Has Anyone Else Played With Using Inkjet Printer Inks?

[robo]

I've always enjoyed using fountain pens, starting back when I was a kid and found a couple of my parents' old pens and got them working again. Anyhow, the real fun started when I got my hands on a set of discarded inkjet printer refill inks for some printer my dad no longer had - cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks in needle tipped bottles that were perfect for refilling empty cartridges. I'd already learned through trial and error that some inks did not play well with fountain pens (I'd tried using a shellac-containing calligraphy ink in one pen... not good) but I found that these inkjet inks worked really well. They didn't clog, flowed pretty much like regular fountain pen ink (maybe a little less viscous) and the colors were eye-popping, especially when I basically had access to just blue or black cartridges at the time. I remember that there was almost no shading with these, but by mixing, just about every color was possible. A couple years of my high school class notes are one long psychedelic sequence as the ink colors varied from day to day and week to week as I'd mix new shades.

 

Anyway, then I went to college and got busy and stopped spending large amounts of time screwing around with ink But I just wondered if anyone else had done this, considering how much interest there is here in ink and the various shades available. A quick search didn't turn up anything. IIRC, the ink I had used and found good for writing was for some long forgotten Apple inkjet (which were actually manufactured by Canon, I think) from maybe 1995 or so... The inks came in needle tipped squeezy bottles, which were honestly easier and cleaner to use to refill cartridges with than using a converter and regular ink bottle (and anyway, I'd never heard of a converter at the time ). Like these:

http://i.imgur.com/STvaouC.jpg

 

Anyone else ever do this?

Edited February 17, 2013 by robo

[bemyhorcrux]

Inkjet cartridges are so expensive, I'd think regular pen inks would probably be cheaper than even refill ink, wouldn't they? You could probably try it with a dip pen, if you really wanted to. But the squeezy bottles themselves, *they* look incredibly convenient, just to reuse and refill...

[psfred]

You can use inkjet inks, but you would be better off getting some CYMK inks from one of the regular fountain pen ink makers (Noodler's or Private Reserve, for instance). Inkjet inks, especially the older ones, are not archival, and the Epson inks in particular would fade horribly.

 

The newer "UV resistant" ones are fine, and cheap enough to play with, but you have need some flow modifier to prevent excessive bleed and feathering.

 

For Noodler's inks, I'd try their Yellow, Shah's Rose, and Navajo Turquoise, but check, there was a thread recently on CMYK inks that I've not read recently.

 

You are limited in the color gamut available, and some colors cannot be duplicated with CYMK inks due to the difference in absorbtion spectrum of the dyes, but you certainly can make a large variety of colors!

 

Just keep records and measure carefully in case you decide to duplicate one!

 

Peter

[flyingfox]

Fantastic idea! Thank you!!! ...Why didn't I think of this by my own self??!!

 

I tried to refill my inkjet printer color cartridge, and failed miserably. The thing is- it's working well, if you just look at the calibration page, sample (squares in primary colors) and all, BUT the pictures come out washed out/ sepia. Grrr. I still have all three colors, about 95ml left in each... Now I can put them to a good use so that they get to fulfill their destiny. Will just use my own concoction in my Preppy, and see how it goes.

 

Incidentally, I also refilled my black cartridge several times as well, and it works beautifully.

[bizhe]

I remember seeing a youtube video (inkjet's dirty secret or something like that) showing ainternal printer reservoir holding gummy printer ink that was expelled during the head cleaning process - inkjet ink may clog the pen eventually.

[JonSzanto]

I'd be a lot more interested in this post if the inks had already been tested in a variety of pens over a fairly long time period. No way do I plan on putting an ink that is meant to spit out of a microscopic hole and dry as fast as possible into a good fountain pen. I'll let someone else make a mess and possibly wreck a writing instrument.

 

Really, the *only* upside on this is if there was a HUGE economic advantage.

[psfred]

You must be careful when refilling printer cartridges to avoid contaminating the inks, and also make absolutely positive that the ink you are using is properly matched to the inks the original manufacturer used.

 

That is to say, if you use Canon inks in an HP printer (or an Epson) you will be in for a surprise if you expect the colors to be correct.

 

Muddy sepia would suggest you have black ink in the yellow, which is a problem on my HP all-in-one at the moment. The cartridge was dirty when I got it, used, so I suspect that the other inks migrated in (the yellow was pretty much dry). I'll see how it goes, I got it for my mother to use as a copier, but may hook it up as a printer as well since it has better black printing ink capacity than my Epson photo printers.

 

Hopefully a fill or two (the color capacity is fairly small) will get the black in out of the yellow, and it will work better. It's better than it was already, just need to use all the ink up a couple times.

 

Peter

[79spitfire]

Don't use inkjet inks in a fountain pen. They are not designed for it. The will work for a time, but sooner or later you will have a plugged feed. The only way I can see this working is if you used the pen LOTS every day. I tried it once, and it did indeed work well for a day, then I let the pen set for a couple of days or so and it has never worked the same since (even after 'cleaning' the feed and nib).

 

Honestly, if ink cost is a problem, just steer clear of cartridges and speciality brand inks. The inks made by pen manufactures are likely to be safe and less expensive, whole rainbows of colors should be 'mixable' from a modest selection of colors. Sure you will miss out on the colors calling for a yellow component, perhaps diluting the green will come close...

 

I think this comes up regular from the 'rumour' that Noodler's ink labels are printed on an inkjet using Noodler's inks. I don't know if it's true or not, but fountain pen ink is likely to be less plugging in an inkjet printer than the other way around, and which would you rather have to replace? A $40 cartridge or a $500 pen?

 

If you do insist on experimenting, please do it in a cheap pen!

[sandraw]

And i was wondering how it would go the other way.... Fountain pen inks used to refill my printer ink cartridges. hmmmm

[Sasha Royale]

And i was wondering how it would go the other way.... Fountain pen inks used to refill my printer ink cartridges. hmmmm

 

The key word is "MY". Don't experiment on your own printer. On the other hand, if the

fountain pen ink is slow to dry, and runs all over the rollers, someone will want your

head.

 

Wait for someone else to do it. Then, read his narative.

[flyingfox]

I actually found a couple of old threads re.

 

1) using printer ink in a fountain pen

Printer Ink In A Fountain Pen

 

2) using fountain pen ink to refill printer ink cartridges

Refilling Printer cartridges with Fountain Pen Ink

 

 

The only reason why I am thinking of doing this is because I already have bottles of color ink that I have purchased to refill my cartridges. Waste not, want not, kind of thing.

 

And yes, I would only use a Preppy or an equivalent for the experiment. Or just a dip pen (a cheap one that I got from a local art store. It is ready to fall apart anyway.)

 

I was thinking that, if the yellow is contaminated with black ink, then it'd show up when I print out the test page consisting of "squares" of C/Y/M. On that one, yellow is normal. It is only when I try to print out anything more complicated, the results get muddy. I bought a new color cartridge already, and pretty much gave up the idea of refilling the color cartridge altogether- too much aggravation.

[fiberdrunk]

I've never tried inkjet printer ink in a fountain pen, but man, I'd like to get a hold of some of those collapsible bottles that the ink refills come in (empty). Those would be perfect for homemade iron gall ink and black walnut ink, to keep the air out as the ink is used up. Will have to hunt down a supplier for the empty bottles.

[robo]

Interesting responses - thanks. I probably won't be trying this again, but it didn't seem to do the pens I used much harm. Maybe I got lucky.

 

I've never tried inkjet printer ink in a fountain pen, but man, I'd like to get a hold of some of those collapsible bottles that the ink refills come in (empty). Those would be perfect for homemade iron gall ink and black walnut ink, to keep the air out as the ink is used up. Will have to hunt down a supplier for the empty bottles.

 

The bottles are handy, but they are pretty 'springy'... might not stay 'squished' permanently even when capped.

[Sasha Royale]

Sorry to hear that there is a shortage of fountain pen ink in

the UK. Anything we can do to help ?

 

I have not tried inkjet ink in my fountain pens. I see no

reason to risk it. Inkjet ink is a lot more expensive.

 

If you insist on experimenting, I suggest using a Parker 45.

It writes well, so any performance issues will not be pen-

related. The P45 nib and feed can be disassembled for cleaning.

Use a syringe to inject the test ink into a Parker cartridge.

 

Have fun.

[lovemy51]

Inkjet cartridges are so expensive, I'd think regular pen inks would probably be cheaper than even refill ink, wouldn't they? [...]

i was gonna say this, but u beat me to it...

[lovemy51]

... let me add, one can do a lot with food coloring from a bottle, tho not permanet -and it's harmless to FP's.

[psfred]

Inkjet ink is much cheaper than fountain pen ink if bought in bulk from aftermarket suppliers. $36 bought me a pint of black and a half pint each of cyan, yellow, and magenta ink for an HP printer, should last my mother a bit as she uses it as a copier.

 

How well it works in fountain pens is another question.

 

Peter

[robo]

Inkjet ink is much cheaper than fountain pen ink if bought in bulk from aftermarket suppliers. $36 bought me a pint of black and a half pint each of cyan, yellow, and magenta ink for an HP printer, should last my mother a bit as she uses it as a copier.

 

How well it works in fountain pens is another question.

 

Peter

 

It's particularly cheap when it's refills for an obsolete printer and is about to be tossed...

[amberleadavis]

May I suggest VERY cheap nearly disposable fountain pens?

[Bibliophage]

I'm going to necro this thread a bit, and give some of _my_ experience.

 

Despite the Chicken Little from 79spitfire (among others), there's nothing horrible about inkjet printer inks - especially not the refill inks.

 

I have _two_ different sets of inkjet refill ink, and I've used them in several pens - over a four year period. (maybe 6) I even lost track of two of my Pilot Varsity (I use them as eyedropper pens), the ink dried up, and then cleaned out of them with a few minutes worth of work, and 4 minutes in an ammonia/water solution in a ultrasonic cleaner. (That's after close to two years of dried up).

 

One set of ink is in big bottles, the other is the small squeeze bottles with their own needles. Both work fine in the Pilot Varsity.

 

Here's the difference. They flow faster than most FP ink, so they will leave a wider track in most paper. They're water soluble, so it will run.

 

The whiny (whinging) complaints about clogging in pens would be based on two things.

 

1) Letting them dry up. This is the problem with inkjet printers. If you don't print regularly with your printer, it _will_ clog because the ink dries in the nozzles. Period. Oddly enough, this is the _exact same problem with fountain pen inks_.

 

2) Photo inks. These are designed not to run. _don't use them_. These are the equivalent of india ink or shellac based inks. I'll even amend that slightly. Don't use them in a pen you A) care about, or aren't going to use much. In an empty Pilot Varsity (or the Bic version that I've seen around), fill it up and write away. Just realise you'll need a solvent to clean it afterwards.

 

So, no corrosion on the steel nibs, no clogging other than "oops, I forgot about it". The inks write just fine. I haven't put any in my Hero, but I'll probably give that a shot once I empty the varsities again. I don't like to have more than two pens inked at any particular time, because I -do- lose track of them.