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I have just completed the Scribblers Calligraphy Ink Chart 
All colours are scans from actual draw-offs. Colours are reproduced as faithfully as the print process and monitor settings allow.We have already had a good response to this range of colours – so why not give them a try! Visit Scribblers shop
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Scribblers Calligraphy Ink Chart |
We have just launched a new range of inks. Typically an ink is either suitable for Dip Pens OR Fountain Pens. This is because Fountain pen ink needs to be thinner to flow properly in the mechanism. Inks suitable for dip pens or nibs are usually too thick or sticky for a Fountain Pen and can therefore clog-up the mechanism and damage the pen.Our new ink – Scribblers Calligraphy Ink is suitable for Dip pen AND Fountain Pens. It’s thin enough for the pen, but gives a good coverage making it suitable for dip pens.It is available in 50 different colours. You can see a sample of the colour next to each ink. Please note colours are reproduced as faithfully as the print process and monitor settings allow.In the next few days I shall be posting a colour chart of the inks.Scribblers Calligraphy Ink
| AmaranthAmberAqua BlueBlaze OrangeBlue BlackBrilliant RedBurnt SiennaCeriseChina BlueClaretCoralCrimsonDark BrownDark GreenDeep MagentaEmeraldFlamingo PinkFlorida BlueGolden BrownGreyImperial BlueImperial PurpleIndigoJade GreenJet Black | Light GreenMaroonMediterranean BlueMonoco RedOrangePassion RedPinkPresidential BluePrussian BlueQuartz BlackRaw SiennaRoyal BlueSaddle BrownSaphire BlueScarletSepiaSteel BlueSunshine YellowTurquoiseUmberVermillionVioletWashable BlueWoodland GreenYellow |  |
There are many inks available for calligraphy, but not all of them are ideal for lettering. Many inks do produce a very dense black, which is what most calligraphers want, but some inks are watery whilst others are too sticky. Other inks are too think and do not flow well in a dip pen.
There are two types of bottled ink; waterproof and non-waterproof ink.
Waterproof Inks contain shellac, which is what makes it waterproof. Writing with waterproof ink is difficult as the ink can clog up the nib. Therefore it is best for calligraphers to avoid waterproof ink.
Non-Waterproof Inks Fountain pen inks are not generally suitable for calligraphers. This is because usually they are watery so they can be used in fountain pens without cloggy the mechanism. However, this does not always produce satisfactory results with dip pens – often you will be able to see where two strokes have overlapped. Sometimes if you write over a guideline it will show through the pen strokes. That said, we have developed a range of Scribblers Calligraphy Inks that are equally suitable for fountain pen and dip pen lettering.
Even though calligraphy inks are purposely designed for dip pens they can still be still watery, sticky, thick or do not flow very well. Sometimes thick or sticky ink can be diluted to help it flow. But you must be very careful and not over do this – only add a few drops at a time so the ink does not become watery. If you can, ask someone else what their favourite ink is.
Many of our customers use Higgins Eternal Ink for every day use. It gives a dark, dense black and flows well.
Also, for practising, another favourite is the Pelikan 4001 Fountain Pen ink.
As iron gall ink is chemically based rather than pigment based, its characteristics generally differ from other calligraphic inks. The darkening process to a warm black as the ink oxidises on the page is a natural phenomenon. It equally produces for the penman the most incredibly fine hairlines unsurpassed by virtually any other type of ink.Iron gall ink is also indelible, a major reason why it was made and used extensively throughout history. It was the most important ink during the whole of the Middle Ages, used in medieval manuscripts and by such famous artists as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. Vincent Van Gogh also used it for many of his pen and ink drawings. It was the traditional ink used by master penmen during the American Golden Age of Ornamental Penmanship (circa 1850 – 1930) and was an essential medium in the copy print process invented by James Watt of steam engine fame.Iron gall ink is now enjoying something of a calligraphic revival, but recipes can vary considerably.Iron Gall Ink at Scribblers
At last I have been able to find a supplier of the Rotring Drawing Ink It is available in 2 sizes; 250ml and 23ml size bottles.This is a waterproof drawing ink suitable for working on tracing paper and line board.Drawing Inks
Which paint colours to choose can be quite daunting -so many colours are available. But you do not need to buy them all!All colours can be mixed from the 3 primary colours; red, blue and yellow. However, mixing a yellow and blue together may not always give you a vibrant green, if the colours being mixed are not pure and contain a small amount of another primary colour, it may differ the tone. For instance a yellow which contains a small amount of blue pigment would result in a greener tone. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find the exact desired colour.You will be able to achieve a much wider range of colours by mixing secondary colours e.g. purple, green and orange together rather than just the primary pigments. Therefore buying 6 colours of paint rather than just the 3 primary colours, will enable you to mix any colour you want.The 6 colours are:Ultramarine (blue-red)Paris Blue (blue-yellow)Lemon Yellow (yellow-blue)Cadmium Yellow (yellow-red)Vermilion / Cadium Red (red-yellow)Madder Red / Alizarin (red-blue)Schmincke Calligraphy GouacheColour Wheel
I have now uploaded the information sheets for the new Penman Inks. These sheets show the old name and product code and their new name and new product code.Hope you find them useful. Do email us if you have any problems.Permanent Pigmented (Permanent)Natural Historical (Authentic)Liquid Gouache (Traditional)Classical Transparent (Transparent)
For Copperplate I occasionally stir the ink, but for the more delicate Spencerian Script I never stir it.Iron gall ink, being a chemically based ink, tends to form an insoluble pigment when exposed to air. This is the galling thing about iron gall ink! Occasionally therefore, scoop out the ‘sludge’ from the bottom of the bottle with a soft paintbrush and replace the lost volume with fresh ink. I have adapted the recipe in the making of the ink to try to reduce the possibility of too much pigment forming, but users are advised to avoid leaving the top off the bottle for long periods.Also, iron gall ink by necessity is an acid ink. A drop or two of water occasionally will help to replace any evaporation ,but to maintain the pH level of the ink, and therefore keep the ink black, it is advisable to also occasionally add a drop or two of lemon juice or vinegar. In this way I’ve been using the same bottle of ink successfully now for about two months.Walker’s Copperplate Ink
We have updated the website and the new penman inks are now available replacing the old ranges. The ink colours remain unchanged. Only the ink names and the names of the ink ranges have changed.The Fountain Pen range and the Perfumed range remain un-changedI will shortly be uploading information mapping the old ink names and numbers with the new names and numbers.Penman Permanent Pigmented Inks Colour Chart (old range – Permanent)Penman Natural Historical Inks Colour Chart (old range – Authentic)Penman Liquid Gouache Inks Colour Chart (old range – Traditional)Penman Classical Transparent Inks Colour Chart (old range – Transparent)
I got some bad news the other day. Our supplier of the Penman Inks has just finished changing the names of these inks. This means we will have to change our website and catalogue 
The ‘Fountain Pen’ range and the ‘Perfumed Colour’ range will remain the same, but the name of the other 4 ranges and the names of the inks within these ranges are changing.Please note, the colour of the inks WILL stay the same.In the next week or two the Penman Inks will be unavailable for a couple of days whilst we update the ranges. New colour charts will also be available.As soon as I get more information I shall post the details here.
