Fountain Pens For Cards?

[New_Falcon]

Recently I had to send a thank you card, so I bought a card and sat down and began to write it. Instead of a nice flow, I got an anemic looking thin line. I have to believe that this was down to the sizing or just the card paper in general.

 

So how do you deal with this situation? Have a pen that's broad nib or just use a rollerball/ballpoint for card use?

 

I don't send cards often, so when I do it's important to me that it look as nice as possible.

 

Thanks.

[theverdictis]

Most b day/congratulation etc cards seem to have a 'waxy effect' on them that the inks just don't like. Just write with a ball point.

[Notgatherox]

I use Kung Te Cheng on cards and it seems to work well for me.

 

 

~Epic

[ac12]

If a FP does not work, you have only a few options.

A ball pen or sharpie marker.

Or get a different card.

 

When you get a card, you have to look inside and look at and feel the paper to get an idea if the card will handle a FP or not.

If it is slick and glossy, just put it back into the rack.

[Runnin_Ute]

I am with ac12. Check the paper if possible. Orherwise use something else.

[Beckwith]

I agree with everyone else above - something may be up with the card. I'm not sure if you mean a Hallmark card or a nice card of stationary... I've never had any issue writing on good stationary. But greeting cards can be difficult to write on even with a ballpoint or gel-pen. Those types of cards don't have enough capillary action going on in the fibers to attract the ink out of the pen and onto the paper.

 

If it was a greeting card you had the issue with, try getting some elegant stationary instead.

[New_Falcon]

Thanks for all the comments. Yes the card was a greeting card, but it was bought at a supposed higher end independant store.

 

So I'll have to go and search for a decent broad ballpoint pen.

[PAKMAN]

I have started to feel the writing area on cards now before I buy them. If they are slick then a FP usually won't write well on them if they feel dry, I have much more luck.

[New_Falcon]

I did try that but I don't think that I can quite recognise good fountain pen paper by feel.

[two2tone]

If I must write on a slick card, I'll use a fine line sharpie. The other option is to get nice FP friendly paper, cut it to size, write on it and include it inside the card.

[Moshe ben David]

Thanks for all the comments. Yes the card was a greeting card, but it was bought at a supposed higher end independant store.

 

So I'll have to go and search for a decent broad ballpoint pen.

 

Keep a Sharpie fine or ultrafine on hand. They'll write on pretty much anything.

[GatzBcn]

I make my own cards, so I use paper that is FP friendly.

[mikeschu]

I've had some luck writing on glossy postcards by using a Japanese EF nib and iron-gall ink.

 

I recently picked up an Esterbrook 9450 (extra-firm posting) nib, so I might try it again with a different (darker) ink.

[RMN]

As suggested: if possible, feel the paper.

 

There are two types that are FP unfriendly: the waxy high gloss, and the cheap loose cardboard cards, that suck ink like a sponge and feather a lot.

 

These are the rare instances where a BP pen is better than a FP.

 

After a while you get the feel of the paper and you can predict how it's going to be, but sometimes you just make a mistake. Too bad.

 

 

D.ick

[Icywolfe]

Try carbon ink.

 

And if you don't mind dip pens use the Deleter Black inks. Black 1 works but takes years (not literally) to dry. And never smell that ink, you can get "high" off of it.

[LWJ2]

Most of the card stock used in the mass-market greeting industry (Hallmark, et al.) is coated or varnished. If you wish to make your own, a high-cotton content 24 or 28 pound stock usually works well, Crane's Crest 100% cotton bond (or "currency bond") is very nice and can be purchased by the ream from it's maker.

 

http://www.neenahpaper.com/FinePaper/CRANEPapers/CRANESBONDPapers

[owend]

I've also had some cards where the inside of the card itself was perfectly fine for FP ink, but the envelope was some sort of shiny "pretty" finish and the ink wouldn't dry without smearing; I had to use ballpoint for the address.

[Anne-Sophie]

The standard way, for me, to deal with that problem is, to insert a folded page of blank, fountain pen friendly paper*, inside the card.

 

Letter size paper, for standard greeting card size.

 

Junior (half letter size), for smaller ones.

 

The big advantage of that is the ability to rewrite the message, if an error slips up. And, it insures that every card is fountain pen friendly.

 

* I have used sheets of Triomphe blank writing notepad for best result but in a pinch, a sheet of blank Rhodia notepad will do.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Anne-Sophie

[_Stormin_]

get nice FP friendly paper, cut it to size, write on it and include it inside the card.

 

This is my M.O. every time now days. I just tuck a handwritten note in the card, and only sign the card itself.

[EJKorvette]

I bought a Hallmark birthday card for my wife today and used my Parker 21 filled with Iroshizuku kon-peki to sign it. Absolutely no problems and it looks really nice!