Fade Test of Some of my Inks, Mostly J. Herbin and Waterman

[Ovidius]

This is my first review, so I hope that everything works properly. I am not sure if this is the proper place to post a fade test of several inks, if it is not, please tell me.

 

I used Q-tips to make colour swabs, cut the page in half, put one half in my window for three weeks and the other half in a book. After three weeks I put them side by side and here is the result. For comparison, I added a few none fountain pens, (Sharpie Marker, Roller Ball, Gel, etc...).

 

Scientific Disclaimer: This is just a general comparison, but by no means scientifically accurate. I generally passed the Q-tip over the paper five times, but occasionally I did more passes. Additionally, I am in a more northerly area and it is still winter, (Less sun, Fewer UVs) so it might take less time to reach these levels of fading with more sun. Regardless, it does provide an example of the fade resistence of some inks.

 

 

1: Red Pilot Roller Ball

2: Blue Sharpie

3: Yellow Highlighter

4: Lamy Blue Cartridge (in pen, not Q-tip)

5: Aurora Black

6: Omas Sepia

7: J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir

8: Waterman Red

9: J. Herbin Bleu Nuit

10: Waterman Blue Black

11: Waterman Green

12: Waterman Florida Blue

13: Parker Washable Blue Quink

14: Pilot Black VPen Disposable FP

15: J. Herbin Blue Azure

16: J. Herbin Terre de feu

17: Waterman South Seas Blue

18: Parker Gel Refill for ball points

[MicheleB]

This is a fascinating experiment. Thanks.

[Ovidius]

It is a fun experiment, not too hard to do. I am really curious to know which inks survive better. The Waterman Red faired out much better than I would have expected, while the J. Herbins did worse than I would have expected. In practical terms, I suppose that fade resistance is only important if your writing is going to be exposed to large amounts of direct sunlight, but I like to know as much as I can about the ink that I am using. I still have the paper in my window, so I might post the extended results in a few weeks if they are interesting.

[MicheleB]

more fade test results here:

 

http://www.inksampler.com/sampler/fadetest.htm

[Ovidius]

Thank you for the link, I can see that it will prove very useful in selecting an ink with good lightfast qualities. The results in the link seem to confirm my "findings".

[Ovidius]

Here is an update to my previous posting. This picture was taken at about six weeks in my window (the first image was taken at about three weeks).

 

[kurzman]

Did anyone try to test Noodler's ink in the same fashion?

[JohnS-MI]

Did anyone try to test Noodler's ink in the same fashion?

 

Quite a few tested here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=59012

[kurzman]

Thanks!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Some of the fading produced really interesting effects. Great test, thanks!

 

*I used to do that with my acrylic and watercolor paints*

[CharlieB]

Two things surprised me in that fade test:

-- How well Waterman Red performed, and

-- How poorly the blue Sharpie performed.

[PAKMAN]

Wow great test, before reading it I thought you were doing a water resistance test. I have several certificates that the ink is long gone from florescent lights. I'd love the see the bulletproof inks tested like this!

[Iridium]

Two things surprised me in that fade test:

-- How well Waterman Red performed, and

-- How poorly the blue Sharpie performed.

 

In tests I've done in the past, only the black Sharpie was strongly fade- and chemical-resistant. Some brands of gel pens also base their "bulletproof" reputations on the performance of the black ink alone, while the other colors prove to be much less stable. In fact, most gel inks are not fraud-proof, contrary to popular belief (especially Parker gel refills). Wikipedia says they are, but it's wrong, and it usually doesn't take more than a little water, alcohol, or sunlight to prove it.

[Ovidius]

Thank you very much for all the posts that people have added, I am glad to know that there is some interest in the fade resistance of various inks. Just as a matter of curiosity, I left the sample in my window for six months, I have now removed it, and I am adding an image in case anyone is curious to see the results. I don't think that many people leave ordinary or important documents in direct sunlight for six months, so the overall usefulness of this test in selecting an everyday ink is limited. Having said that, it is nice to know which inks will hold up against UVs if you are using them in an area which is exposed to direct light.

 

On a separate note, I was very surprised to see how well the Waterman Red withstood the exposure to sunlight, but having done other such tests, I used the Blue Sharpie as a control of sorts, knowing that it would fade an lose its vibrancy. I have not tried the black Sharpie, but I would hope for better results as blacks are usually the most "bullet proof" of any ink line.

 

[kookychick]

Thanks for doing this and for the update! This is very interesting--it corroborates what I've heard about the light-fastness (or lack thereof) of J. Herbin inks. It's too bad--they're such pretty colors!