September 2012 Uv Test

[mrcharlie]

I started a UV Fade test on September 22, 2012 from a west facing window in Maryland, US. It gets some direct sunlight on sunny days, but not as many minute per day as you might want for such a test. I've scanned the test after 1 month, and then put it back up in the window.

 

The inks I am testing are:

• Stipula Calamo D.C. Supershow Gray
  
• P.W. Akkerman #6 Binnenhof Blues
  
• Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue
  
• Textron era Sheaffer Skrip Permanent Jet Black
  
• Organics Studio OrganINK Manganate V
  
• Montblanc Black
  
• Pilot Namiki Black
  
• P.W. #27 Akkerman Bezuidenwoudgroen
  
• Pilot G-2 Black 0.7 mm (Fine)
  
• Sharpie Permanent Marker Black Fine (the ubiquitous standard Sharpie)
  
• Pentel RSVP BKL7 (fine black ballpoint)
  

 

Here is the initial scan of the test paper, cut down the middle, prior to any window exposure.

http://imageshack.us/a/img3/1245/20120922initialscan600x.jpg

 

Here is the scan after approximately 1 month of exposure, scanned on the afternoon of October 25, 2012.

http://imageshack.us/a/img29/7075/20120922onemonth600x776.jpg

 

I note that both blue were largely gone in the first week

Edited October 25, 2012 by mrcharlie

[mrcharlie]

Obviously I did not manage to work the scanner the same way both times. I'm not sure what I did differently.

 

edit: figured out why the scan was wrong and re-did it.

Edited October 25, 2012 by mrcharlie

[amberleadavis]

Great job!!!

 

I'm surprised the one Akkerman ink has held out as long as it has.

[mrcharlie]

The Textron era Skrip Jet Black seems to have changed less than the current production from Slovenia ink in my previous 1 month test, but I think that is largely an indicator how much less sun I'm getting this past month in my current test window vs the better window in a better time of year for the previous test.

 

The Akkerman Green is clearly getting punished by the UV; give it some time.

 

I have the full size 600 dpi scans available now; click on the thumbnails below.

 

Initial scan: http://imageshack.us/a/img713/1245/20120922initialscan600x.th.jpg One month scan: http://imageshack.us/a/img29/7075/20120922onemonth600x776.th.jpg

 

Also, I was really surprised how well the Pilot G2 Black ink did.

[amberleadavis]

That Organics studio is doing fairly well.

[mrt77]

I'm surprised the Pentel ballpoint pen lasted so well. I was under the impression most cheap ballpoint inks were very volatile.

[mrcharlie]

The Pentel BP is clearly fading though; give it some time. At least it doesn't get destroyed quickly.

[lapis]

Thanks. Great comparison. Really big differences. I think I should try out something like that myself... but... I'll have to wait another 6 months untill the sun comes out...

 

[amberleadavis]

Thanks. Great comparison. Really big differences. I think I should try out something like that myself... but... I'll have to wait another 6 months untill the sun comes out...

 

 

Come visit me in Las Vegas.... I'll let you hang out in the caboose.

[mrcharlie]

Here it is after 52 days in the Autumn Maryland window.

 

The Stipula Gray is showing fade effects; the Skrip Jet Black is turning brown; Montblanc Black is fading; Pilot Black has changed a bit but still looks very close to the same. Manganate V is still looking pretty good.

 

The surprise of the test to me is the Pilot G2 Black gel ball pen ink.

 

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5874/20120922to1113600x776.jpg

 

And you can click the thumbnail to get the full size scan, if you want it.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img341/5874/20120922to1113600x776.th.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Well, are you surprised? I think the Akkerman green is holding up nicely compared to my experiment. I am always surprised that ball point fades as quickly as it does.

[mrcharlie]

I'd swear I'd updated this item since November, but maybe not. I've been posting newer scans in the wrong item. Sigh. First the ones I missed here, and then the current scan.

 

This is what it looked like on December 7, 2012.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img824/4381/20120922to1207600x776.jpg

 

And this is what it looked like on February 5, 2013.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img822/233/20120922to20130205600x7.jpg

 

Here is the scan from 2013-03-13, a week or so short of a half year.

 

That Pilot G2 Gel ink is some good stuff. Their Black FP ink is not bad either. Skrip Jet Black fades, but is still readable. Good enough for casual leaving documents out on your desk for a while. Given enough time, I bet it won't be. Manganate V is still holding up pretty well. Binnenhof Blues is completely erased at this point.

 

Click on photo for full size scan, if desired.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img89/1562/20120922to20130313600w.jpg

Edited March 20, 2013 by mrcharlie

[amberleadavis]

Seems pretty consistent that blacks hold up better than other colors, but I'm surprised how quickly the Stipula gray faded.

[mrcharlie]

Here are the final two scans of this test, one from April and one from today. I'm not putting it back in the window.

 

The Textron ownership era Skrip Jet Black is still quite easily visible and readable, but hasn't been black for a long time. Pilot Black is starting to show fading, but still is pretty good and still is black/gray. Manganate V is finally starting to go; you can see a difference between the April and June scans. The large amount of Spring sun is even starting to hurt the Sharpie and the Pilot G2 ink.

Click on the images to see the full size scan, if you wish.

Here is what it looked like on April 21, 2013:

http://imageshack.us/a/img832/2369/miiv.jpg

And here is the final scan as it was on June 15, 2013.

http://imageshack.us/a/img208/6523/3zj5.jpg

[mrcharlie]

Seems pretty consistent that blacks hold up better than other colors, but I'm surprised how quickly the Stipula gray faded.

 

The Montblanc Black also faded badly. There are some other blacks in tests I started later that also didn't do well. Scribal Work Shop has three inks with excellent fade resistance so far, but their Black is not one of them. Waterman Black faded pretty fast, and the ink that comes with the Zebra V-301 fountain pen faded pretty quickly. The Zebra FP ink looks almost exactly the same amount of fade and color change as SWS Kraken, fwiw; I can only speculate they might be using the same dye ingredients.

Edited June 16, 2013 by mrcharlie

[amberleadavis]

Dang, and my experiments showed that on the whole black held up best.