Does The Nib Size Greatly Affect The Ink Appearence On Paper ?

[Patrick L]

Does the nib size greatly affect the ink appearence on paper ?

 

I have very limited experience , but my beautiful lierre sauvage ink looks greener and darker in my Lamy Vista broad nib than in my medium size dollar fountain pen. As if I used two different inks.Shading is also much more apparent with the broad nib.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Patrick L

[DwarvenChef]

From what I have noticed everything effects how the ink looks on paper. Nib size and shape, paper makeup and color, I wouldn't be suprised if relative humidity was a facter as well

[professionaldilettante]

If all other factors are kept constant, (feed rate, paper, etc) the width would let more color and shading show. What I think what is going on here, is that your broad writes wetter than your medium, and thus puts down a darker, more intense line.

[inkspot]

Professionaldilettante has nailed it. I've found that different pens can make one ink look completely different depending on how dry they write, the width of the nib, and the general flow characteristics of the pen itself. I have a couple medium nib Parker Urbans, and one writes a finer, more dry line, and the other writes a thicker, wetter line. I've had some inks appear several shades darker in the latter compared to the former. This is one of my favorite things about fountain pens - the beauty in the variation!

[River]

Professionaldilettante has nailed it. I've found that different pens can make one ink look completely different depending on how dry they write, the width of the nib, and the general flow characteristics of the pen itself. I have a couple medium nib Parker Urbans, and one writes a finer, more dry line, and the other writes a thicker, wetter line. I've had some inks appear several shades darker in the latter compared to the former. This is one of my favorite things about fountain pens - the beauty in the variation!

 

I second that. My dry pens make much paler lines than my wet ones. Really does look like a different ink.

 

I used a brown ink in one pen and thought I didn't like the color (too pale), until I tried it in a wetter pen.

[Sandy1]

Hello,

 

I find that for some inks changes of nib width & wetness may change the appearance of an ink. However, the extent of that change can be dramatic for some inks (e.g. Sailor 'riyku-cha') or very little (e.g. GC Everflo™ 'Blue-Black).

 

The shade (light to dark) of an ink plays a role, with the darker inks typically showing less change; and the pale inks may show a huge variation.

 

The 'saturation' of an ink also stirs the pot. Inks of rather low saturation tend to have greater transparency, hence acquire some of their look from the paper upon which they are written. Highly saturated inks are less transparent, so their appearance is less subject to change due to interaction with the paper. So, if one were to take PR's American Blue and Sheaffer's Skrip Blue, and write upon a warm ivory or champagne tinted paper, the PRAB would largely 'brush aside' the paper, and rest confidently upon it; the Skrip would be changed, becoming somewhat 'aqua' where the paper tint mingles with the ink's tint - a veritable duo-tone if well-executed. Inks that shade well, especially from narrow nibs, also share that potential. (Kindly add one or more dancing bunnies.)

 

In terms of perception, the eye resolves about 100 dpi, (many factors involved, but just accept the number as an example OK), so the edges of an inked line 'blend' with the paper for about 1/100th of an inch or more. Certainly not so much, but when lines are very narrow from teeny tiny nibs, the edge effect does alter the appearance of the line, hence the ink. There is also the matter of line sharpness - crisp, not woolly.

 

Some of the variables mentioned may be seen by perusing the OOTT series of Ink Reviews & Comparisons, where the same set of pens and papers are used for each ink. (For each pen's line width and relative wetness, be sure to view the linked NIB-ism image.)

 

Bye,

S1

[Halden]

Not only have I found that different nibs affect the colour but they can make or break a colour. I have inks that I hate in wide nibs and love in Fine and Vice Versa.

[encremental]

Exactly. Take Herbin's Rouille d'Anchre. Wimpy in a fine nib, but sensational in a wet broad.

 

IMO flow has almost as great an impact on appearance as width (although the two often go together).

 

John

[Bo Bo Olson]

The flex of the nib has a lot to do with it too.

[corniche]

Greetings all,

 

My GENERAL experience has been the finer the nib, the darker and more saturated the color appears; the broader the nib, the paler and more shaded the ink appears.

 

All the best,

 

Sean

[Bo Bo Olson]

Not only size but flex of the nib makes a great difference.

 

I have an Esterbrook 2968 medium firm B filled with Pelikan Brown, there I get a nice reddish brown.

 

With my MB 234 1/2 KOB semi-flex, it looks almost like the MB Sepia (in my mind's memory). (Due to the paper not a nicer color at all.)

 

One would never believe it is the same ink, in the same width, Broad.The flex is so different.

 

Different paper even of the same weight will make a big difference.

 

The 80 g/sm cheap Wood Free Rex Ink jet/laser paper the MB is a duller brown, on 35 year old Zander Gohrsmuele Bankpost, it is lighter 'nicer' brown, that shows shading the other paper did not show.

It still is not near the red brown that was on the Wood Free paper and the Old good paper.

The Bankpost paper with Esterbrooks nib, is brighter and shows some shading, that the cheap Rex Wood Free paper did not show.

 

1/3 nib width and flex, 1/3 paper and 1/3 ink. One needs a large sample of paper, a fair spectrum of nibs, to see if an ink is any good.

One can not just try it with just one or two nibs, and on just a couple of papers and say...it's not a good ink.

 

When I got Pelikan Blue Black, I got 8 different hues/tones with a M and OB nail, F, M regular flex, F, M, B in semi-flex and F in Slightly Flexible.

The color fades in the next day as it should be and it was still 8 tones.

The difference in just the three Fine nibs was much greater than I expected.

 

For me the second best (of the 8 tones) was the regular flex F, the semi-flex F was too dark almost black(very surprising; it was still a very dark black blue the next day), and the best was the Slightly Flexible nib that left a real vivid Blue with dark shadows and trails. That nib danced with that ink.

 

That was with just one paper. I expect much different results when I run a few different papers through through that ink.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson