Is There A Need For Black Or Grey Inks?

[tarheel1]

I have been thinking about black and grey inks lately. I had a bottle of Iroshizuku fuyu-syogun, but cant find it. I no longer work for the government and wondering if there really is a need for black or grey inks in my life or in general for civilians. What say you

[bardiir]

I'm neither a fan of royal blue nor black because those are the ordinary everyday ballpoint colors. It's something I like with the fountain Pens, you can get literally hundreds of colors and even mix them if you like. I'm very much into purple or green inks. My current favorite is a mix from salix and scabiosa, very nice purple color and absolutely waterproof.

[Pen Nut]

So you only see blacks and greys to be worthy of government workers and not civilians ?

[tarheel1]

So you only see blacks and greys to be worthy of government workers and not civilians ?

No I am not saying that at all. If you like black inks great. I guess what i am asking is there a specific reason i would need one? I am kinda on the fence about buying a black ink.

[GeneralSynopsis]

I'm neither a fan of royal blue nor black because those are the ordinary everyday ballpoint colors. It's something I like with the fountain Pens, you can get literally hundreds of colors and even mix them if you like. I'm very much into purple or green inks. My current favorite is a mix from salix and scabiosa, very nice purple color and absolutely waterproof.

 

When I worked for a UK government agency we filed any handwritten letters in green ink behind the radiator or in the round file without reading them. This was mainly because of green ink's proverbial association with cranks and MI6.

Edited July 20, 2014 by GeneralSynopsis

[napalm]

I still see some forms that ask to fill them with black ink in print. Once or twice per year maybe. An Uniball 207 gel is all that's needed...

[RMN]

There are purposes when a black, or almost black ink (very dark brown/green/blue is needed, eg when you have to scan it or photocopy it.

 

Many lighter colours do not show up well after copying.

 

 

Personally I dislike the standard blues, but I love midnight blue

 

 

D.ick

[PDW]

I like the look of Lamy black - that'll do for me as a reason

[wykeite]

 

When I worked for a UK government agency we filled any handwritten letters in green ink behind the radiator or in the round file without reading them. This was mainly because of green ink's proverbial association with cranks and MI6.

 

Sounds about right for the seat polishers employed these days. I presume you actually mean "filed" so you weren't really in a writing job were you? I suppose we could say that black ink has an association with ..................................................(print out and fill in).

I still see some forms that ask to fill them with black ink in print. Once or twice per year maybe. An Uniball 207 gel is all that's needed...

Why black? I've never had a form returned if it wasn't in black. Never had a green one returned either .

[migo984]

Why black? I've never had a form returned if it wasn't in black. Never had a green one returned either .

I think it's a hangover from the days when other colours, especially blue, didn't photocopy well, so people were told to use black ink. It also scans better, for mass electronic document storage. However, it isn't compulsory these days to use black due to improvements in document reproduction.

 

I use black inks, but usually for ink sketching & drawing. I do however like writing with Pilot Namiki Black. It suits the Japanese aesthetic somehow.

[andreasn]

black is an easy ink, it works for everything, it doesn't require you to think about it looking out of place or if you like the color. I think that is its place. though I strongly dislike royal blue, for a similar but much more stylish effect I use a good green like MB irish green (the oly one I have, but I love it).

[PAKMAN]

I've always felt that life was too short to write with black ink or ugly pens! That said, fuyu-syogun is a fun gray/silver ink that I can get behind!

[flatline]

I use blue and purple.

 

I've got nothing against black, but I also have no need for it.

 

--flatline

[ac12]

Personally I would take a good black over blue.

I switched to blue 2 years ago, and I'm seriously considering going back to black.

But I also started using green as my personal ink.

[Snargle]

I have a couple of black inks (Noodler's Black, Parker Quink) that get used occasionally. They're functional and practical, but not something I use when I want my writing to have some interest and personality.

[Joane]

I can understand the desire to rid oneself of a work-associated colour. I also worked in an institutional setting that was rather conservative and where most people, myself included wore primarily black shoes. When I left that job I set about to eliminate all the black shoes from my wardrobe and replace them with brightly coloured ones. The shoe wardrobe developed over time is now: red, yellow, blue, green, tan, brown, mauve, ivory and burgundy. The only black among them is some trim on the ivory shoes.

 

Which brings me to ink. I love the Art Deco look of black ink on plush ivory or crisp white paper. Most of the time I use blue, blue-black or the occasional other colour but every once in a while the yen for black on ivory or white surfaces and I am so glad to have a black ink I love. The one I am using now is MB Mystery Black. It flows well, has lots of nuance or shading and shows the nib's character formation with no distraction due to colour. Although I don't use black ink all the time, when the mood hits it is delicious!

[TeaHive]

I love the Art Deco look of black ink on plush ivory or crisp white paper.

 

Yes, a thousand times yes!! There's just something classy and eye-catching about black ink on creamy paper. For me, black is my ink for just writing, but I certainly don't feel limited to it. It's just what I like to use every day. I have a couple other colors in a couple pens for sketching and journaling, but it all depends on what I'm doing that determines the ink color.

 

I'd suggest just looking at inks and find one that really calls to you, whatever color that calls to you. If you find something that you really love and makes you happy when you look at it, that's what's important. If you find grey or black a bit boring on their own, maybe try looking at colors that have touches of grey in them, or off-blacks. I just got a bottle of Diamine Salamander Black, which is actually a dark khaki or olive green, so it tickles my fancy. There are all sorts of near-blacks out there: dark reds and midnight blues, purples, and browns. There is an endless spectrum of colored inks available (so much that it's a bit overwhelming at times), so take the time to look at swatches and ink reviews and I'm sure you'll find something (or a couple somethings) you like.

[william2001]

Although I don't like black inks, I must use them for school.

My teacher is strict, so she only allows black or gray.

-William S. Park

[inkstainedruth]

I'm not a big fan of black ink, but I have some. Mostly samples used for inking drawings. And I have a bottle of Quink Black, for using as a tester ink, because it's pretty innocuous -- well behaved and easy to flush out of pens.

Greys are a whole 'nother animal. I *love* some grey inks, particularly De Atramentis Tchaikowsky/Silver Grey (I keep thinking I should order the version labelled as "Albrecht Dürer" from their website, just on general principal, because that color makes me think of silverpoint drawings. I also like Noodler's El Lawrence which is sort of somewhere between brown, sepia and grey (someone described it as the color of "used motor oil", which is a pretty apt description -- a really weird color, but somehow it just grabs me. I saw a review of it and just somehow just couldn't look away from the color.

I would reach for a grey ink a lot more often than I'd reach for black.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[playtime]

Black is black
I want my baby back
It's gray, it's gray
Since she went away, Ooh-Ooh
What can I do
'Cause I-I-I-I-I'm feelin' blue

 

royal blue that is:) blue for me nowadays, but I am feeling the pull of an Aurora black ink bottle. Just dont know what pen to use with it........

 

J