De Atramentis Document Ink Dark Blue

[Morbus Curiositas]

Lovely Liquids De Atramentis Dokumenttine Dark Blue /DA Document ink Dark Blue

 

Dear FPN friends,

 

Here is another review of a De Atramentis Document Ink.

 

The Document Inks are available in the following colours.

· Blue

· Dark Blue

· Black

· Magenta

· Turquoise

· Green is being developed now.

 

 

This time it is the De Atramentis Dark Blue, which is a Blue Black ink.

I have already reviewed the Blue document ink the link can be found here.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/263866-de-atramentis-document-ink/

 

The De Atramentis Document Dark Blue has a lovely dark blue greyish colour. It isan excellent writer which dries quicker than a camels bottom during a dessert stroll.

 

 

 

 

It is a Permanent Ink and ultra-proof against Bomb Raids.

 

Because I am a lazy (bleep) I copied some of the text from my previous review DA Document ink Blue down here in blue italic

 

This ink is mentioned for doctors, lawyers etc. and for all who need a permanent ink for official Documents

 

To be qualified as a document ink the ink has to meet certain standards. The standard in Europe is ISO 12757-2. This means that the ink has to be lightfast and may not be influenced by any outer influences.

 

To show you the resilience of the inks I have poured several aggressive Fluids over it and…

Nothing happened. It is like if the ink was carved in stone…. Amazing…

 

It is not only bulletproof but also bombproof … I believe the ink even survives a nuclear accident or bomb attack (sorry for not testing that )

 

The ink is extremely lightfast. This is tested and certified with the Woll-Skala, wool scale in English.

This may sound peculiar, but isn’t that strange on second glance. In history quite often the same pigments used for Dyeing wool where used for inks as well.

 

The Woll-Skala reaches from 1 not lightfast over 5 extremely lightfast to 8 extreme lightfast. The ink “of course” is WS 8.

There are other resilient inks like inks based on iron gall or soot. The problem is that iron gall inks are very aggressive to both paper and nib. (the paper of old Dutch documents from the golden age are often eaten away partially by the ink) Both iron gall and soot inks may also clog the feed of your fountain pen.

 

The De Atramentis inks are, as far as I understand, made with nano-particles. According to the noble Fountain Pen King Sire Richard of Binderheart. Nano-particle inks can be safely used in Fountain pens.

I always have one Fountain Pen filled with the ink for work and flush it once every 2 months… No problem at all

 

There are a few differences in the testing method though.

 

I have also attacked the written text with other inks, the Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Green and purple. Well you guessed it nothing happened.

 

I also used a drop of another whisky. First of all not to shock MIGO 984 as Talisker is her favourite malt whisky. Second but equally important is that I used Connamara Irish Malt whisky to please GMAX who is from beautiful Eire (Ireland)

 

 

Conclusion: it can handle Connemara Whisky as good as I do (probably better)

 

 

 

Down here are some of the technical specs (as suggested by Ann Finley 2007)

(not copied in but for this ink)

 

points 1-5 1 = 5=

 

Fountain Pens: Online best writer 0.8 italic nib: Lamy Joy 1,5 Italic

Paper: Leonardo Ringbuch,average quality school note book made in Austria

Drying time: Ultrafast points 5

Flow: Like a dam break points: 5

Lubrication: smooth in both pens points: 5

Bleeding: stronger in broader nibs points: 3

Feathering: none points 5

Shading: none points: 0

Waterproof: no need to mention here points:5

Package: Only in bottles,Wide opening for easy filling up points: 3-4 (bottle is quite nice but the not very special, although the label is beautiful)

Availabilty: In Europe Good, D-A webshop www.tinten-online.de, Amazon, La Couronne Du Comte (NL),

USA Amazon, DA Webshop www.de-atramentis.com maybe Brian Goulet www.gouletpens.com points: EU 4 USA???

Quality: Hand Made in Germany points: 5

 

Down here are the technical specs (taken from the German website)

 

dokumenten-Tinte DUNKELBLAU. Sie ist für alle Füllfederhalter geeignet. (suitable for all FP’s)

 

Technische Daten der Tinte:

- Lichtechtheit: 8 (Light fastness)

- ph-Wert: 7,5 (PH value)

- Oberflächenspannung: 60 mN/m (surface tension)

- Viskosität: 1,2 mPas (viscosity)

- Feuchtigkeitsbeständigkeit: ja/yes (moist-/waterproof)

- Temperaturbeständigkeit: ja/yes (heat proof)

- Farbe: Dunkelblau (Colour Dark Blue)

- Inhalt: 35 ml (bottle contents)

- Die Dokumententinte entspricht der ISO 127757-2. (complies with ISO-12757-2 document standard)

 

Caution this is a Permanent ink. Do regularly clean your Fountain Pen. I have written an article on Permanent ink in Fountain Pens down here is the link

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266035-on-permanent-ink-permanency-and-safety/ .

 

Please take notice and you will have years of fun from both your Fountain Pens and your inks

 

Cleaning is easy though. Down her ist he converter I used in this review. I only flushed it with a minimum of water 2 or 3 times (filled it up and emptied it)

 

Well that’s easy isn’t it?

 

The “First“ Issue.

 

In 2007 he was the first to bring a Fountain Pen save Document ink, based on nano technology, on the market

 

Dr Janssen is a talented and very friendly Ink enthusiast. He did not only did intensive research on Ink history and ancient ink recipes. He also does a lot of research before bringing an De Atramentis ink to the market with the ISO 12757-2 standard. In 2007 he was the first to bring a Fountain Pen save Document ink on the market.

It used nano technology were the pigments are grinded in microscopic little particles. That’s what I guess, a gret Cook does not give away his recipes why should Dr Jansen do so .

 

Montblanc had a permanent ink on the market those days which was made with Iron Gall as far as I know. Iron Gall is the Mass Murderer of Fountain Pens. Please read the article on permanent inks.

 

As with any product of excellence competition is keen on copying or bringing there own version. I.e. Apple vs Samsung.

 

I do not want to suggest anything here explicitly. But De Atramentis brought their nano technology ink to the market in 2007. Montblanc also from Germany did it in 2010. I guess it takes less effort if an example is there ..

 

Don’t get me wrong here I don’t like ink bashing at all. Montblanc is a nice company which makes excellent Fountain pens. The text above is how I see it. But you are free to make your own opinion of course. Well and I must say that the bottles for their permanent inks are of sheer beauty.

 

But personally I prefer originals…

 

Back to the De Atramentis inks.

 

I already mentioned it writes superbly. It is definitely permanent. There is a disadvantage to normal inks though.

 

The bleed through gets quite strong, when you use broader nibs on thin paper. This is not a failure but it is meant to do so. The ink has to drench the paper I order to prevent forgery. This way the texts cannot be manipulated without leaving traces.

 

There is a simple way to counter this. Use heavier paper >= 100 grams. On thinner paper use a fine nib and the bleed through is minimized and very acceptable.

 

In the review of DA Document Blue severeal question raised about the availability in the USA. One member thought that some of the contents are forbidden in the USA.Another member could not find them in the USA and was worried about the shipping coasts from Europe.

 

Two questions two answer. The ink contents are not forbidden in the USA. Dr Jansen exported a lot of Document inks to the USA. Dr Jansen also told me that Goulet is a very nice client of his. He suggested to give Goulet notice so that they can order them for you along with their other DA orders. This way you save on shipping

 

 

I love this ink for several reasons as I do love the other DA document inks. It is safe for fountain pens it performs very well. It dries extremely fast… Hint.... left hand writers.

 

One disadvantage: It does’nt shade.

 

But I love the colour

 

Hope you enjoyed the review and that it was usuable for you.If you have any questions or remarks please post

 

I will test the DA Document inks Magenta and Turqouise inks soon. I can’t wait for the green version. But I will review that as soon as it is on the market.

 

Kindest Regards

 

Peter Vlutters

 

 

 

 

 

dokumenten-Tinte DUNKELBLAU. Sie ist für alle Füllfederhalter geeignet. (suitable for all FP’s)

 

Technische Daten der Tinte:

- Lichtechtheit: 8 (Light fastness)

- ph-Wert: 7,5 (PH value)

- Oberflächenspannung: 60 mN/m (surface tension)

- Viskosität: 1,2 mPas (viscosity)

- Feuchtigkeitsbeständigkeit: ja/yes (moist-/waterproof)

- Temperaturbeständigkeit: ja/yes (heat proof)

- Farbe: Dunkelblau (Colour Dark Blue)

- Inhalt: 35 ml (bottle contents)

- Die Dokumententinte entspricht der ISO 127757-2. (complies with ISO-12757-2 document standard)

 

[erpe]

Nice, it's on the list

[Morbus Curiositas]

Your're welcome.

 

The other DA Document inks I wil review soon.

 

Nice profle photo

 

 

Peter

[fiberdrunk]

Thanks for the great review! I didn't know that the Document inks were available in more colors now.

[Morbus Curiositas]

I have posted a Review of De Atramentis Document Ink BLUE last month and a review of DA Document Ink DARK blue Today

I have tortured those inks beyond all forbidden actions mentioned by the Geneva Convention with very aggressive fluids (undiluted).

I today read Big Eddies very interesting Review on the nice Montblanc Midnight blue Ink. I then read the reply of Lapis on waterproofness. He Asked if he Eddie could test the Montblanc ink in a water batth

That made me think. Oops I haven't tested that. So today I took Lady Atramentis for a swim a swim

This is Lady Atramentis before getting Wet oops that colloqiol... Er This is Lady Atramentis before swimming

But I have already tortured her with the undilluted fluids mentioned.

Oh yeah and it was in polluted toxic water she swam in. I added some toiletcleaner and espresso machine cleaner

HELP HELP me I can't swim... Call Baywatch.....

HELP HELP me I am drowning,call an ambulance

This is Lady Atramentis after her diving Experience with Jacques Cousteau to discover the beautiful coral reefs in my kitchen sink...

C'est domage. Monsieur Cousteau est mort But Lady Atramentis survived

If you are interested in the review of the Da Document Blue check the link

De Atramentis Document ink Blue

http://www.fountainp...s-document-ink/

So hope I have been complete now. I will put away my scuba gear

Regards

Peter

[Bookman]

Thanks for your review. It is curious and frustrating that, looking through all the reviews and all the photos of handwriting with this ink, there is no consistency in the color so that I can definitely say I have a vague idea of what this ink looks like on paper. Your photos make me want to run out and buy this ink right now. My favorite ink color is dark blue shading slightly toward purple, and that is what I'm seeing in your photos on my monitor. Don't tease me, bro. Is that a fair description of the color: dark blue shading toward purple?

 

Edit: In hindsight, I see that I had looked at the photos and reviews for Document Blue and not Dark Blue. I apologize for the error. But my question remains the same.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Bookman

[Morbus Curiositas]

Hi Bookman

 

You are naming a major problem their. That's the problem with digitla photography. I own a canon 350 slr.

 

There is alway a problem in showing true colours. Theer are 2 Problems here. One s that every camera functions differently. In the old days this was a lesser problem. Films differed by Brand i.e. Fuji and Kodak. But the cameras differt less... Just 'simple'optics.

 

Then there is the monitor. Every monitor functions differently too. They need to be calibrized regularly. and to be complete when you print photo's the result differs from studio to studio.

 

On topic

 

I will put a topic in where I ask for advise on this matter.

 

The Blue is bleuish with just a minimal touch of purple.... It looks a lot better in the real though, as with most of my inks. The dark blue is Blackblue a bit greyish but i love the colour.

 

I will make you swaps of both inks

I will make a photos with my canon them . Will put the setting to normal and print a photo to compare with the written text. If it is okay, more or less I willpost it for you

 

Regards Peter

[Bookman]

Hi Bookman

 

You are naming a major problem their. That's the problem with digitla photography. I own a canon 350 slr.

 

There is alway a problem in showing true colours. Theer are 2 Problems here. One s that every camera functions differently. In the old days this was a lesser problem. Films differed by Brand i.e. Fuji and Kodak. But the cameras differt less... Just 'simple'optics.

 

Then there is the monitor. Every monitor functions differently too. They need to be calibrized regularly. and to be complete when you print photo's the result differs from studio to studio.

 

On topic

 

I will put a topic in where I ask for advise on this matter.

 

The Blue is bleuish with just a minimal touch of purple.... It looks a lot better in the real though, as with most of my inks. The dark blue is Blackblue a bit greyish but i love the colour.

 

I will make you swaps of both inks

I will make a photos with my canon them . Will put the setting to normal and print a photo to compare with the written text. If it is okay, more or less I willpost it for you

 

Regards Peter

 

I look forward to seeing these. And thanks.

[Morbus Curiositas]

I look forward to seeing these. And thanks.

Very cool....

 

I love the smell of fountain pen ink in the morning :-):-):-)

 

A pen clip now :-)

[Silvire]

This is a fantastic review.

 

THANK YOU for this.

[Morbus Curiositas]

 

I look forward to seeing these.  And thanks.

 

Hi bookman just a test now. It is the first time I use HTML enabled. There is some funny text now in my text box.I have made the photos i promised..will post them next

[Morbus Curiositas]

Hi bookman just a test now. It is the first time I use HTML enabled. There is some funny text now in my text box. I have made the photos i promised.. will post them next

 

 

COOOOOOLLLLLL I don't know what I did but it worked.

 

It even threw in my "Photobugger" pictures cool! Since I can't attach images anymore for some reason...

 

But on the Ink...

 

I undertook the following steps

 

• I took the photos with my SLR in RAW
• I developed the RAW. I ajusted the white balance with the eyedropper clicking on a white part of the paper. This way I corrected the colours as neutrally as possible.
• I then ajusted the brightness and contrast with the Levels-function in Photoshop

 

I guess I got the best result possible. I am just a hobby photographer not a profesional. There is of course the problem with monitors. I calibrized mine as good as possible using the calibrize software. This is not the best way but I currently don't own a Spyder calibrating machine to do so...

 

 

Well....

 

The Dark blue has a sot of greyish blackness to it I just love it.

 

The De Atramentis Document ink bleu is more blue ish of course.

It is not a vribrant blue like Parker Quink or Waterman Blue.

It is more like J. Herbin's Bleu Nuit, which isn't a bad thing to my taste...

May be it is more blue because it contains a bit more purple pigments. (No guarantee )

 

The best thing is that it is absolutely Bombraid-Weltuntergang-Armageddonproof

 

I spoke with Dr Jansen of De Atramentis on the telephone the day before yesterday. He is always open for good ideas. Maybe he joins FPN too.

 

I suggested that he could maybe make an offer like " If you order an X-number of inks you get one for free.. To compensate for shipping" He quite liked the idea and is now considering it.

 

But as I mentioned in my review you could always ask MR Goutlet or his colleague MR Vaughn to order a load for the USA.

 

Another great idea by Dr Jansen I like very much:

He makes wine inks. You can actually send him a bottle of your favourite Californian Zinfandel and he would make Ink out of it. He also makes a copy of the wine label to fit on the ink bottle

 

His idea was a contest. A friend of his has a wine estate in Germany his wifes designes all the labels and pictures for their brochures, using De Atramentis wine inks.

 

Dr Jansen has sort of an Idea like:

 

Send him a NICE picture made with De Atramentis ink and he will send you a bottle of ink. Nice or what?

 

Just to give you an Idea, Dr Jansen is open for a lot of things.... So there must be a way to make a nice offer, if your are interested in De Atramentis inks.

I will be in touch with him soon..

 

Hope this was helfpful to you. If you have any questions please post them and I will see what I can do to answer them as good as possible (Sorry I am not in the ink business but I will give it my best)

 

Warmest regards from Tyrol Austria,

 

Peter

[gmax]

Wow, thanks for this very thorough review! I need to stock up on the blue inks and some extra whiskey supplies

[Morbus Curiositas]

Wow, thanks for this very thorough review! I need to stock up on the blue inks and some extra whiskey supplies

Very cool...

 

Some off topic advice...

 

Try Talisker and the Benriarch, if it may be scottish too. And a good old Guinnes for thirst....

 

I will try to fill one of my Fountain Pens with a drop of Guinnes and see how it writes ;-)

 

And if not I just enjoy it reading FPN

 

Slainte

 

Peter

[Morbus Curiositas]

Nice, it's on the list

Cool it is on the list.

 

Is that the Index list of ink reviews, your personal list or Both....

 

I love your profile picture what is it

[Morbus Curiositas]

Thanks for the great review! I didn't know that the Document inks were available in more colors now.

Well if you are interested... I am goig to test them all.

 

I try to improve my reviewing skills. By making photos of them and neutralize the white balance.

 

I described this process in a reply from Bookman to this topic.

 

This way I try to picture the colour in the mst identic way...

 

Regards Peter

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for such an extensive review of this ink!

 

I really like the hue, and the performance profile is very good indeed.

 

As I appreciate shading in an ink, and sometimes I've been able to conjure some shading by diluting an ink, I wonder if this ink can handle a bit of dilution with [distilled] water? It seems that no ink came adrift during the wet tests, so it might be the case that even if the paper is not saturated with ink, the ink should remain stable/bound to the paper, hence dilution shouldn't influence permanence. (?)

 

I strongly endorse your advice to ensure one's pen is thoroughly cleansed before and after using such inks; and never let them dry-out in a pen.

 

Bye,

S1

[Morbus Curiositas]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for such an extensive review of this ink!

 

I really like the hue, and the performance profile is very good indeed.

 

As I appreciate shading in an ink, and sometimes I've been able to conjure some shading by diluting an ink, I wonder if this ink can handle a bit of dilution with [distilled] water? It seems that no ink came adrift during the wet tests, so it might be the case that even if the paper is not saturated with ink, the ink should remain stable/bound to the paper, hence dilution shouldn't influence permanence. (?)

 

I strongly endorse your advice to ensure one's pen is thoroughly cleansed before and after using such inks; and never let them dry-out in a pen.

 

Hi Sandy,

 

I haven't tried it.... yet will do so and let you know by posting some lines asap.

 

For now I can tell you that I wrote on wet paper with the blue version.... it worked out perfectly well

 

Regards

 

Peter

 

Bye,

S1

[erpe]

Cool it is on the list.

 

Is that the Index list of ink reviews, your personal list or Both....

 

I love your profile picture what is it

 

It was on the shoping list that is now in the hands of my supplier. Might be in the house tomorrow or saturday. Unfortunately, the pen I ordered with it is not available at the moment so I have to wait a bit longer for that. There are other pens to try it with though ;-)

 

The profile pic is a 19th century photographer. It's my former profession but since almost everybody carries a camera these days, there is not much juice in it anymore. Still making black and white fine art for fun.

[Morbus Curiositas]

It was on the shoping list that is now in the hands of my supplier. Might be in the house tomorrow or saturday. Unfortunately, the pen I ordered with it is not available at the moment so I have to wait a bit longer for that. There are other pens to try it with though ;-)

 

The profile pic is a 19th century photographer. It's my former profession but since almost everybody carries a camera these days, there is not much juice in it anymore. Still making black and white fine art for fun.

Thank you...

 

Cool i would like to see some of that Art.

 

Dr jansen wrote me an E-mail today......

 

He has a gallerie with Asien art.... Drawings etc.... he thought it might be a good idea to publish some of the art here.

 

The artist can sell his works there.

 

 

He had the idea of a contest with ink arts.... The winner can win a fountain pen with De Atramentis inks....

It is just an idea of him now... It is still work in progress...

 

But I have seen some beautiful works made with fountain pen ink both on FPN and the internet...

 

I will let you know if I here some more.....

 

 

But i would really love to see some of your art..... Is it on the internt somewhere?

 

 

 

Regards

Peter