How to Write with Shimmering Inks

If you've been in the fountain pen world for awhile, chances are you've come across some of the new shimmering inks. At GouletPens.com, we currently carry two varieties: J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary inks and the Diamine Shimmertastic collection. Both types are regular fountain pen ink with added sparkle for that glittery effect that is incredibly unique.

Some fountain pen users are hesitant to use this type of ink because they are afraid of damaging their fountain pens. Additionally, there is a lot of misinformation and supposition floating around out there about these inks and their affect on nibs and feeds. We've got good news for you! Since all of this ink is created for fountain pens, it will not damage your pens. You will need to take a bit more care when cleaning them, however, so we'll go into more detail about that below. We want to do a little myth busting in this blog, as well as let you in on the secrets to getting the most mileage out of your shimmering fountain pen ink.

Diamine Lilac Satin with a Noodler's Ahab Flex Pen Lapis Inferno

1. Filling your fountain pen

Diamine Golden Sands

More so than with other inks, there is a particular technique for filling your fountain pen with shimmering inks. The sparkle additives will settle, so you need to gently shake the bottle of ink before filling it. Make sure to shake it slowly so that no air bubbles form because this can cause flow issues! Once you've gently shaken the bottle, you'll want to quickly fill your pen before the particles settle once again.

2. Writing Techniques

J. Herbin 1670 Bleu Ocean in the barrel of a TWSBI Mini Fountain Pen Classic

Just like in the bottle, the glitter particles will settle in your fountain pen. Between writing sessions, or even while writing, make sure to keep the ink agitated. You can do this a number of ways including:

Rolling the pen in your hand while writing. This can be back and forth or rolling it in between your palms
If your pen sits for a long time, gently move the pen from end to end to let the sparkles distribute through the ink before writing

3. Keep it clean

Goulet Pen Flush

More so than with other ink, you need to make sure you clean your fountain pen thoroughly when using shimmering inks. The extra particles can be stubborn about leaving, and can cause clogging issues if proper precautions aren't taken. However, with a bit of elbow grease and maybe some Goulet Pen Flush, you should be fine! Keep this in mind:

Make sure to thoroughly clean your pen in between uses, even more so then normal
Use a toothbrush to clean the feed- shimmer particles can stick to this section
Use Goulet Pen Flush if you need to, it can help a lot

4. Pick the right fountain pen

Shimmer inks shown in a range of fountain pen nib sizes

Pair your sparkling ink with a fountain pen that will really show off that extra flair! Juicy, wet writers are going to work best so stick with flex nibs or broad or italic nibs for great results. That being said, smaller nib sizes can work, just make sure they have a generous flow. Part of the fun of trying shimmering inks, and fountain pens in general, is the experimentation. Try out different pen, ink, and nib combinations and find out what works best for you!

5. Paper Matters

J. Herbin 1670 Bleu Ocean on Clairfontaine Triomphe Paper

Ink resistant paper is going to work best with shimmering inks. The more ink resistant, the more sparkle you'll see! Here are some examples of fantastic paper for your shimmering inks:

Some paper that isn't going to show the sparkle as much includes:

Inkjet paper
Moleskines
Composition notebooks
Recycled paper

Diamine Shimmertastic Inks Package Set

The Diamine Shimmertastic Collection currently has 22 varieties of ink with gold or silver sparkles. They are available at GouletPens.com in 50ml bottles for $20 or 2ml ink samples for $1.75. They are available in a 5-pack of your choices as part of the Diamine Shimmertastic Inks Package Set for $90.

J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink Package Set

J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary inks come in five types with gold sparkle only. They are available at GouletPens.com in 50ml bottles for $26 or 2ml ink samples for $1.85. You can also pick up all five bottles in a J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink Package Set for $117.

Diamine Blue Flame with a Karas Kustoms Ink fountain pen in Gold with a broad nib.

Whether you are using a J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary ink or a Diamine Shimmertastic ink, the added glittering effect is entrancing. If you've been worried about trying these out, we hope this blog cleared up any of the confusion out there. Got questions? Make sure to leave them in the comments below!

What is your favorite shimmering ink?

Write on,
The Goulet Pen Company Team