Ink reviews are performed on a Rhodia Dot Pad N° 18. The pen can vary but is always reported.
Dry time
The time is written down. At the end of the last letter I begin counting off (1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000 etc.). When the time is reached, I swipe over the ink from left-to-right with a clean, dry fingertip.
Colour
A swab sample is produced by dipping a cotton-tipped swab into the ink and swiping over the paper. This is examined for shading and/or sheening and/or shimmer.
Chromatography
Using a cotton tipped swab, ink is applied to a piece of bleached coffee filter. The filter is held in with 1-2 mm submerged in water, with the ink remaining out of the water. Water is allowed to draw the ink up the filter until the line of the ink has nearly reached the top of the filter. The sample is hung to dry.
Shading, saturation & sheening
The swipes are performed with a cotton-tipped swab in alternating directions. The swab is re-dipped between samples but not between swipes of the same sample. An ink that looks the same from 1-3 swabs is considered fully saturated, while variation in this is considered shading. The appearance of secondary colours is considered sheening.
Durability
Solvents
Writing is allowed to dry for at least 30 minutes. Using an eyedropper, a small drip of solvent is placed on the middle of the writing sample. The paper is allowed to dry completely.
Please don’t try these solvent tests. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous, alone and/or when mixed
Water: Brita-filtered municipal tap water
Isopropanol: 100% isopropanol (note: this does not form a bead on the paper but soaks in immediately and spreads within the paper, rather than atop it)
Hydrogen peroxide: Stabilised hydrogen peroxide from the drug store
Ammonia (Window Cleaner): Blue window cleaner product
Bleach: Javal
Erasability
Writing is allowed to dry for at least 30 minutes. A white rubber eraser is used with 10 passes to attempt to erase the ink.
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