How Do You Organise Your Ink Journals?

[daTomoT]

I just received a blank page Rhodia Webbie that I am going to use as an ink journal! I was wondering how you guys do this? For example, do you just write a few lines on the next available page, or do you group by colour. If so, how many pages do you allocate for each colour? The Webbie is quite a big notebook, so lots of space is available. Probably enough to write a page with each ink and have space for lots of inks.

 

How does your ink journal work?

[1962falcon]

After a number of attempts at creating an ink journal that works for me I have settled on the ARC style 'refillable & flexible' note book system marketed by Staples and viewable on line at their website.. once on their site search for 'ARC'. For your info I chose the leather covered version in A5. I should also mention that I use a Webbie for journalling.

 

This style of book allows me to re-order pages and insert fresh pages as and where needed..... this gives infinite flexibility on page ordering that the bound style of the Webbie does not.... I have used the ARC system paper, it's FP friendly, but I have also purchased their paper punch [about £20] so can insert my paper of choice.

 

Within the book I use dividers to separate the basic colour [blue, Green, Red, etc] and within each I organise the inks by alpha name dedicating a double sided page to each. If I run out of space for that ink I simply insert a new page, that's the benefit of this flexible system. On each page I record date bought, a one, a two and a three swipe Q-tip sampling and a writing sample noting the pen/nib combo and date. If I use the ink in another pen, I make an entry for that pen. I will add any notes about the inks performance and nibs it might be best suited to. In another divider I have a page for each of my pens [about 20] and I note ink/date and a writing sample.... this is a x-ref for the ink pages. This works for me.

 

BTW I use my ARC system book for other work and non-work related notes and to dos. I much prefer using a paper based 'organiser' to the electronic type.

 

The ARC system features on FPN so do a search and see what others say about it and others of this type.

 

Falcon

[daTomoT]

After a number of attempts at creating an ink journal that works for me I have settled on the ARC style 'refillable & flexible' note book system marketed by Staples and viewable on line at their website.. once on their site search for 'ARC'. For your info I chose the leather covered version in A5. I should also mention that I use a Webbie for journalling.

 

This style of book allows me to re-order pages and insert fresh pages as and where needed..... this gives infinite flexibility on page ordering that the bound style of the Webbie does not.... I have used the ARC system paper, it's FP friendly, but I have also purchased their paper punch [about £20] so can insert my paper of choice.

 

Within the book I use dividers to separate the basic colour [blue, Green, Red, etc] and within each I organise the inks by alpha name dedicating a double sided page to each. If I run out of space for that ink I simply insert a new page, that's the benefit of this flexible system. On each page I record date bought, a one, a two and a three swipe Q-tip sampling and a writing sample noting the pen/nib combo and date. If I use the ink in another pen, I make an entry for that pen. I will add any notes about the inks performance and nibs it might be best suited to. In another divider I have a page for each of my pens [about 20] and I note ink/date and a writing sample.... this is a x-ref for the ink pages. This works for me.

 

BTW I use my ARC system book for other work and non-work related notes and to dos. I much prefer using a paper based 'organiser' to the electronic type.

 

The ARC system features on FPN so do a search and see what others say about it and others of this type.

 

Falcon

 

I've looked at it, and I think it will be my next purchase in the notebook world, although likely not for a while!

[mAnuscript69]

My ink journal is pretty simple, nothing fancy. I use a pocket sized Clairefontaine Back to Basics notebook, leaving out the first four pages for an index and dedicating one page per ink. I do not group them by colour or the like. Whenever I receive a new ink (mostly samples) I just catalog it. I do not do any extensive testing, just the following:

 

Ink

Pen

Nib

Swab - 1,2,3 passes

Swab - Q-tip

Dry Time

A simple writing sample (the quick brown fox)

Notes about the ink

 

That's about it.

 

Have fun with your ink journal! If you're like me, your ink journal will fill up in no time.

[inkstainedruth]

I have an inexpensive blank book, top-bound, that I got at Barnes and Noble on their discount/clearance rack (but I think is made by Piccadilly). I just start a new page for each color as I fill a pen with it, noting the ink brand and name, and the pen and nib width used. If I eventually try the ink in a different pen, I make margin notes; ditto if I want to compare inks of similar colors. There is no organization other than that -- sometimes it's a pain to leaf back through to find the pages with the ink I want to compare the current ink with.

I will point out that I'm not sure I would recommend these particular journals -- I have found that the paper tends to sometimes do very weird things to the ink colors (such as bring out more teal elements in some blue-black or dark blue inks).

I also have a composition book (some cheapie one made in India that I picked up for a book someplace) that I use for listing ink/pen combos and whether I think the combo works. I have post-it flags across the top every couple of pages to mark whether the listings for each pen starts (they're *somewhat* color-coded by pen brand). In one or two cases I have more than one pen listed in each section (for example, I didn't start a new section for the Parker Urban that replaced the one I sent to Parker for repairs -- it was apparently just easier to sent me a new pen). It's not 100% complete, and in a few cases I made notations with whatever pen I had handy rather than the exact combo.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[daTomoT]

Thanks for those two ideas, I think I'll go for that, of sorts.

[K. Cakes]

Mine is ridiculously simple. I group by brand, using a Leuchtturm with a table of contents I can just flip to wherever I need pretty easily. On the page I write the pen I'm using, a written sample, flow, shading, and description. If I fill another pen with the same ink I'll go back an write pen 2 and another description with that pen. That's all.

[Paddler]

I don't keep an ink journal anymore. The cross referencing became too much of a chore. Now, I open each journal to its last page and write a single line with every ink I am likely to journal with, identifying the ink and nib type. I keep a similar sheet in each box of stationery. If I choose a combination that is not represented by an entry, I make an entry with that combination.

 

For example, if I want to write a letter on blue Wausau Astroparch, I open the box and look at the reference sheet. I pick out a color of ink that works well with the blue paper and a nib that writes the kind of line I want. The entry may look like:

 

Vintage Skrip Permanent Royal Blue, Spencerian "Service Pen" No. 49

 

I see that the ink and nib combination does not feather or bleed on this paper and start writing.

 

Don't keep an ink journal; you will make yourself crazy.

[daTomoT]

I don't keep an ink journal anymore. The cross referencing became too much of a chore. Now, I open each journal to its last page and write a single line with every ink I am likely to journal with, identifying the ink and nib type. I keep a similar sheet in each box of stationery. If I choose a combination that is not represented by an entry, I make an entry with that combination.

 

For example, if I want to write a letter on blue Wausau Astroparch, I open the box and look at the reference sheet. I pick out a color of ink that works well with the blue paper and a nib that writes the kind of line I want. The entry may look like:

 

Vintage Skrip Permanent Royal Blue, Spencerian "Service Pen" No. 49

 

I see that the ink and nib combination does not feather or bleed on this paper and start writing.

 

Don't keep an ink journal; you will make yourself crazy.

 

Too late, I've started! I think it'll be a valuable piece of reference. Thanks for your thoughts though!

[torstar]

There are 20 or so intended permanent ones scattered hither, there, and yon in my life and I like buying news ones as well.

[daTomoT]

I may one day buy a dedicated ink journal, designed for said purpose. On a note, somebody above mentioned Leuchtturm. I bought a Leuchtturm as a journal alongside the Webbie, and I find it feathers slightly, as the paper is a slightly lower quality. It's well layed out for the organised fella' though!

[mallymal1]

After a number of attempts at creating an ink journal that works for me I have settled on the ARC style 'refillable & flexible' note book system marketed by Staples and viewable on line at their website.. once on their site search for 'ARC'. For your info I chose the leather covered version in A5. I should also mention that I use a Webbie for journalling.

 

This style of book allows me to re-order pages and insert fresh pages as and where needed..... this gives infinite flexibility on page ordering that the bound style of the Webbie does not.... I have used the ARC system paper, it's FP friendly, but I have also purchased their paper punch [about £20] so can insert my paper of choice.

 

Within the book I use dividers to separate the basic colour [blue, Green, Red, etc] and within each I organise the inks by alpha name dedicating a double sided page to each. If I run out of space for that ink I simply insert a new page, that's the benefit of this flexible system. On each page I record date bought, a one, a two and a three swipe Q-tip sampling and a writing sample noting the pen/nib combo and date. If I use the ink in another pen, I make an entry for that pen. I will add any notes about the inks performance and nibs it might be best suited to. In another divider I have a page for each of my pens [about 20] and I note ink/date and a writing sample.... this is a x-ref for the ink pages. This works for me.

 

BTW I use my ARC system book for other work and non-work related notes and to dos. I much prefer using a paper based 'organiser' to the electronic type.

 

The ARC system features on FPN so do a search and see what others say about it and others of this type.

 

Falcon

 

I've looked as well...think I shall bob down to the local store and see if they have it in.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I use loose sheets of various papers in standard file folders for each ink.

 

I sort the folders according to ink brand, then name.

The folders also have a swab glued to the tab.

 

They are guarded by a great beast that is always hungry.

 

The samples are supported by a simple Mac-based table that I can sort according to pen, paper, ink, date, etc. which includes scans of the swabs and location of the ink. (If I knew how to use densitometry data in a meaningful way, I might include that too.) That allows me to collate samples which use any ink, pen or paper according to whim or purpose.

 

Bye,

S1

 

[Renfield]

I just received a blank page Rhodia Webbie that I am going to use as an ink journal! I was wondering how you guys do this? For example, do you just write a few lines on the next available page, or do you group by colour. If so, how many pages do you allocate for each colour? The Webbie is quite a big notebook, so lots of space is available. Probably enough to write a page with each ink and have space for lots of inks.

 

How does your ink journal work?

 

Mine is an old schoolbook from that my daughter started but only got a few pages into before the end of year (Biology I think)

 

I left a few pages for a contants, and then cover 2 inks per page, only writing on one side.

 

Looks like this

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/8073894308_a2b0b8fe94.jpg

 

If I have 2 blacks to add in, I group them on the same page, but apart from that, they come in whatever order I have them in.

[daTomoT]

In my Webbie, which I'm learning to adore I've got four pages set aside for contents (may seem a lot, but there's 92 other pages to document) and an ink on each sheet. Four colours so far, and I'll add more as my ink rotation progresses.

[ac3y]

I rejected the idea of strict formatting pretty early on in my ink journal. I just make a note of the ink, pen, and any characteristics of the ink that stand out (ie. "Dramatic shading" for BSiAR or "Somewhat dry" for Scabiosa).

 

I use a pocket size blank Leuchtturm for my ink journal. I was going to use it as my pocket notebook, but I made one journal entry, and one thing led to another.

Edited December 4, 2012 by ac3y

[DriedUpBob]

Reading here I guess mine is too simple. I use a 3x5 Clairefontaine side staple with a page dedicated to each PEN. Then every time I change the ink in the pen I write down the date and the ink color.

 

I use the Clairefontaine as I use that paper alot in other parts of my life and it's the best chance to see a true representation on what my daily use will look like.

 

I may start another one just like it and do it by the INK since that appears to be the more popular variant

 

Bob

[Margana]

Lots of good ideas for keeping an ink journal. Wish I'd known some of them years ago. But this is a new year and time to get a better grip on my ink collection so it's the ARC system for me. There was a sale last month and I picked up enough paper to get started. It's a crisp white and quite fountain pen friendly plus the pages can be resorted. Filled with notes and swabbed samples, the ARC notebook will be a very useful ink reference book.

[Lszuk]

Try ink journal.com. They sell a small 32 pg stapled journal, with an index in the front. (No affiliation, just a satisfied customer). I got 6 and use each one for each color. So far, works for me.

[raffaela]

I may remember the pen but not always the ink that lies within. I have a small pocket book that lists the name of the pen and the ink with the date. Once the pen is cleaned, I cross out of the book. If I refill with same ink, I will note that date.

 

Then in a ClaireFontaine, larger notebook, where pages are beginning to leave its binding, I list in the back of the book, my small collection (50+) of pens and their particulars (dates, $, where purchased, etc).

 

In the front of the book, is a list of bottled inks...but that list is now outgrown.

 

Divided in the body of the book, are groups of colors. The color groupings are dated writing with the different pens/nibs. If it is a sample ink, it is noted.

 

I would like to add comments of how the ink performed in general. Maybe something for this year to do.