In this article, I’m sharing absolutely everything I know about calligraphy ink in an FAQ format. My hope is that the information here will save you some time and frustration!
To write today’s post, I combed through emails that I’ve received with questions about calligraphy ink. I’m glad to modify the article to include additional information, so if you have a question, please email or comment! Without further ado, here are answers to the queries — both little and big — that TPK readers have about inks:
This is a loaded question because the answer depends on the effect that you want to achieve and your familiarity with writing calligraphy. You can find a guide to calligraphy inks here.
Most calligraphy inks are made of pigment and a binder. For example, sumi ink is made of soot and and shellac. Walnut ink is made of boiled black walnuts (which renders pigmented water) and gum arabic. Remember that not all calligraphy inks are vegan; some inks use animal glue as a binder, and shellac is a resin secreted by lac bugs. If that’s a concern for you, do some research before you purchase.
You use nearly any highly pigmented liquid as calligraphy ink. I’ve used coffee and wine as inks, and I love using watercolors for calligraphy. Gouache is fabulous, too. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making your own walnut ink or try making your own iron gall ink.
Most calligraphy inks aren’t poisonous. There are some inks to watch out for, however! Iron gall ink has — you guessed it — a lot of iron, which can hurt humans if we consume an excess of it. A good rule of thumb is not to ingest ink and to try and keep any little ones from ingesting it, too.
Ink bleed is something nearly all beginners experience. The problem is nearly always the paper and ink combination. If the ink is thin and the paper tends to absorb liquid quickly, then you’ll notice the ink feathering around the edges of letters. A lot of times, the problem can be fixed by switching out your paper or adding gum arabic to the ink.
32# laserjet paper is my pick for economic and high-quality calligraphy practice, but there are tons of papers out there that will welcome your pointed pen. You can find my picks for papers in general here, and here is an article that provides sources for calligraphy-friendly envelopes.
Unless a calligraphy ink bottle specifically says you can put that ink in a fountain pen, don’t do it. Pigment particles in dip pen calligraphy inks are fairly large and can clog up a fountain pen. You can, however, use fountain pen inks to write with a dip pen. Just add some gum arabic to the ink first to thicken it up!
Absolutely! I love to paint with calligraphy ink when I’m looking for a vibrant, opaque effect.
It depends on what kind of ink you’re using and the humidity in the area you live in. Some inks dry faster than others! In my experience, inks like sumi and Ziller dry in just a couple of minutes, while inks like Bleed Proof White take a good 10 minutes to dry to the touch and a few hours to fully dry. That said, I live in Colorado, where there’s very little humidity in the air, so my drying times may be incredibly short compared to the drying times in your area.
Some inks do eventually go bad because water evaporates out of them, leaving only pigment and binder. This can result in a texture that’s either dry and cracked or similar to Jell-O. For other inks, you might notice mold growth after the ink sits for a while in storage. For the most part, though, if you use your inks every once in a while and dilute those that have binders (like India ink) on a regular basis, your inks should last for years, if not decades.
The most common calligraphy ink problem is poor ink flow, which is normally caused by too much water evaporating out of the ink. Just add some water back in a little bit at a time. For step-by-step dilution instructions, see this article.
Yes, you can mix different inks to create custom colors. Just be aware that mixing inks with different bases (like water-based and alcohol-based) might not yield the best results. It’s usually best to mix inks from the same brand or with similar properties.
You can store most inks in their original bottles or in an airtight dip pen-friendly jar. Try to store inks upright if possible; otherwise, you’ll have an inky mess when you go to take the lid off! And, of course, keep your inks out of reach of children. I’m constantly ignoring that tip and paying for it with inky floors.
Waterproof inks are completely unaffected by water, while water-resistant inks will react to water but remain legible. You can see in the photo below that sumi ink is water-resistant, and Ziller ink is waterproof. Water ruins calligraphy created with Higgins ink, which isn’t a favorite ink of mine.
If you’re driving somewhere, you can travel well with inks as long as you make sure that they remain upright. If you’re flying, I wouldn’t mess with liquid inks. Instead, bring along your watercolors! Dry watercolor palettes give you an instant collection of “inks” that are incredibly portable. Just hydrate the watercolors, then brush then on the back of your nib as detailed in this tutorial.
Inky mistakes can be devastating, but there are ways to try to fix them before you throw in the towel. The method you use depends on the type of mistake, but I generally defer to scraping off the top layer of my paper. That’s only one of many fixes, however. See the 5 Ways to Correct Art & Calligraphy Mistakes article for a list of four other methods to try, too.
I hope that this article answers any questions you might have about calligraphy ink, including questions you didn’t know you had! As you build your ink collection, more questions might come up. If they do, comment on this article or shoot me an email ([email protected]). I’m glad to answer to the best of my ability and possibly add to this article.
Thanks very much for reading, and have a great week!
Warmly,
This article was updated in July of 2024 to include new questions and updated photos.
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