The differences between fountain pen ink and calligraphy ink are few but are still important. If you aren’t careful you can damage and even ruin certain tools like fountain pens or pilot parallels.
Table of Contents
Fountain Pen Inks
Fountain pen ink is a solution, which means it is a fluid that is made up of a solvent and a solute. A solvent is a liquid that the solute (in this case coloured dye) has been dissolved in, so that it is one consistent solution. In fountain pen ink, the solutes are reduced to the molecular level and therefore it contains no solid matter to clog up a fountain pen. You could use this for a calligraphy dip pen, except that it may be too thin of an ink and may fall off the nib as soon as it hits the page.
List of inks suitable for Fountain Pens:
Ink that is Safe for Pilot Parallels:
Anecdotally, I have put Ecoline Liquid Watercolour into my pilot parallels and have yet have one clog up (6 years as of 2020). However, your mileage may vary, as there is gum arabic in Ecoline ink. Gum arabic is an ink thickener and has been known to clog pens. I wouldn’t put it in an expensive pen (just to be safe) but if you have multiple pilot parallel pens you can try my favourite and most used ink below:
Ink that is *anecdotally* suitable for Pilot Parallels:
Calligraphy Inks
Calligraphy inks are typically pigmented, which means their color is derived from not dissolved dyes but from finely ground up solid matter, similar to paint. Similar to oil and water, the particles settle over time and the ink containers need to be shaken. These particles will clog up a fountain pen. Certain inks, like India ink, contain gum arabic which is a thickening agent that will further clog up a fountain pen.
List of typically used calligraphy inks:
- Speedball Super Black Ink
- Winsor and Newton Calligraphy Ink
- Dr. Ph Martins India Ink
- Speedball Acrylic Ink
Summary
Use each ink for their respective purpose as they are specifically designed for each kind of tool. However, if you want to use fountain pen ink for calligraphy, try it and if it doesn’t spread nicely on the page, thicken it with gum arabic or just buy the actual ink. Meanwhile if you want to use calligraphy ink for fountain pens, just don’t. Now that you know the right kind of ink for your fountain pens, you might like to try learning some calligraphy with it. If interested, check out the post below:
Any questions, comments, or concerns? Leave a comment down below.
Looking for More?
Check out some very helpful beginner starting posts here:
- Complete Beginners Guide – If you have no idea where to start
- Learn Calligraphy Roadmap – Look at different calligraphy styles to pick from
- Guide to Calligraphy Tools & Scripts – Shows which tool makes which style
- My Recommended Calligraphy Tools – All tools for all styles
- Learn Calligraphy Online Free – Dip your toe in the water that is calligraphy
Thank You! Now I know why my fountain pen quit writing properly.
No problemo John-Paul!
Hi Richard – I bought the Winsor and Newton Calligraphy Ink because it says that it can be used for “Fountain and Dip pens”. Should I not use it in an ordinary fountain pen?
Hi David,
If it is labelled for “fountain and dip pens” I would be very interested in the product and would like to try it. Based on it’s labelling, it should be fine.
However, anecdotally, I have only seen “For dip pen and brush” on Winsor and Newton Calligraphy Ink. Which definitely should NOT be in you fountain pen.
It might be fine… but if you want to be safe I wouldn’t use it, since typically calligraphy ink means pigmented ink which is not good for fountain pens/pilot parallel.
Thanks
Richard
Hi Richard,
Like David, I have a bottle of Winsor & Newton, and it is labelled for fountain and dip pens. For example: https://gwartzmans.com/collections/calligraphy-new/products/winsor-newton-calligraphy-ink-30ml-black
The bottle I have is a green ink, and I found it did not work well with a Pilot Parallel pen.
Thanks,
J.
Hey J,
Ah good to know. If it says calligraphy ink, just avoid it for pilot parallels/fountain pens. It’s a good rule.
Thanks for your input. I appreciate you taking the time.
Hi J and Richard,
Thanks for your comments on this. I did try using the Winsor and Newton Ink in my Pilot Metropolitan….and the results weren’t great; the ink was quite reluctant to flow. So I flushed the pen and bought standard ink which works well. No harm done that I can tell, but that’s the last time I will use the calligraphy ink in a fountain pen, notwithstanding the label “For Fountain and Dip Pens”
Once again thanks for taking the time,
David
Hello HJ and Richard and others:
I also made a mistake and used Calligraphy ink in my old
Parker pens. It slowed the flow of the ink enough in both
the 45 and 51 that I had to take them apart and clean out
the tanks and the tip. I spent quite a bit of time getting all
the residue out. After the flush I put the QUINK ink back in
and have not had any problems since. I will leave the calligraphy
ink for those pens only.
John Paul
More confirmation!
Thanks for taking the time to comment John Paul 🙂
Yes, I used that Winsor and Newton dual purpose ink in one of my cheap fountain pens. It was rather too thick and the pen wrote dry and was reluctant to start after being left. Since then , I have been making my own iron gall ink. I found that Quink would wash away at the least bit of water splash. Not much use for say, addressing envelopes in the UK.
Fountain pen ink flows across the page smoothly and easily due to its thin and liquid consistency. Contrarily, calligraphy ink is often made of a thick, rich, and sticky texture that catches the eye and leaves a striking impression.
After what period of time does Calligraphy Ink go bad? I have Calligraphy inks that are over 10 years old. Should I just toss them. We are talking a sizeable investment.
Thank you, VJ Henry
Hi VJ,
The answer to this, and all good questions is: It depends.
It depends on:
Ink type:
-India ink, acrylic calligraphy ink, sumi ink (5-10 yrs unopened & 2-5 yrs if opened)
-Iron gall ink (well sealed over 20 yrs)
-Alcohol & shellac based inks (~5-10 yrs)
-Chinese/Japanese ink sticks – These are eternal. As a solid stick they cannot spoil.
Storage:
3 things affect ink over time – Age, temperature and Air. Any of these things can shorten the life or permanently change the quality of the ink.
-Age causes natural breakdown, separation, drying out and in certain inks mold and bacteria.
-A high temperature increases the speed of bacteria/mould growth. If the ink has ever been frozen can permanently break the chemical bonds of the ink
-Air exposure from opened ink containers increases the odds of bacteria and fungal introduction, lowering it’s lifespan.
What spoilage looks like:
-Strong rotten odour due to bacteria and mold
-Severe ink separation that cannot be reconsituted by thoroughly stirring. Look for 2 distinct layers of watery top layer and thick sludge at the bottom.
Long story short, most likely due to your ink’s age (>10 yrs), these inks have possibly (and very unfortunately) dried up/separated or gone bad due to bacterial growth. However, do a smell check and look for separation or drying out yourself. If they don’t smell bad and are still usable go for it. If they have dried up, try reconsituting them with some water at a 1:1 ratio of water to ink powder/block then leave it overnight. Also, some of these inks/jars are collectables, and you might want to keep them for the value or sentimental reasons.
Thanks for the great question. I will add this information to the post.