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Tintenlabor Encre Royal (Royal Ink) Ink Review # 217 --- 🧾 Description Tintenlabor is a Swiss ink company specializing in iron gall inks. What differentiates this ink from other brands is that you would know the iron content. The samples were sent to me by the Ink-Meister, David. Encre Royal has a 4 g/L per liter iron content. The highest iron content in Tintenlabor inks is 6 g/L and lowest is 1 g/L. This is the final iteration of Purple Black 2 that I reviewed before, and what an improvement. Ink has a higher dye load and because it uses a unique purple dye, that stabilizes the formula and possibly prolong shelf-life. The flow is wet and ink is lubricated. Color is bright purple(when wet) and oxidizes to a dusky purple. It has excellent water resistance. As with iron gall inks, the more the ink cures, the more waterproof it becomes. For artists, iron gall inks are not as light fast as pigment inks. For cleaning it’s best to add a bit of pure ascorbic acid to the water and agitate. It’s best to use well-sealed fountain pens that can be dismantled. Never use ammonia-based cleaners with iron gall inks. --- 🧪 Chroma --- ✍️ Writing Samples (scan) Rhodia / Iroful Midori /Tomoe River 68gsm Hammermill 20lb 📸 Photo (artificial light) Photos were taken 3 weeks after scan. Rhodia/ Iroful Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm Hammermill 20 lb copy paper Wet ink Closeup of ink oxidized 🔍 Comparison Col-O-ring. Scans are approximative. Color is difficult to capture. Color is close to Diamine Vivaldi. --- 💧 Water Test --- 🎨 Artwork Purple Rose Mouse is hiding a special offering under his umbrella. 😊 Tintenlabor Basalt, Tinten Encre Royal, Iron gall inks, Talens Mixed Media. Who's the Greatest Now? INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.50 IS "VILLAIN". Ego and villain are siblings. Tintenlabor Encre Royal, Basalt iron gall inks, Jacques Herbin Rouge Amarante, Van Dieman's Here Kitty Kitty, Talens Mixed Media Notebook. --- - Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1) , Flex. - What I Liked: Well lubricated, wet ink, gorgeous colour. - What I Did Not Like: I love IG inks, I’m biased. - What Some Might Not Like: Iron gall ink are high maintenance inks. - Writing Experience: Lovely. - Pros: Waterproof, well-lubricated, gorgeous inks. - Cons: Tariffs for some countries. IG inks cannot be abandoned in fountain pens and need special care if left in pen for long time. 🧷 Ink Characteristics - Shading: Yes - Ghosting: Only with flex and white nibs. - Bleed Through: Same as above. - Flow Rate: Wet. - Lubrication: Excellent. - Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. - Start-up: Excellent. - Saturation: Beautifully purple. - Sheen: No. - Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. - Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice. - Staining (Pen): Did not notice. - Clogging: No. - Cleaning: I use a pinch of ascorbic acid in water, when I clean IG inks for my sanity and peace of mind. - Water Resistance: Excellent. --- 🛒 Availability - Available 30/50 ml bottles directly from website. https://tintenlabor.mycommerce.shop/products/encre-royal --- 💬 Closing This is lovely, dark waterproof iron gall ink. I’ve enjoyed writing and drawing with it. No fountain pens were hurt in preparing this review. Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier.