Inks With A "sheen"

[amberleadavis]

Thanks for showing these side by side. I didn't realise 24-48 hour evaporation would make such a significant difference.

 

WOW, the difference is remarkable.

[Nomad]

Pretty much any ink that is left to dry on a nonabsorbent surface such as glass or mylar and that can produce a translucent film will show "sheen." That's why you'll observe sheen on the underside of your nib feed, on the inside of ink bottle caps and the rims of ink bottle mouths. I believe the effect is due to thin film interference, to which we also owe the iridescence of soap bubbles.

This means the critical factor involved in producing sheen is not the type of ink but the substrate. Even blue-black Quink will produce a red sheen on the back of a plastic ruler but will be devoid of glow on ordinary writing paper.

I suspect the reason that ink left exposed in a dish produces more sheen is because evaporation has caused it to grow stickier and, therefore, less easily absorbed by the paper.

[Goudy]

Pretty much any ink that is left to dry on a nonabsorbent surface such as glass or mylar and that can produce a translucent film will show "sheen." That's why you'll observe sheen on the underside of your nib feed, on the inside of ink bottle caps and the rims of ink bottle mouths. I believe the effect is due to thin film interference, to which we also owe the iridescence of soap bubbles.

This means the critical factor involved in producing sheen is not the type of ink but the substrate. Even blue-black Quink will produce a red sheen on the back of a plastic ruler but will be devoid of glow on ordinary writing paper.

 

Interesting. I hadn't thought of trying the experiment on different types of paper. I was using Rhodia Ivory High Grade Vellum (90g/m²), which is coated to resist feathering. Maybe that coating is contributing to the thin film interference.

 

I suspect the reason that ink left exposed in a dish produces more sheen is because evaporation has caused it to grow stickier and, therefore, less easily absorbed by the paper.

 

After 72 hours evaporation, what's left of my Yama-budo puddle is now too viscous to flow in a fountain pen feed, or even work well on a dip nib. So there does seem to be a trade-off between sheen and usability. The optimum point for this particular ink seems to be about 2 days of evaporation, at which point the sheen is brightest and the ink still flows freely enough to be usable.

[mongrelnomad]

A few more with sheen (sorry, no onion paper here)...

 

Ishida Bunga Hakodate Twilight (red sheen):

 

 

Sailor Oku-Yama (gold sheen):

 

[Uncial]

I don't know if my Yama Budo has evaporated any (never left it with the cap off), but its always sheened like crazy for me. It's most noticeable on Tomoe. If I even tilt the page slightly it appears as a solid gold sheening line. I do use it in very, very wet nibs though and have noticed that it is a very different ink in a dry nib.

[A144]

Found some vellum! All pictures taken in direct sunlight.

 

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc203/BigBassin/sailor_cigar_sheen_zpsydt5987q.jpg

 

That Yama-budo has been in my TWSBI Micarta for about a month. The purple-silver sheen on Moss Green is very cool, but I can't get it to sheen at all on Rhodia. I really need to order some Tomoe River.

 

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc203/BigBassin/GvFC_Yama_budo_sheen_zpsdihcvjry.jpg

Edited May 2, 2015 by A144

[Cyber6]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!.... ... I have never seen that sheen in Cigar!!!!.... OH LORD..... Vellum where are you??

 

 

Found some vellum! All pictures taken in direct sunlight.

 

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc203/BigBassin/sailor_cigar_sheen_zpsydt5987q.jpg

 

[A144]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!.... ... I have never seen that sheen in Cigar!!!!.... OH LORD..... Vellum where are you??

 

 

:D

[HalloweenHJB]

Yes, Virginia, there is copper sheen with Cigar!! Just discovered it this morning --before I had seen the last few posts. Even the scanner picks it up!

 

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2015-Pens/20150418_192119.jpghttp://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2015-Pens/20150418_191906.jpg

[HalloweenHJB]

Time for another installment of... "SHEEN MONSTERS!"

 

The scanner can only pick up on a bit of the craaaaazy sheen of these inks, but you know it's there!

 

[lgsoltek]

I'm in love with these monsters already. Maybe you could take a photo of them to show the sheen more clearly?

[HalloweenHJB]

My phone is not the greatest, but I'll give it a try...

[Tessy Moon]

I can never seem to get Yama Budo to sheen that great for me....even in an Ahab on Tomoe River....how do you get that gorgeous sheen???

[HalloweenHJB]

Have a seat. This may be too shocking for a standing person...

 

[HalloweenHJB]

 

 

[HalloweenHJB]

 

 

[HalloweenHJB]

 

[Tessy Moon]

Too much glorious gorgeousness!!!!! LOVE all that sheen!!!!

[HalloweenHJB]

I can never seem to get Yama Budo to sheen that great for me....even in an Ahab on Tomoe River....how do you get that gorgeous sheen???

 

My best guess is that you might want to try a broader nib —EF and F nibs can't deliver enough ink to allow sheen, so give a medium nib on Tomoe River paper a try!

Edited May 4, 2015 by HalloweenHJB