Light Resistance (Fadeout) Fountain Inks Tests

[Andrew_L]

Greetings friends! I was asked to create a separate post in which I will share my tests on fadeout of ink from light. I did my first test two years ago(2018), but there was not much ink.

 

This is the original test sheet:

 

 

These are sheets after half a year tested outdoors but without direct sunlight.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

First sheet: It seems to me that Pelikan Edelstein Topaz, Noodlers Midway Blue, Noodlers Ottoman Azure, Sheaffer Torquise did the best with the task of lightfastness. At the same time, Noodlers Midway Blue practically did not lose color at all - i.e. is the winner in lightfastness in this group.

 

Second sheet: The second sheet "tête à tête", which placed black, orange and brown. And as it turned out, of all inks, the favorites in terms of lightfastness turned out to be precisely the warm, orange and brown shades, which practically did not lose their pigment . Regarding blacks, one cannot say that they have lost their color, because they do not have it, but in fact they are also great save tone and remained, in principle, almost the same black or so . In the second selection J.Herbin Aniversary 1670 Rouge Hematite, Gamma Reds, Diamine Inferno Orange, Diamine Beaver, Noodlers Kiowa Pecan and Noodlers Red-Black look best. There is no favorite here, but J. Herbin 1670, Diamine Inferno, Noodlers Red-Black and Koh-i-Noor Black is practically unchanged.

 

Third sheet: The last sheet: And on the third sheet, I placed predominantly green shades and those ink that I did not have initially, but they appeared with some delay in the samples:). Recently bought the pigment Platinum, Windsor & Newton India ink, Gamma and Chinese india ink also got here. At that time, I still did not have dr. Ph.Martins. As you can see, the green shades did not go far from the blue ones and lost quite a lot in color, and Diamine Ultra Green turned out to be the leader. But I was pleasantly pleased with Platinum Carbon Black and Pigment Sepia Brown inks - the color did not change at all and it pleases because these are my main colors for drawings with fountain pens . Pelikan Fount India pigment ink also showed itself very well, despite the fact that they practically do not reflect light by dry pigment in side lighting, unlike Platinum Carbon Black, which, coupled with the price, makes them very attractive.

 

More detailed photos you can view by the link: https://lenskiy.org/2018/11/fountain-pen-inks-light-resistance-test-2018/

[Andrew_L]

I did the next test 2 years later (2020). In this test, I used less vintage inks and more modern inks(88 inks). Unlike the previous test, this time the time was shorter (only 3 months), but the sheets were exposed to direct sunlight (~ from 6-7 am to 2-3 pm). The sheets were attached to the window, but from the inside, so the glass partially blocked the UV light.

 

This is the original test sheet:

 

 

These are sheets after 3 months tested indoors but on direct sunlight (behind the window glass).

 

 

Conclusions:

 

I don’t want to write about “bad” and “good” for a long time, so I will simply describe only facts as conclusions, I think it will be acceptable. So blue shades: Noodlers Midway Blue, Noodlers Ottoman Azure, Sailor Shikori Younaga and Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao passed test well, but the best were Sailor Storia Blue Night. This ink not only did not change color, but also has a pleasant oiliness and has a very thin line that does not furry. Noodlers Polar Blue have also passed the sun test, but they are very runny and furry and fat on any paper, so they are not acceptable as ink. Of the purple shades, Diamine Scrible Purple and Diamine Purple Pazzazz are the best preserved. And if the first look just black but clearly readable, the second retained a little red color. There is nothing optimistic about the shades of green, with the exception of Diamine Deep Dark Green, which, although it lost its color, remains reasonably readable. Diamine Yellow did not change its color and Diamine Pumpkin turned to Diamine Yellow:) Although Diamine Inferno Orange lost its rich orange hue, but still shines brightly with gold. The dye Diamine Matador, Diamine Red Dragon, J. Herbin 1670 Rouhe Hematite and Diamine Deep Dark Orange were not completely lost from the red tones. DeAtramentis Document Brown is very well saved brown tones, and only slightly behind placed Diamine Ancient Cooper, Diamine Ochre and Diamine Oxblood. Most upsetting was Platinum Brun Sepia Pigment(!!). Almost all black inks have passed the test with the exception of Montblanc Mystery Black and Waterman Intense Black. And if the first is truly a pity because they are good in other characteristics, then the second is not at all a pity – this is a very ordinary ink.

 

More detailed photos(with links on big scans) you can view by the link: https://lenskiy.org/2020/06/fountain-pen-inks-light-resistancefadeout-test-2020/

[amberleadavis]

THANK YOU - I love these! Please add the detailed photos here too. Some of our FPNers cannot see photos if they are not hosted here.

 

This is wonderful. I have added it to the list of other fade tests.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/282789-start-here-inky-t-o-d-topics-oday/?do=findComment&comment=3917329

 

 

I was surprised about Midway Blue, for me it held up great.

[Paganini]

Cool!

 

I did a similar test a few months ago, but with a much smaller selection of inks - just some blacks I happen to have. I pinned my writing samples to the deck so that they were exposed to direct sunlight, and also *to the rain.* It therefore only took a few weeks, rather than a few months, to get decisive results.

 

I was surprised to discover that plain old Pilot Namiki black was the last man standing. Not only was it still legible, it was still more or less black! All the others either totally washed out, or changed color to pale yellow. Surprisingly, Platinum Carbon Black was a notably poor performer.

 

- N

[amberleadavis]

Cool!

 

I did a similar test a few months ago, but with a much smaller selection of inks - just some blacks I happen to have. I pinned my writing samples to the deck so that they were exposed to direct sunlight, and also *to the rain.* It therefore only took a few weeks, rather than a few months, to get decisive results.

 

I was surprised to discover that plain old Pilot Namiki black was the last man standing. Not only was it still legible, it was still more or less black! All the others either totally washed out, or changed color to pale yellow. Surprisingly, Platinum Carbon Black was a notably poor performer.

 

- N

 

Do you still have the pictures? We would love to see them.

[MKeith]

Very interesting, thanks for posting these results.

[Andrew_L]

I was surprised about Midway Blue, for me it held up great.

 

Yes, both Noodler's passed this test very well and Midway Blue and Ottoman Azure. But I only tested lightfastness and no other characteristics. And they are still very liquid and prone to fur:)

[Andrew_L]

I did a similar test ... - just some blacks

to direct sunlight, and also *to the rain.*

I was surprised to discover that plain old Pilot Namiki black

Surprisingly, Platinum Carbon Black was a notably poor performer.

 

Your test is very extreme for historical purposes:). The method of 4 elements is unlikely in typical everyday situations, but ultraviolet light is important for drawings hanged on the wall. Regarding your blacks, I think the principle of drying ink on paper is very important. If the dye penetrates the fibers, then it can be fixed better. Regarding Platinum Carbon, it is pigment ink with bits of soot, which means that they are fixed on the surface without penetrating inside. Despite the fact that one-time and two-time ingress of moisture does not wash them off the surface, the constant exposure to rain and sun, which destroys the structure of the paper (surface) and pieces of ink can simply peel off like plaster. Therefore, they did not pass this test. In my practice, of waterproof black ink, the best are Platinum Carbon Black and Montblanc Permanent Black, and Montblanc is even blacker because soot particles do not reflect light so strongly after drying (perhaps a thinner layer).

[Andrew_L]

2018 test (At the request of amberleadavis)

 

At the time of writing the test, I didn’t have much ink and they all fit on 3 sheets by A4 paper. As a base, I used Xerox Colotech paper + 120gsm. I wrote the text by dip pen with Baignol & Farjon Baionnette EF nib. Of course, this is not a fountain pen and have a more saturated line, but anyway it’s interesting too. On the line of each ink I wrote the name of this ink, some the crosshatch from light and dry line to wet and saturated (at the intersection), the “eights” with some variability and tried to smear the “blots” with the back of the pen along with the “very wet” line.

 

I maked 2 copies: one of them was closed in a writing desk, and second was closed by paper file and taped to the wall on the balcony for open sunshine . The experiment itself lasted from the end of April 28 to the November 2(exactly half a year or 6 months have passed ). The result is presented below in two versions: first it is photographs by the camera balanced on a gray card with a correction exposition with + 1EV without any corrections in the graphic editor, the second it is linear scans without any correction and “improvers”.

 

original sheets lying inside writing desk without access to light:

 

 

sheets hanging outside for open sunshine:

 

 

First sheet

 

 

It seems to me that Noodlers Midway Blue, Noodlers Ottoman Azure, Sheaffer Torquise did the best with the task of lightfastness. At the same time, Noodlers Midway Blue practically did not lose color at all – i.e. is the winner in lightfastness in this group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second sheet “tête à tête”, which placed black, orange and brown.

 

 

And as it turned out, of all inks, the favorites in terms of lightfastness turned out to be precisely the warm, orange and brown shades, which practically did not lose their pigment . Regarding blacks, one cannot say that they have lost their color, because they do not have it, but in fact they are also great save tone and remained, in principle, almost the same black or so . In the second selection J.Herbin Aniversary 1670 Rouge Hematite, Gamma Reds, Diamine Inferno Orange, Diamine Beaver, Noodlers Kiowa Pecan and Noodlers Red-Black look best. There is no favorite here, but J. Herbin 1670, Diamine Inferno, Noodlers Red-Black and Koh-i-Noor Black is practically unchanged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last sheet.

 

 

And on the third sheet, I placed predominantly green shades and those ink that I did not have initially, but they appeared with some delay in the samples:). Recently bought the pigment Platinum, Windsor & Newton India ink, Gamma and Chinese india ink also got here. At that time, I still did not have dr. Ph.Martins. As you can see, the green shades did not go far from the blue ones and lost quite a lot in color, and Diamine Ultra Green turned out to be the leader. But I was pleasantly pleased with Platinum Carbon Black and Pigment Sepia Brown inks – the color did not change at all and it pleases because these are my main colors for drawings with fountain pens . Pelikan Fount India pigment ink also showed itself very well, despite the fact that they practically do not reflect light by dry pigment in side lighting, unlike Platinum Carbon Black, which, coupled with the price, makes them very attractive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are scans of the same test sheets, so everyone can do their own subjective conclusions.

 

 

 

[Andrew_L]

2020 test (At the request of amberleadavis)

 

Greetings to all FP lovers, but rather even FP inks for their fountain pens. As some remember, 2 years ago I doed a similar test, which can be found here: Fountain pen inks. Light resistance test 2018 – then the test duration was 6 months. The templates were sealed in sleevers and hung out on the balcony on the sunny side (from morning to midday). However, my balcony was in the shadow of the crown of trees, so the sunlight breaking through the crown, although it hit the sheets, but not constantly, and sunlight was in motion. Actually, after 2 years, I decided to repeat the test, but in more extreme conditions, so:

 

Preamble:

– 07.06.2020 test sheets were written in 2 copies. One was to be hung on a window, the other is closed and to be put in a table (or book) away from daylight.
– For the test I used regular office paper 80gsm, premium class A + – Double A (A4) – see specs in update.
– 09.06.2020 scans of sheets were made before hanging on the window (without any corrections with a linear histogram)
– the test text was writen by dip nib pen, but for to get the realistic widest possible spectrum of colors and tones I use any technics: the name of the ink was made with a pressure; thin hatch for imitates a thin nib, “eights” for imitation flexible nib and wide line by reverse side of nib (entire surface) for imitation a wide B or Stub nib.
– a window – a typical metal-plastic, single-chamber double-glazed window Rehau on the sunny side (from sunrise to about 2 p.m.), under direct rays of the sun without any shadow – the most extreme conditions.
– test inks list:

Template 1:

1. Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise
2. Pelikan Edelstein Topaz
3. Pelikan 4001 Turquoise
4. J.Herbin Bleu Pervenche
5. Noodler’s Midway Blue
6. Sailor “Storia” Blue Night
7. Noodler’s Baystate Blue
8. Noodler’s Ottoman Azure
9. Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao
10. Montblanc Royal Blue
11. Organics Studio: Nitrogen Royal Blue
12. Organics Studio: Ernest Hemingway Santiago’s Sea Blue
13. Organics Studio: Henry Davis Thoreau
14. OMAS Blue Reale
15. vintage Sheaffer Skrip Blue
16. Aurora Blue
17. Pelikan 4001 Blue
18. Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire
19. Parker Quink Blue
20. Diamine Majestic Blue
21. Diamine Enchanted Ocean
22. Diamine Oxford Blue

 

Template 2:

1. KWZ Wspomnenie znad Baltiky
2. Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite
3. Noodler’s Polar Blue
4. Diamine Deep Dark Blue
5. Sailor Shikori Younaga
6. Aurora Blue-Black
7. Diamine Bilberry
8. Diamine Blue-Black
9. Rohrer & Klinger Verdigris
10. Lamy Pacific Blue
11. J. Herbin 1670 – Emerald of Chivir
12. Pelikan Edelstein Mix (Star Ruby + Olivine)
13. Diamine Scrible Purple
14. Sailor Jentle Shigure
15. Schneider Violett
16. Pelikan 4001 Violett
17. Private Reserve Ebony Purple
18. Diamine Perple Pazzazz
19. vintage Sheaffer Blue-Black
20. Duke Blue (chinese ink)

 

Template 3:

1. Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine
2. Pelikan Edelstein Jade
3. Diamine Ultra Green
4. Pelikan Edelstein Olivine
5. Diamine Deep-Dark Green
6. Diamine Teal
7. Diamine Yellow
8. Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin
9. Diamine Inferno Orange
10. Diamine Pumpkin
11. Diamine Matador
12. Pelikan Edelstein Garnet
13. Pelikan Edelstein Ruby
14. Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Red
15. vintage Sheaffer Skrip Red
16. J. Herbin 1670 – Rouge Hematite
17. Sheaffer Skrip Red
18. Fritz-Shimpf Fritzrot
19. Pelikan Edelstein Star Ruby
20. Diamine Deep Dark Orange
21. Campo Marzio Orancio
22. Diamine Red Dragon

 

Template 4:

1. Diamine Ancient Cooper
2. Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown
3. De Atramentis Document Brown
4. Pelikan Edelstein Smocky Quarz
5. Diamine Oxblood
6. Platinum Brune Sepia (permanent)
7. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi
8. Noodler’s Beaver
9. Noodler’s Kiowa Pecan
10. Diamine Ochre
11. Noodler’s Red-Black
12. Parker Quink Black
13. Montblanc Mystery Black
14. Pelikan Fount India ink
15. Platinum Carbon Black
16. Montblanc Permanent Black
17. De Atramentis Document Black (only test w/o text)
18. KWZ Son o Warszawie
19. Pelikan Edelstein Onyx
20. Diamine Eclipse
21. Duke Black(chinese ink)
22. Waterman Intense Black
23. vintage Waterman JIF Permanente Black
24. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Black

 

For a more realistic assessment, I made 2 groups of pictures: a) pair shooting of the test and reference sheet; a combined scan of the test sheet on the first day before hanging and after a while.

 

Template 1 (photo – reference sheet on the left, tested template on the right)

 

 

Template 1 (main scan – the original template is the main one on the left, then the test after 2 weeks, then the test after 1.5 months and the test on the right after 3 months)

 

 

Template 2 (photo)

 

 

Template 2 (scan)

 

 

Template 3 (photo)

 

 

Template 3 (scan)

 

 

Template 4 (photo)

 

 

Template 4 (scan)

 

 

At the end: I don’t want to write about “bad” and “good” for a long time, so I will simply describe only facts as conclusions, I think it will be acceptable. So blue shades: Noodlers Midway Blue, Noodlers Ottoman Azure, Sailor Shikori Younaga and Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao passed test well, but the best were Sailor Storia Blue Night. This ink not only did not change color, but also has a pleasant oiliness and has a very thin line that does not furry. Noodlers Polar Blue have also passed the sun test, but they are very runny and furry and fat on any paper, so they are not acceptable as ink. Of the purple shades, Diamine Scrible Purple and Diamine Purple Pazzazz are the best preserved. And if the first look just black but clearly readable, the second retained a little red color. There is nothing optimistic about the shades of green, with the exception of Diamine Deep Dark Green, which, although it lost its color, remains reasonably readable. Diamine Yellow did not change its color and Diamine Pumpkin turned to Diamine Yellow:) Although Diamine Inferno Orange lost its rich orange hue, but still shines brightly with gold. The dye Diamine Matador, Diamine Red Dragon, J. Herbin 1670 Rouhe Hematite and Diamine Deep Dark Orange were not completely lost from the red tones. DeAtramentis Document Brown is very well saved brown tones, and only slightly behind placed Diamine Ancient Cooper, Diamine Ochre and Diamine Oxblood. Most upsetting was Platinum Brun Sepia Pigment(!!). Almost all black inks have passed the test with the exception of Montblanc Mystery Black and Waterman Intense Black. And if the first is truly a pity because they are good in other characteristics, then the second is not at all a pity – this is a very ordinary ink.

 

 

[Paganini]

 

Do you still have the pictures? We would love to see them.

 

I'm afraid not; at least, I checked in my big pile o' papers and I can't find them. I mostly did it to satisfy my own curiosity, so I wasn't careful to document each step the way I normally would.

 

 

Your test is very extreme for historical purposes:). The method of 4 elements is unlikely in typical everyday situations, but ultraviolet light is important for drawings hanged on the wall. Regarding your blacks, I think the principle of drying ink on paper is very important. If the dye penetrates the fibers, then it can be fixed better. Regarding Platinum Carbon, it is pigment ink with bits of soot, which means that they are fixed on the surface without penetrating inside. Despite the fact that one-time and two-time ingress of moisture does not wash them off the surface, the constant exposure to rain and sun, which destroys the structure of the paper (surface) and pieces of ink can simply peel off like plaster. Therefore, they did not pass this test. In my practice, of waterproof black ink, the best are Platinum Carbon Black and Montblanc Permanent Black, and Montblanc is even blacker because soot particles do not reflect light so strongly after drying (perhaps a thinner layer).

 

Yes, a few months ago there was a thread - I think it was called "HARDCORE INK TESTING" - that was about a historical advertisement for an ink that they claimed had been left out in the elements for 6 months with no ill effects. I thought "wow, I wonder if any of my inks can do that!" (Answer: NO) I think you're exactly right about Carbon Black.

 

- N

Edited September 21, 2020 by Paganini

[Paganini]

oops, double post!

Edited September 21, 2020 by Paganini

[Dimy]

That's a great help for many of us who look for inks with longevity. Thanks a lot.

 

I personally use platinum carbon black and the results are quite pleasant for other inks too. I was surprised by iroshizuku to be honest.

 

I too agree on the fact of carbon inks, unless paper gets damaged first there is little chance of ink getting removed.

 

A small question, can you tell which sheet of paper are being used ? What do you think the results would be for absorbent paper a curiosity.

[Andrew_L]

Hi! Thank you.

 

 

 

 

I use office paper of class A + (80gsm) Double A (France/Malasya)

 

 

Did you mean by "absorbent paper" is watercolor paper or toilet paper? In any case, with extreme use, like Paganini's, the result with regular ink should be better if the paper itself holds up and does not deteriorate. In the case of pigment inks, the situation, in my opinion, will be even worse, since all the pigment will remain on the surface on the air fibers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dimy]

 

Hi! Thank you.

 

I use office paper of class A + (80gsm) Double A (France/Malasya)

Did you mean by "absorbent paper" is watercolor paper or toilet paper? In any case, with extreme use, like Paganini's, the result with regular ink should be better if the paper itself holds up and does not deteriorate. In the case of pigment inks, the situation, in my opinion, will be even worse, since all the pigment will remain on the surface on the air fibers.

 

https://images.vfl.ru/ii/1517949941/1b12f557/20478829.jpg

Thanks for sharing the sheets, these are very close to what I use for daily as well.

 

By absorbent I meant watercolor paper and some blotting papers.

toilet paper and such are no no....they get stuck in nib 😂