Does anyone have any suggestions for pairs of ink colours that complement each other well?

I do a lot of "problem solving" writing, where I am mixing sections of ordinary text with an equation or a conclusion that I would like to stand out clearly. I've recently taken to using a second pen, with a different colour, for the parts of the text that I want to stand out. The first time I tried this, by luck, the colours were a gorgeous match: Diamine blue black with Diamine emerald. But since then I've struggled to find complementary pairs. (My most recent attempt, Diamine teal with Diamine damson, was a nightmare. Individually, these colours are lovely, but they really do not do pay each other any compliments!)

So, I was hoping the good readers/writers at FPN might have other suggestions for pairs of ink colours that are contrasting but also complementary. Thanks in advance for any ideas (especially if accompanied with scans).

If you want a color that stands out try Noodler's Baystate Blue....Caution though...it stains easily and has been known to destroy the feeds on Lamy Safaris.

I don't really know of an ink that would compliment BSB though.

Noodler's Baystate Blue....Caution though...it stains easily and has been known to destroy the feeds on Lamy Safaris.

Absolutely TRUE..I just destroyed my lamy safari feed... and it was mint condition...
regards
Rene.

When looking for color combinations for web work, I often use the web site http://www.colorcombos.com/ ...

I don't know that it works so well with ink, but gives you some really good ideas about how colors will look side by side, and may give you some ideas.

My two favorite inks that I like to contrast are Diamine Woodland Green and Diamine Golden Brown, they give a nice earthy contrast. I imagine the Woodland Green would stand out more than the Golden brown, but one standing out over the other never really mattered to me, just how they looked next to each other on the page!!

I tend to write most of my notes using vintage Quink black. I then use vintage Quink red to write or highlight any actions that come out of the meetings or train of thought, Once an action is resolved I go back and note the conclusion in Diamine Kelly Green.

I sometimes use Diamine sapphire blue instead of the Quink black when I want to note something that isn't an action but is important to remember.

I find that the red and green really stand out against the black and make it easy to go back and check I don't have any unresolved actions pending. While the blue isn't quite so eye-catching it does help me find important points in older notes.

Yes, this is a compensation technique for my lousy memory.

And yes, I do keep 4 pens inked and carry them round with me all day at work in a Libelle pen roll. Each pen has its own slot in the roll and is colour coded to the ink contained to make it easy to pick up the right pen in each situation. While I've only received one comment (about my nice "toolkit") I have had some strange looks. (This last bit makes me sounds rather obsessive about it - I don't think that's the case but I've got myself wondering now )

lately i've been taking notes on scientific papers in different varieties of homemade blue-blacks (i've been on a mixing adventure), and i write the simplest conclusion for each in Noodler's Tolstoy. It looks best with a greyish blue-black. The Tolstoy really stands out, and doesn't look too offensive if the blueblack is a soft one.

If you want a traditional complementary set of colors, you can always go green-red, blue-orange, purple-yellow, and variations from there with mixed colors, like fuscia with yellow-green or teal with a cool light orange. This, of course, assumes you want your eyes boggled .

Diamine Jade is a bright green that makes quite a contrast with blues.

I like to use Noodler's Eternal Brown with turquoises and blues (I tend to use different colours to emphasize blocks of text or to indicate that some notes were made on a different date)

My suggestion would be the use of the color wheel
Complementary colors can be found by looking at the colors in oppostite position. Like here
Just find a combo and match the inks

...And I like J. Herbin Lie de Thé and Waterman South Seas Blue together.

-- Brian

Many thanks for these interesting links, these sites happen to be exactly what I have been looking for!

I tend to use greens and blues together, currently Waterman South Seas Blue and Skrip Green. Teals with blues or purples with blues also work well. Another option is blues and blue-blacks. Since the colours are analogous, the writing piece looks fairly cohesive with key points still standing out. If I really want things to stand out then I tend to use browns with blues or plum with greens.

I like Waterman's Florida Blue together with Private Reserve's Ebony Purple. Don't ask me why - I just like the two of them in combination. Something very aesthetically pleasing to me about the two of them together.

Todd

Thanks for all the great suggestions and useful links, everyone. I'll try some of these out. (Bit too nervous to try Bay State Blue... maybe I'll pluck up courage one of these days...)

The basic complementary colors are:
Purple and Yellow
Blue and Orange
Red and Green
If you take the 3 primary colors and mix two of them, the new color and the one you left out will complement each other.

I'm also a multicolor note taker...some combinations I've enjoyed (in each case, the first color is for the larger amount of text and the second for the quotes or other highlighted matter):

PR Naples Blue and PR Plum or Herbin Larmes de Cassis
PR Chocolat and Herbin Rouille d'Ancre
PR Chocolat or PR Copper Burst and R&K Smaragdgrun or Levenger Always Greener or Herbin Vert Reseda
Waterman South Sea Blue and Waterman Violet
Waterman Florida Blue or PR Velvet Black and Diamine Deep Magenta or Herbin Rose Cyclamen
Waterman Florida Blue or Black and Waterman South Sea Blue
PR Velvet Black and PR Orange Crush or PR Fiesta Red or Noodler's Dragon's Napalm
PR Velvet Black or Waterman Black and R&K Smaragdgrun or Herbin Vert Reseda
PR Tanzanite and R&K Solferino