Pen & Paper
The Ink Cupboard — Inks Tasted Search ⌘K
Volume IV · Department III The Ink Cupboard — — entries — Tested in M, on Tomoe River Spring MMXXVI

The Ink Cupboard

Every ink in this cupboard has been
tasted on the standard cream paper,
at 21 °C and 48 % RH.

Colour is only the first read. The ink's wetness, sheen, behaviour against the lamp, and how it changes between morning and evening — these are the rest of the bottle.

Sort by family below ↓
or browse the full cupboard →
№ 01 · The Cupboard

Sixty-four inks, by hue and humour.

Pick a hue band below — or filter by family, wetness, sheen.

Filter by hue

Blue · —
Blue-black · —
Black · —
Green · —
Teal · —
Red · —
Burgundy · —
Brown · —
Orange · —
Purple · —
№ 014 JP · 2007
#1C2C47 SHEEN a letter held to lamplight
Pilot · Iroshizuku

Tsuki-yo

— Moonlit Night
Wetness
78
Saturation
84
Sheen
5/5
Dry time
22 s
Sheening $ 28 / 50 ml
№ 041 UK · 1864
#5A1A1F SHEEN — with my warmest regards,
Diamine

Oxblood

— a deep correspondent's red
Wetness
64
Saturation
88
Sheen
4/5
Dry time
19 s
Dye · Sheening £ 8 / 80 ml
№ 028 JP · 2011
#1F4A4E SHEENEC の山取り — copper-pheasant teal
Sailor

Yama-dori

— Mountain Bird
Wetness
72
Saturation
86
Sheen
5/5
Dry time
20 s
Sheening ¥ 2 200 / 50 ml
№ 053 PL · 2014
#1B2734 I/GARCHIVAL on the records, indelibly.
KWZ Ink

Iron Gall Blue-Black

— turns near-black on drying
Wetness
54
Saturation
78
Sheen
1/5
Dry time
9 s
Iron gall € 14 / 60 ml
№ 022 JP · 2007
#0E1216 — 竹墨 — ink in its element
Pilot · Iroshizuku

Take-sumi

— Bamboo Charcoal
Wetness
68
Saturation
94
Sheen
1/5
Dry time
16 s
Dye · Standard $ 28 / 50 ml
№ 037 AU · 2014
#0E7E97 SHEEN — ice with embers at the edges.
Robert Oster

Fire & Ice

— turquoise with red sheen
Wetness
80
Saturation
74
Sheen
5/5
Dry time
24 s
Sheening $ 17 / 50 ml
№ 049 UK · 2015
#1B5A30 SHIMMER — the canopy, lit from within.
Diamine · Shimmertastic

Magical Forest

— green with gold shimmer
Wetness
68
Saturation
82
Shimmer
4/5
Dry time
28 s
Shimmer £ 12 / 50 ml
№ 019 JP · 2007
#1F3FA1 SHEEN 朝顔 — a morning's vivid blue.
Pilot · Iroshizuku

Asa-gao

— Morning Glory
Wetness
74
Saturation
92
Sheen
3/5
Dry time
21 s
Dye · Sheening $ 28 / 50 ml
— of — inks Sort by · Archive number
№ 02 · The Curated Cabinet

Eight inks for the desk; eight for the letter.

Editor's lists — by what one means the writing for.
For correspondence

The Letter Drawer

  • Iroshizuku · Tsuki-yo
    Sheen 5/5 · Wet · Cream
    № 014
  • Diamine · Oxblood
    Sheen 4/5 · Cream · Cotton
    № 041
  • Sailor · Yama-dori
    Sheen 5/5 · Wet · Bright
    № 028
  • Iroshizuku · Ina-ho
    Shading 5/5 · Warm
    № 026
For daily notes

The Desk Bottle

  • Iroshizuku · Take-sumi
    Dry · 16s · Universal
    № 022
  • KWZ · I/G Blue-Black
    Iron gall · Archival · 9s
    № 053
  • Pilot · Blue-Black
    Workhorse · 12s · Cheap
    № 002
  • Sailor · Sei-boku
    Pigment · Waterproof
    № 031
For the occasional

The Showpiece Tray

  • Robert Oster · Fire & Ice
    Mirror sheen · 24s
    № 037
  • Diamine · Magical Forest
    Gold shimmer · 28s
    № 049
  • Iroshizuku · Asa-gao
    Vivid · 21s · Sheen 3/5
    № 019
  • Sailor · Kobe Nankin-Red
    Vermillion · Saturated
    № 044