5 Best Everyday Fountain Pen Ink: Which One To Buy?
If you’re looking for the best everyday fountain pen ink to meet your day-to-day writing needs, this is the guide for you.
Over the past few years, the market has become saturated with countless fountain pen inks from various brands—differing in terms of color, smoothness, flow, and even cost.
This has made it easier for you to get that ink that perfectly fits your needs. But picking your perfect ink from thousands of products can be challenging for you.
The following list will offer you some readily available and inexpensive fountain pen inks that will meet your everyday writing needs.
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Best everyday fountain pen ink:
1. Waterman Fountain Pen Ink
This ink from Waterman—one of the most reputable fountain pen ink brands—enjoys a cult-like following among the fountain pen owners/collectors for its ability to produce intense lines in vibrant brown color.
It’s also a quality ink that will never stain your pen. If you forget to clean your pen for a long time and you leave ink staying inside and it ends up drying, just a quick flush will help get off all the gunk and leave your pen spotless clean.
Another great thing about this ink is that it works well on all types of papers, including the cheap ones, even when using a wet stub nib. You’ll like that this ink doesn’t bleed through cheap papers, so you can write on both sides of a paper without any problems.
Keep in mind that this ink flows smooth and produces neat handwriting on different types of paper. It dries pretty fast and leaves you with vivid and shiny text.
With this ink available in an extensive range of colors to choose from, you’ll surely find a color that fits your writing style and preferences. The hexagon shaped ink bottle looks fantastic.
This ink isn’t waterproof. But it is highly water-soluble—an aspect that makes it easy to clean if it gets on your hands or accidentally stains your clothes, desk, or floor.
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2. Parker 1950375 Quink Ink Bottle
Parker 1950375 Quink will revolutionize your daily writing with your fountain pen. The pocket-friendly ink comes ready to lay bold black lines on different types of papers you write everyday with no signs of fades or smears.
The Parker Quink is popular for producing sharp and vivid lining. And you can use it even on cheap papers without fears of feathering or bleeding through the page. it writes super-smooth and will not run or bleed even when you use it on cheap copy paper.
Quink ink has a fast drying time and takes approx. 10 seconds. This is great property because you won’t need to get worried that you might accidentally smudge your handwritten text when using this ink.
Keep in mind that this ink works with different pen brands, whether it’s Jinhao, Waterman, Pilot, Pelikan, and so on.
Unfortunately, this ink isn’t easily washable and might take time to get off your hands if you accidentally stain yourself. So, you’d want to be more careful to avoid spilling it on your hands as much as possible.
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3. PILOT Iroshizuku Bottled Fountain Pen Ink
If you’re on the market for the best everyday fountain pen ink for form filling, writing exams, musical notation, and other daily writing tasks, you’ll find this Pilot’s Iroshizuku ink a good choice.
It’s worth noting that the term “Iroshizuku” is derived from Japanese natural plants and landscapes. With this ink, you get the intense and subtle colors of Japan. The ink writes smoothly even on standard papers. It will make even your crappy pen write like a thousand-dollar pen! Since the ink dries pretty fast, you shouldn’t worry about smudging it.
Probably the coolest part about this ink is the beautiful-looking bottle it comes with. Everyone seems to fall in love with this bottle and they can’t seem to get their eyeballs off it. Simply put, the bottle will be a scene to behold on your desk.
Pilot has been in this game for over a century and you can trust them to provide you with high-quality ink for all your writing needs. The pricing is a bit on the higher side compared to other inks but it’s well worth every penny for such great quality.
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4. Pelikan 4001 Bottled Ink
Pelikan is one of the respected names in the fountain pen industry. They proudly present you with this Pelikan 4001 ink formulation that was developed over 125 years ago to protect both your pen and nib while giving you excellent handwriting results.
The bold, brilliant black color produces super-clear line definition on all papers you encounter in your daily life. It produces an even, free flow to give you the smoothest possible writing experience.
One thing Pelikan inks are known for is slow flowing and dry-writing. This makes them the best ink choice for use with pens that tend to show high ink generosity with ink usage.
The ink is also pretty versatile and will not only work with Pelikan pens but also pens from other brands featuring the plunger mechanism and a converter. It comes in a 30ml beautiful bottle. Pelikan doesn’t overfill ink in this bottle, so immersing your pen for a refill won’t result in spillage. The cap also comes tightly screwed down to further prevent possible spillage.
If you’re looking for darker ink for everyday writing that gives you high clarity and legibility, you won’t go wrong with this ink from Pelikan. it has fair pricing and anybody will easily afford it
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5. Thornton's Luxury Goods Fountain Pen Ink
The last ink on our list for the everyday writer is the Luxury Good’s fountain pen ink. This is a high-quality ink designed to offer you nothing but perfection with its elegant array of colors.
Regardless of the quality of paper, you’re writing on, this ink is formulated to produce intense lines in brilliant colors. It flows freely and smoothly to give you a smooth and fast writing experience. Drying time is also fast for this ink which reduces the chances of smudging as you continue writing.
The dye-based also offers you some moderate water resistance to ensure your handwritten text can last for long with exposure to moderate moisture levels.
Unlike most inks that are only formulated for a specific manufacturer’s fountain pens, this one works with all brands of pens. It provides the same sediment-free, non-corrosive, and free-flowing characteristics on these different pens.
Overall, this ink from Thornton’s Luxury Goods will make the perfect gift for any writer or artist in your life. You can also gift it to your spouse, friend, children, etc., to use it for their daily writing needs.
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What to look for before buying?
When purchasing fountain pen ink for everyday writing, the following factors will help you easily find the perfect ink for your needs.
Saturation
Saturation simply refers to how colorant an ink contains. Inks featuring high saturation appear darker and more vibrant. Less saturated inks, on the other hand, appear pale and transparent.
It is easy to tell between these two ink categories by just looking at their writing results on a piece of paper.
The problem with using highly saturated inks is that they have a longer drying time and tend to smear easily when they dry. They can also cause a buildup of residue in your pen’s nib and feed with time.
For the best writing performance, we suggest looking for low or medium-saturated ink. This will produce clear and vivid lines while drying quick and preventing smudging and smearing.
Color
One of the coolest things about fountain pen inks is that they come in a myriad of color options. Your chances of getting an ink color that fits your needs are pretty high.
Just take your time to find a color that you need.
If you have no clue which colors to choose, start with the basic blue and black inks as they’ll meet most of your everyday writer needs.
Flow
How quickly ink flows through your pen is also an important consideration when shopping for everyday use ink.
Wetter inks tend to flow through the pan faster, meaning more ink will be put onto a paper as you write.
Wetter inks feel smoother to write compared to dry inks. However, the dry inks have an advantage in that they rarely bleed or feather through inexpensive paper.
Waterproof
You should also focus on getting water-resistant ink if you don’t want the important notes you take using your pen to get interfered with by water.
Some inks are 100% waterproof and should meet your needs for completely impervious ink.
However, most of the inks are moderately waterproof and might smear if they get wet, but still remain legible for you to read.
Cost
A fountain pen is a luxury item, so you'll want to ensure that your ink of choice matches the quality of your writing instrument. But there are also more practical reasons to consider cost when selecting your ink.
For example, if you often use pens with different nib sizes, you will find that certain inks flow more easily through one type of nib than another. Price may also be an issue for those who are interested in using their fountain pen as an everyday writing utensil.
Versatility
If you are looking for the perfect ink to write with, then versatility is key. Fountain pen ink is not just black or blue or red, there are many colors and shades of colors to choose from. Choosing the right color will make your writing come alive on paper.
Safety
Ink is a versatile substance. However, in order to maintain its usefulness, it is important that safety precautions are taken into consideration when using ink. Inks not only come in many different colors, but also different viscosities and thicknesses. This can make it tricky to know which ink would be appropriate for various writing implements.
Smoothness
Many fountain pen ink manufacturers and enthusiasts argue that the most important quality of a fountain pen ink is its smoothness. The smoother the ink, the less drag it will produce on paper and the less time you'll need to spend cleaning your pen after writing. Manufacturers such as Sailor and Platinum offer many different colors and tips for different surfaces to ensure you're able to find an ink that suits your needs perfectly.
FAQ
Q. Are fountain pens good for everyday use?
Fountain pens are great for everyday use provided you use the right pen and ink for everyday writing. These pens have great ergonomics and are more durable than standard pens. they also act as a lifestyle statement and you will feel classy writing with them anywhere you go.
Q. What is the smoothest fountain pen for daily use?
A pen’s nib will play a great role in how smoothly a pen writes. But part of the credit for smooth writing will go to the ink you feed your pen with. Inks with high lubricity tend to flow smoothly and evenly and offer you a smooth writing experience.
Q. Is it OK to mix fountain pen inks?
You should never mix fountain pen inks. Different inks come with different formulations and mixing them might end up damaging your pen. We also urge you to adopt the habit of flushing your pen with clean water to completely get rid of the current ink before you it with new ink color.
Final Verdict
There are many fountain pen inks out there, but not all of them might meet your needs for the best everyday fountain pen ink. In this guide, we have discussed our top 5 top inks that have proven to meet the everyday writing needs of various users. Our quick buying guide will offer you valuable tips to help you easily choose the perfect ink to feed your pen for everyday writing.
