Is There A Standard For Permanent/archival Fountain Pen Inks?

[max dog]

The Montblanc Permanent ink is marked as ISO 14145-2 certified, ie an archival ink standard. Are there other permanent/archival fountain pen inks on the market that claim adherence to a certain archival ink standard? Is this important in the legal world? Maybe some FPN members in the legal field could chime in.

 

According to the International Standards Organization, ISO 14145-2 is a 1998 standard for roller ball archival inks. See excerpt below.

This part of ISO 14145 is applicable to roller ball pens for documentary use. Part 1 of ISO 14145 is applicable to roller ball pens for general use.

For documentary use, some requirements, in addition to those for general use, are necessary

• a) to assure the legibility of lettering, and

• for the handling and storage of documents during long periods of time (these requirements are often discussed with the archivist).

An example of documentary use is the preparation of documents that are required as evidence.

Furthermore, pens which meet the requirements for documentary use produce lines which are more resistant to modification (e.g. attempts to falsify a document) than those for general use.

Edited November 13, 2015 by max dog

[Arctic_Wolf]

I don't know about an internationally recognized "standard", however if you're just looking for ink that you know won't be easily removed from cheques and personal documents, I'd check out some of the Noodler's bullet-proof inks (designed to withstand water, bleach, ammonia, and even resist lasers), D'Atrementis Docu ment inks are also supposed to be excellent permanent inks, but run a bit more expensive than Noodler's.

[Kataphract]

De Atramentis document and archival inks have met some standard in Germany, but I have no idea what is involved with that. However, they do list their inks on a scale I do understand. They are listed as 8 on the blue wool scale (bws). 8 is the best on that scale, 7 is considered archival by artists, 6 is kinda on the cusp, and anything under that shouldn't be used on a work of art intended to be displayed. Do note "archival" applies entirely independent from "waterproof" (and be aware that fountain pen ink manufacturers have an entirely different idea of what constitutes "proof" from what an artist demands out of that word).

[aeba]

There is also the Rohrer & Klinger dokumentus-series inks conforming to the ISO 12757-2.

[dcwaites]

As I understand it, there is no standard for fountain pen inks.

There is, as the OP mentioned, ISO 14145-2 for Roller Ball inks, and SO 12757-2 for Ballpoint inks.

Some FP ink makers get their ink certified to the first standard, and others to the second.

 

There are two types of hazard to be considered for inks - Solvents, including water, and fading with exposure to light, oxygen and time.

 

There are no 'official' definitions of the words - Permanent, Archival, Document

[AndyYNWA]

If I'm not mistaken, Lavenger inks also conform with the ISO standard.

[Sakura FP Gallery]

The R&K info says that their new Doumentus ink meets the resistance criteria of DIN ISO 12757-2 in these properties : erasure, ethanol, hydrochloric acid, ammonium hydroxide, bleaching, water and light. I suppose there is no doubt these inks are archival inks ?

[fplover01]

According to R&K their new inks should be appropriate for official documents and notaries. The ISO certification helps to show it to people who like to see an official document proving the ink does what it says especially in a business setting. Same with Montblanc inks. It also provides a unified standard ie that the ink comforms to properties specified by ISO, because the terms permanent, bulletproof and co. mean differnt things to different people.

 

I am good with the good old Pelikan Blue Black but I would consider an ISO certified ink if i had to sign official documents.

Edited November 14, 2015 by fplover01

[max dog]

It's good to see there are some brands that do adhere to some external standard/certification. As fountain pen resurgence continues, I think it will be important for the industry that the permanent/archival inks adhere to standards as do current ball point and rollerball inks.

[Noihvo]

Koh-I-Noor Document Inks adhere to the ISO 14145-2 standard:

 

[dcwaites]

Is that the Blue or the Black? I have the Blue, and that certification is not visible anywhere on the bottle. It is quite a robust ink once it has been allowed to dry and set, though.

[Noihvo]

[Sandy1]

Micro-rant.

 

Dear ladies, gentlemen, and those of tender years,

 

Quite frankly I am irked that FP users go along without an ISO Standard for FP inks, and conform to those of ballpoints, rollerballs and other implements to achieve ISO certification.

 

Why should there not be an ISO Standard for FP inks? Are the materials we work with beyond the scope of establishing ISO Standard/s?

 

^{And what about those who use time-tested media such as India Ink? Should they be switching to the ISO ballpoint standard?}

 

Make no mistake — the ink Co.s and individuals who have devoted considerable time, loot, effort, intellectual capital and have persevered in dealings with the ISO cabal, (that alone just might inspire me to support kendo in the boardroom), to acquire ISO certification are to be congratulated. Their achievements are no to be belittled.

 

I reckon that doing what it takes to achieve and keep ISO certification has advanced and lead to innovation in FP inks, for which I am grateful.

 

^{Yet I wonder that if, by having an ISO Standard for FP ink, things would not improve even more. (?)}

 

No one has asked me to use an ISO ink, though I if that happened, I'd reluctantly switch to something-or-other. Until then I'll use iron-gall and robust aniline dye inks, and devil the hindmost.

 

Realistically the low quantity or % of dedicated (fanatic) FP users might not make the effort worthwhile, so this is where I'll end. Whew!

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 22, 2015 by Sandy1

[dcwaites]

I agree. I haven't been able to acquire copies of the ISO Standards ISO 14145-2 and 12757-2, mainly because they are so expensive.

However, how difficult would it be to create a new standard from those, especially 14145-2 (Rollerball), that was suitable for FP inks?

[storyteller]

Micro-rant.

 

Dear ladies, gentlemen, and those of tender years,

 

Quite frankly I am irked that FP users go along without an ISO Standard for FP inks, and conform to those of ballpoints, rollerballs and other implements to achieve ISO certification.

 

Why should there not be an ISO Standard for FP inks? Are the materials we work with beyond the scope of establishing ISO Standard/s?

 

^{And what about those who use time-tested media such as India Ink? Should they be switching to the ISO ballpoint standard?}

 

Make no mistake — the ink Co.s and individuals who have devoted considerable time, loot, effort, intellectual capital and have persevered in dealings with the ISO cabal, (that alone just might inspire me to support kendo in the boardroom), to acquire ISO certification are to be congratulated. Their achievements are no to be belittled.

 

I reckon that doing what it takes to achieve and keep ISO certification has advanced and lead to innovation in FP inks, for which I am grateful.

 

^{Yet I wonder that if, by having an ISO Standard for FP ink, things would not improve even more. (?)}

 

No one has asked me to use an ISO ink, though I if that happened, I'd reluctantly switch to something-or-other. Until then I'll use iron-gall and robust aniline dye inks, and devil the hindmost.

 

Realistically the low quantity or % of dedicated (fanatic) FP users might not make the effort worthwhile, so this is where I'll end. Whew!

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

Had to read it twice, but yes, I totally agree with you.

 

BTW, how is the kendo in the boardroom coming along...?

[Arthur's Mom]

I imagine that the "standard" would be that the Ink is pH neutral, permanent, waterproof and fade proof. Don't forget the paper has its part to play in archival quality of a document, it should be pH neutral as well.

[Sandy1]

 

 

Had to read it twice, but yes, I totally agree with you.

 

BTW, how is the kendo in the boardroom coming along...?

 

 

Hi,

 

I really do hate to rant on this most convivial Forum, but sometimes that's what it takes for me to express myself.

 

I sincerely apologise to all who were offended.

 

In a constructive spirit, those who take exception to my views are always most welcome to state their views on a subject that seems somewhat vague/ill-defined.

 

__

 

Ah, as for kendo in the board room: despite my desires, I've chosen a different tack - that as a group team building exercise, pillow fighting should be implemented.

 

I found that pillow fighting is a transferable skill; and to avoid damage to the linens, spurs with rowels should not be worn ...

 

Bye,

S1

Edited February 29, 2016 by Sandy1

[dcwaites]

Much in the same way that some have adopted Mont Blanc Permanent Blue as their favourite ink, I have now adopted Koh-i-noor Document Blue (Blue sibling to the Black in post #10) as my standard ink for the office.

In a fine-nibbed and almost wettish pen, it is quite a pleasant, almost deep, blue, is reasonably well behaved on the papers that I now have to work with, and if anything I have to write has to be permanent, it qualifies.

It is also the cheapest of my current commercial inks. Bar none.

[inkstainedruth]

I imagine that the "standard" would be that the Ink is pH neutral, permanent, waterproof and fade proof. Don't forget the paper has its part to play in archival quality of a document, it should be pH neutral as well.

 

On that note....

Anyone have a clue what the pH of the R&K Documentus inks might be? I was flushing Hellblau out a pen and -- as per normal -- I flushed with distilled water and then with ammonia solution. At which point it came out sort of chunky, and then in thin ribbons of ink. Weird and a bit disturbing. So I flushed the heck out the the pen with more distilled water, and then with vinegar solution, and then, since there still seemed to be a few flecks floating around, a whole lot more distilled water.... Letting the pen drain into paper towels now.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Algester]

I only use Storia and the "nano-particle" inks on my pens though I really don't buy into the ISO standard type of deal <_< >_> and if they are like the hardest of china bone ink I know they are damn light fast as well, because cheap bone ink is blech it doesnt help I use them back in the days :X

Edited March 1, 2016 by Algester