Noodler's Legal Lapis

[JDlugosz]

 

Thanks to another FPN member for sending me a vial of Legal Lapis via the Ink Exchange.

 

The files I present are calibrated correct values in the file, with an embedded ICC profile for Adobe RGB. You should be able to compare any of the scans side-by-side to see the difference, because the exposure and adjustment is exactly the same in each ink scan. To aid color perception on your monitor, there is a thin white border to show the paper color (the paper is faintly blue in sunlight) and a gray matte. The matte is perfectly neutral, so judge the color relative to that.

 

 

My Hero 300 Gold seems to be developing a reputation as a "wet" writer. The bold strokes are good for showing the ink color, but I will use a fine/dry pen later (I'm still rinsing it) and add that for more comparison.

 

From the close-up scan you can see how much shading there is on the HP Laser paper, and in the extreme close up you can see the feathering and how the color gets darker where the pen crosses its own path.

 

 

 

On other threads, both in earlier reviews and in Inky Thoughts, people are wondering just what color is that, anyway? I can report that it is firmly in the Blue range as you can see in the Hue slider in the color picker below. At 206°, it is blue towards the cyan. It will not be green until it crosses the cyan band. It is a blue/black (or blue/gray) color.

 

 

I have not performed calibrated scans of any other blue/black inks yet, but later I can collect a summary of how they compare. (anyone who wants to send me writing samples of blue/black to scan can PM me).

 

 

[JJBlanche]

Fantastic scans. I saw your thread about the calibration, etc., and wondered how good of an idea it would ultimately be. Seems as though it's paid off.

[MicheleB]

Need more input! These are great! Thanks.

[JDlugosz]

Need more input! These are great! Thanks.

 

Hint: Ink Exchange vials... or send me some samples to scan...

[politovski]

and, being bulletproof, it has held up to a variety of things, including methylene chloride, isopropyl alcohol, water, pure bleach, and even beer. good stuff, but it feathers alot on cheap paper.

[bossy]

My jar's contents produce greener and lighter writing. Even with a q-tip.

[JDlugosz]

My jar's contents produce greener and lighter writing. Even with a q-tip.

 

Very strange. Can you send me a sample to scan for comparison? It would be interesting to note the variations, whether batch differences or age, on these review threads.

 

--John

[psfred]

Bossy:

 

Shake or otherwise mix the ink completely before filling the pen -- the black component will settle onto the bottom of the bottle in storage.

 

Peter

[Randal6393]

Aha! That's the secret ingredient! I wasn't sure I should mix up my Legal Lapis -- and, sure enough, it has a greener tint than yours. I will try the secret ritual and see if it darkens the ink.

 

Thanks,

Randal

[JDlugosz]

Aha! That's the secret ingredient! I wasn't sure I should mix up my Legal Lapis -- and, sure enough, it has a greener tint than yours. I will try the secret ritual and see if it darkens the ink.

 

Thanks,

Randal

 

But see here. And other threads indicate LL has indeed floced up inside a pen.

 

--John

 

[bossy]

Shake or otherwise mix the ink completely before filling the pen -- the black component will settle onto the bottom of the bottle in storage.

I've always shaken the bottle before filling, especially with nooders, and PR

ones. However, my 'shaking' is a turning up and down for 15 seconds, maybe that

is the problem. I've done it this way, cause if violently shaken, the foam takes

15 minutes to settle down. Perhaps that has been the problem. Next time it will

get a very violent shaking to be certain it's really mixed up.

Edited June 2, 2008 by bossy

[mstone]

My jar's contents produce greener and lighter writing. Even with a q-tip.

How many papers have you tried? I've found that some papers make the ink look green, on others it's blue. Same pen. The light also affects it, but the affect of papers is fairly consistent. Maybe some of the paper is subtly yellow, or reacts to the ink somehow.