparaben + 2% propylparaben dissolved in propylene glycol)

distilled water up to 500 ml

 

This solution is preserved by the salicylic acid and the glycerol/isopropanol modifies the surface tension so the diluted ink will flow similar to the concentrated ink.

[amyx231]

are there any inks that sell dry or concentrated? or do all inks essentially sell concentrated, if you guys are diluting them?

[Truppi327]

are there any inks that sell dry or concentrated? or do all inks essentially sell concentrated, if you guys are diluting them?

 

There are some vitage dry ink pellets and stuff that can be diluted in water to make your own ink. I don't know too much about them or if there is a modern equivalent.

 

Pretty much all modern inks are sold in their liquid state but some have a higher dye content than others and are sometimes helped with a little water dilution. It also can change the color, shading, flow, etc. of the ink and may suit different pens/ papers better.

[amyx231]

so no one sells ink that is more concentrated, to save of shipping? flakes would be wonderful, you add water, and only use what you need. bulk discount, anyone?

[Dr Cardinal]

I will try the 2:1 dilution with my Whaleman's Sepia. I love the color and the idea behind the ink, but it just seemed too "thick" and would dry easily, skip a lot, and not start after a few minutes of rest with what normally is a well-behaved pen (Pelikan 400 White Tortoise...great pen and ink combo that I was hoping for). I'll post my results.

[Scrawler]

so no one sells ink that is more concentrated, to save of shipping? flakes would be wonderful, you add water, and only use what you need. bulk discount, anyone?

No thanks. When I was good at school, I was the "Ink Monitor". I mixed the ink in a jug from powder and dispensed it to the little ceramic inkwells, sunk into each desk. Now I love my bottles of coloured fluid, and probably would not buy powdered ink, or pellets ever again. Fortunately for my mother, the inks I mixed as a kid were washable, because I always got some blue/black on me. The only reason I want to dilute inks is to change their character a little. When an ink is very concentrated in fluid form, it sometimes lacks shading. Some inks also leave deposits, so it is nice to be able to play with the concentration a bit.

[Scrawler]

are there any inks that sell dry or concentrated? or do all inks essentially sell concentrated, if you guys are diluting them?

 

There are some vitage dry ink pellets and stuff that can be diluted in water to make your own ink. I don't know too much about them or if there is a modern equivalent.

 

Pretty much all modern inks are sold in their liquid state but some have a higher dye content than others and are sometimes helped with a little water dilution. It also can change the color, shading, flow, etc. of the ink and may suit different pens/ papers better.

US Civil War Period accurate ink pellets to make dip pen ink are readily available on eBay.

[amyx231]

there seems to be only 1 seller. did anyone use it? is it any good?

I have chinese brush ink at home, but i think that's pigment.

[dpierrea]

First-time poster here. I'm not sure if that counts as dilution but I'll post anyway.

 

Background: I got a Jinhao X450 (medium nib) that wrote too thin & dry with Parker Quink Black and had starting & skipping & drying issues with with Pelikan Fount India (black).

 

The first mix that sort of worked was 1 vol. Parker Quink Black + 1 vol. Pekikan Fount India. It was still somewhat unreliable, so I added a minuscule amount of diswashing liquid (equivalent to 1 cubic millimeter perhaps) to the converter and shook well. The result is almost perfect. I would consider reducing the amount of dishwashing liquid since the line is a little thicker than I would like.

 

I used the same mix in my Pilot/Namiki Knight (medium nib) with great results.

 

I'll try the Inksafe additive at some point. I know a previous thread addressed the soap vs. Inksafe issue.

 

Cheers,

D

 

 

Hello,

 

Please post your experience with diluting inks. Any brand of ink and any color. Please include the recipe/ratio of ink and distilled water (or whatever). Why you diluted that particular ink: to increase dry time, to increase flow, etc. Also, what are the climate conditions you live in/encounter when writing, we all know humidity can effect things hugely. Any other pertinent info is encouraged, usual pen, paper, nib, etc.

 

Hopefully this thread can be a resource like the ink recipe thread that people can refer to. Please try to be as thorough, clear, and accurate as possible. Thanks!

Edited February 14, 2011 by dpierrea