When I write I want the ink to be the same color everywhere in the characters I write.
But it seems some like their inks thinner in some places and more saturated in others.

it depens on my mood~~~
Some Times and Some Times

I like a uniform line.... a dark (whatever color) line the same all the way thru.

With Black ink I want a uniform line, with colored ink I like variation.

I am with Chad. A black line has to be in a rich, deep, dark and uniform jet black... Like Aurora black: I love that ink!

On colors, I like variation most of the time.

I voted for variation, since I use colors when I am writing for fun.

I actually get bored with blacks because my Aurora is just uniform... I wish there was a black that was variable...

Variable for me. I don't use black ink.

It also depends on the paper to some degree. I use Cranes 100% cotton and it really needs a wet nib.

Gary

WM Black comes to mind. Also Lamy. But to me, that just means they look grey.

I guess I'm the same as Chad and Jose - Black uniform, colors variable. Though there are some colors I like to be consistent (Levenger Cobalt, WM Havana) so it's really very color dependent for me.

I don't like blacks much because with deep nonvariable blacks, to me, it looks like any rollerball could have made the line. I like inks that make it obvious that the writing has been done with a fountain pen..

I like to see the shading produced by the pressure on the nib, crossing another line and the speed of writing, but for black ink I prefer uniformity.

I used to prefer uniform color in my FP writing and marking, like from a rollerball pen. Now I enjoy both uniform color and variation.

Lately I've been using mostly italic nibs, so there's bound to be a lot of variation. I get a pretty consistently black line from Noodlers Black, but lighter colors show a nice variation in color as the line thickness varies. I like that look. I have several pens currently being made into italics, some straight and some oblique.

I like both variation and consistency and keep pens that can do both, as seems to be the case with many here. I agree that non-black inks look nice with line variation, but I think black ink can as well - I'm looking at some writing I did with black cross ink in an omas that puts down a nice variation and I think it adds character, even in black.

I'm a little torn by this because there's a use for everything...

Sometimes I dislike "shading" because it looks the-opposite-of-elegant (sloppy? messy?). But sometimes I dislike uniform inks because it's too flat...

BUT.... I love the way an ink looks incredibly different in different pens... Actually, this is incredibly frustrating... but part of the fun of FPs is figuring out which pen makes a particular ink look nice. And, because people have different opinions, it is nice to know that they can make a particular ink suit them best... (You're not buying ONE ink when you buy a bottle, you're buying as many inks as you have differently-writing pens!!!)

Excessive shading may be unpleasant to some simply because it may reduce legibility.

But a little bit of shading, even if your eye cannot detect it, will always be there, unless you continuously move the pen at the same exact pressure and speed. I don't think anyone writes that way. Increasing pressure lays a thicker, and therefore, darker line. Increasing speed results in a lighter shade because the nib may not be able to deliver the same amount of ink per unit length it delvers during a slower stroke.

I think one of the joys of FP nibs is their ability to shade, and I actively look for inks that emphasise it. Otherwise, why not use a rollerball or a gel ballpoint?

Shading makes it look like it was done by hand with a fountain pen
and that's what I like. The variety in the line makes the ink more
beautiful and I will go out of my way to buy inks with good shading.

This is my favourite flow and variation in Florida Blue on Rhodia paper:

I also prefer shading, because it looks like fp writing.
In other words, black and highly saturated inks aren't my first choice.
Somewhat related, I'm not partial to very wet nibs.
I don't like dry writers either. I like something in between.
Very wet nibs confer some increased smoothness i guess, but are also
more liable to smearing, and they more often occlude letter "e"s.

I agree about the in-between, though as Stylo pointed out above, the variation can depend on writing speed - so I personally prefer pretty wet laying lines for things like note taking, especially for interviews, but a more in-between line laying pen for things like journaling and letter writing. I also concur with Melnicki about part of the fun being figuring out which pens work well with which inks - and of course, line variation is a great rationalization to have more than two or three pens!

I like shading.

The black ink I use is Noodler's Balck and it's just uniform, even when mixed with another black ink. But with all of the colors I really enjoy the variability. It reminds me of when I was first writing and it just looks good to me. And shading also doesn't go haywire as my hard drive appears to be doing right now! :doh:

I gather the ink's still wet? Sure looks like it - my WM FB isn't that bright (unless wet).



To the question at hand, I like both, depending upon what I'm doing. The majority of the time I prefer shading.

I'd rather have the shading than not - it is more interesting to my eyes.

I like a variable, as it adds character and quirkiness. Let's you know that it is a fountain pen and not some mass-machine produced ballpoint. Also, makes me think some things are art and not science.

Here is a question: is there anyway to reduce ink flow from a wet nib? And when is something too wet, or is it just if I feel it is wet or not? I get much more ink flow out of a Visconti medium nib then the Bexley fine nib, and I guess that is to be expected. It does not pool up but you can see it shine a bit more from the medium nib. Seems to dry okay though. Maybe it is just me getting used to the differences and the quirkiness of the pens, lol

Sam

Love the Aurora Black for its uniform flow. Use it almost exclusively.

I like both - with different inks

Though I voted uniform by a hair since I like a good solid line with blacks and darker colours and I use those more.

SHADING! I _LOVE_ SHADING! I also love line-width varation. I guess I just love variation of everything: line-width, shading, color (my snail-mail-pals will attest to the color-chaos of my rantings)...

I also like the Aurora Black because it is uniform. While I like change I want to be in charge of it instead of having it vary on me by surprise. If I am coloring in my little drawings, I want uniformity.

I voted for shading. Like others here, I like my black ink to be solid black (and I get it to the nines with this mix); for example, when I write checks.

But most other times a subtle shading -- somewhat lighter at the tops of letters, somewhat darker at the baseline, and maybe some gradations in between -- is one of the great pleasures of writing with a fountain pen. 9 Even if it isn't noticeable to the casual reader, subliminally it adds a personal touch to the writing that's missing with mass-market pens.

I prefer a uniform flow. Somehow, using a FP is a personal preference. Not really looking to draw attention.

I like the blobs that form at the end of words and letters. of course there shouldnt be excessive variation in the shading of the ink.

A bit of variance in ink flow, I like. If the ink flow was completely uniform, writing would become boring.

DEpending on which pen I am using and what I am trying to achieve. I normally like a nice consistnt wet line. If I am writing letters somtimes, I will use an ink that is not as saturated and also use a very springy stub and seems to give a bit of variation.

As for work, I like a consistant black or blue line and line variation is last on my list. There is an occasion for everything and I normally take it as such. I never say that I like things all one way, there are times where I would like to write with a bit of flair.

TNS

I prefer a uniform, wet line when I'm writing. I quess I prefer it to look uniform when it's dry also.

This is a personal and ink choice. I blieive it should vary and one can select inks in shades/colors they know don't vary if they need that solid line. In saying that, I must admit I use 98% black.

Ron

variable for me. if it's not variable it looks like it was written by a felt-tip marker.

I voted uniform. Actually, I judge the quality of a nib from the evenness of its writing. I've always thaught good nibs are supposed to write perfectly even.

I like my ink to vary. I write a lot in black but I do write in bordeaux and green as well.

It depends. If I am using a fine or medium point I want the line to be smooth and uniform. If I am using a cursive or stub I want a lot of line variation.

and I also love it when it doesn't skip