Guides
5 things nobody tells you about ink testing methods
The order a real ink test runs in, from stating one question to recording a result, and the difference between what you can measure and what you can only observe.
What to take away
- A test starts with a written question. The question decides how long the test runs and what you record.
- Every candidate ink needs a control beside it, on the same paper, in the same sitting.
- Dry time is a checkpoint list, not one number. Drag a finger across at 5, 10, 20 and 30 seconds.
- Water resistance is measured after 24 hours of drying, not five minutes after writing.
- A result is written conditions plus observations. A phone photo is not a record.
The five things, named
- The question sets the test."Does this ink bleed on 80 gsm paper with a medium nib" is testable. "Is this ink any good" is not.
- Every candidate needs a control.Run an ink you already trust on the same sheet, in the same session. Without it you are describing, not comparing. The pairing guide shows how far paper choice can move an ink on its own.
- One variable per run.Let the ink, the paper, or the nib differ. Nothing else.
- Dry time is a set of checkpoints.Note the first clean finger drag at 5, 10, 20 and 30 seconds.
- Conditions belong in the record.Room temperature, relative humidity, paper weight and nib width all move the outcome.
The order a test runs in
Six steps, about ten minutes to set up and a day to finish.
- Question.Write one sentence: what you want to know, on which paper, with which pen.
- Control.Write the same sentence for an ink you already know on that paper.
- Single variable.Change one thing between the two lines.
- Run.Write the same word with both and start a timer.
- Observe.Check dry time at fixed intervals, then bleed and water at 24 hours.
- Record.Write the conditions and the observations before you tidy the desk.
Two inks on two papers is four lines you will not be able to read later. Keep the run at two.
How a Real Ink Test Runs
- State one question
- Choose the control
- Fix the conditions
- Run test and control together
- Record date, paper, pen, ink
- Repeat once before believing
Conservators use the same shape with better instruments. Staff at the National Library of Medicine tracked color shift nondestructively with image analysis rather than sampling the paper. They asked one narrow question about aging in storage. You ask one narrow question about one ink on one page.
What you can measure and what you can only describe
A fixed set of papers keeps the rows comparable, and the five-tool paper kit covers which weights to keep on hand.
What you can measure
| Property | Measurable at home | Method and checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Dry time | Yes | Finger drag at 5, 10, 20 and 30 seconds |
| Bleed through | Yes | Read the reverse of the sheet after 24 hours |
| Water resistance | Yes | Two drops from 15 cm after 24 hours of drying, checked at 1 and 10 minutes |
| Feathering | Roughly | Same word against the control, side by side |
| Light fastness | Slowly | Half a strip in a bright window for 30 days |
| Exact color | No | Needs a spectrophotometer, not a phone photo |
| Dye against pigment | No | Needs spectral analysis |
Telling dye inks from pigment inks takes instruments. One study used visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging to assess the spectral characteristics of dye-based and pigment-based prints. Dye inks are sometimes sold as the more durable pigment kind, which is why the last row stays.
Example: two inks, one sheet, 24 hours
- Controlthe blue-black you have used for a year, medium nib.
- Candidatethe new ink, same pen model, same nib width, cleaned and dried.
- Write the same two words on one 90 gsm sheet, 30 mm apart.
- Drag a finger across each sample at 5, 10, 20 and 30 seconds.
- Leave the sheet face up, away from sun, for 24 hours.
- Read the reverse for bleed, then place two water drops on each word from 15 cm.
- Check the drops at 1 minute and 10 minutes, blot, and record.
Nib width changes every number above. The beginner field guide explains how the nib and feed control how much ink reaches the page.
Two conditions people forget
Humidity moves dry time more than most testers expect. Drying runs from a few seconds to over 30 seconds depending on the ink, paper and humidity, which is why one bottle feels fast in February and slow in August. Note the season if you note nothing else.
The second forgotten condition is rest. A nib capped for an hour starts differently from one that has been writing for ten minutes. Fill both pens at the same moment and cap them for the same interval.
Writing the result down
A result is a sentence with conditions attached. Fill this in while the sheet is still on the desk.
Question:
Control:
Changed:
Conditions: paper ___ gsm, pen ___, nib ___, date ___, room ___ F, humidity ___%
Dry time: first clean drag at ___ s
Bleed: none / slight / heavy
Water: 1 min ___ , 10 min ___
Failure point:
That record is still readable in three years. A photograph is not, because it carries no conditions and no checkpoints. Paper varies between makers more than most testers expect, and the independent makers report explains how sizing and coating change bleed.
Common questions
How many papers should one test cover?
How long does a full test take?
Should left-handed writers change the method?
Does the age of the bottle matter?
In this guide
- Seven mistakes that ruin home ink tests and how to fix each oneSeven mistakes that ruin home ink tests, why each one breaks the result, and the small habit that turns a nice looking page into usable notes.
- Building an Ink Testing Bench: Washable Surface, Fixed Light and Spill TrayWhat an ink testing bench needs: a washable surface, fixed 5000 K light and camera, a spill tray, handling rules and improvised gear options.
- How ink makers and conservators test ink: two very different goalsHow ink makers and conservators test ink: what a formulator and a conservator each want to know about an ink, the iron gall case that shows why.
- What to buy first for testing ink at home: a closer lookA short list of testing equipment that earns its place, what a flatbed scanner adds, and the line beyond which home testing stops being possible.
- Ink testing supplies compared: cheap tier versus expensive tierCheap and costly ink testing supplies compared side by side, covering named papers, light boxes, cards and viewers and what each tier actually buys you.
