Ink Dilution Recipes

[aj3537]

Is there a brand of Distilled water that comes in a small bottle? (Like 20 oz or 1 liter) I want to try diluting some of my inks, but there is no way I could use a gallon. Plus once opened, it won't stay pure for long.

[JMichael]

I have diluted PR Electric DC Blue with distilled water to a ratio of 3 parts ink to 1 part water. The result is faster drying with no smudging. This ratio is well behaved - good color, good flow, no clogging.

[UK Mike]

Is there a brand of Distilled water that comes in a small bottle? (Like 20 oz or 1 liter) I want to try diluting some of my inks, but there is no way I could use a gallon. Plus once opened, it won't stay pure for long.

 

Look in an auto spares store for distilled or de-ionised water used for battery top ups. In UK this is usually sold in 1 litre bottles.

[queenofpens]

When I discovered Mont Blanc had discontinued the old turquoise that they sold for years, and which I wanted to save to match the color to a non Mont Blanc pen, I tried Mont Black gray. I was very annoyed to discover it did not flow well in my 2 persnickety Mont Blanc pens.

 

So I diluted it with a few drops of a clear dish detergent with no other additives (meant for allergic people, but I was more concerned with not altering the color of the ink which I did like) and then with a few drops of water - like some others here, I did not measure - but slightly more water than detergent and only a few drops of each.

 

The result was very satisfactory, the color stayed the same and it flows very well even on poor quality paper (like my puzzle magazines). It does feather a bit more than it did on puzzle paper, but that does not bother me because I've used much more feathery inks on old newsprint - and could still read it well enough to work a puzzle. And it also starts the at the first of the stroke every time now, instead of needing more pressure and then only starting at mid-stroke which is what it did before the dilution.

[Joly]

I use R&K Helianthus in my Lamy Visty eydropper. This ink tends to build up crystals of dye, both at the edge of the bottle and the nib. This doesn't harm the pen at all, this is not clogging.

 

Diluting the ink stops the crystallisation, I often even just fill up with water when the pen is half empty. A 1:1 ratio seems to work fine and gives a pronounced yellow line. When I don't fill up regularly, the water in the ink seems to vaporise quite a bit and makes the ink appear more orangey.

 

 

 

May i ask you how did you manage to make a Vistaeyedropper?

How did you go around the opening?

Edited April 2, 2013 by Joly

[cmackirnan]

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm a new member, having terrible problems with the very beautiful Diamine Ancient Copper ink that a friend gave me, using it in a pen with a snap-on cap that has no air holes. The ink regularly dries and crusts on the nib, and then will not flow even when I have cleaned the nib.

 

I have diluted the ink 1:1 with distilled water in the pen, which helps. I am also carefully adding distilled water to the ink in the bottle, but so far I have not been able to dilute it 1:1, at this point not having another bottle handy to try that with. Another user of Diamine Ancient Copper suggests putting 1 drop of Dawn dishwashing liquid in the pen along with a 2:1 dilution (2 ink:1 distilled water).

[Luiz]

Can't wait to try some!

[Bill Wood]

My bottle of Noodlers Navy always has had trouble flowing, no matter what pen I use it in. It's one of my favorite colors, but difficult to use. Anybody have a good water to ink ratio for increasing the flow?

 

MRT - funny you mention that because I'm working on that at the moment. I too am having trouble with Noodler's Navy. Although this post is old; and you've probably found your answer - I will post anyway. I'm diluting Noodlers Navy and Noodlers Turqoise.

[Bill Wood]

Noodlers Navy

 

1:4 1 part water to 4 parts ink.

 

Presents with high saturation with 4/10 shading.

[tonybelding]

Yesterday I took one of my old Parker Penman bottles (best bottle design ever!) and filled it with two parts PR Velvet Black and one part distilled water. I'm very happy with how it came out. This was an ink that gave me some problems prior to dilution.

[PrintersDevil]

I just stumbled across this thread and found it to be very informative.

I have been looking for a nice turquoise shade and I think I might try diluting some of my existing blue colors.

[UK Mike]

As an alternative to using washing up liquid as a wetting agent, I can recommend the once-a-day Shower spray that you use to spray down the shower cubicle after use. It is a very effective wetting agent and has the advantage that it is a low viscosity clear liquid without too many gloopy ingredients.

[Fabienne]

Anybody try diluting Diamine Salamander? I cannot get that ink to shade and I suspect this might be the ticket.

[The Good Captain]

Anybody try diluting Diamine Salamander? I cannot get that ink to shade and I suspect this might be the ticket.

An interesting idea. I've not had any shading 'problems' so far, just using it neat. I suppose it might depend on the nib width.

[Fabienne]

Might be the paper. Most of my nibs are at least broad.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

There are some scans of Noodler's 54^th Massachusetts diluted to 80 & 60% on HPJ1124 laserjet paper in my Review of that ink. I also ran some samples at Rhodia 80gsm & Staples 20lb, so if anyone has a hankering to see those just send a PM.

 

Usually I post dilution samples as a separate Topic in the ICS&T Forum, but that ink needs a bit of special care & feeding, so I wanted to keep dilution within the context of the Review.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

My review of N54M : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/255965-noodlers-54-massachusetts/?p=2825711

[haroldvincent]

I have bot diluted any inks yet. Thank you for this thread!

[stoof2010]

So is there a problem with using de-ionized water instead of distilled?

Used to use D-I water at an old job to lower viscosity of paint, but dont know if all the minerals are out of D-I water like distilled....

[Sandy1]

So is there a problem with using de-ionized water instead of distilled?

Used to use D-I water at an old job to lower viscosity of paint, but dont know if all the minerals are out of D-I water like distilled....

 

Hi,

 

I reckon water that's been de-ionized or distilled will be suitable.

 

As tap water quality/properties are not consistent across locations or even seasons, using water of known / consistent properties makes it relevant for all who read the recipes, and is readily repeatable.

 

Bye,

S1

[amberleadavis]

I think the point of using distilled water isn't just the ions (which may change pH, slightly), but the contaminates that may be found in water. This is a guess.