Fabric Dye As A Basis For Ink?

[tommyngo]

Do not use fabric dye in a fountain pen. They contain salts that help the dye bond to the fabric.

 

Use food dye instead. Generally, if it's safe to put inside your children, it's probably safe to put inside your pens.

I haven't tried food dye but apparently it is not economical as cost of food dye is more expensive than standard writing ink ( i.e. Skrip or Quink) .

[tommyngo]

I just wonder why using the same ink ( i.e. my home-made Dylon fabric-dye black ink) the drawing from the fountain pen looks lighter than that using a dip pen ? You can see it for yourself in the photo below

 

http://imgur.com/a/qfMyd

 

Any explanation for this discrepency ? Thanks .

[Manalto]

I was with you until you said that the dye was blue then you lost me. There are about a gazillion different blues out there. But why not? Have at it.

[dcwaites]

I haven't tried food dye but apparently it is not economical as cost of food dye is more expensive than standard writing ink ( i.e. Skrip or Quink) .

Here in Aus., Queen Food Dye is about $1 for a 50 ml bottle, compared to to $10 for a 57 ml bottle of Quink. They are strong enough out of the bottle to use as an ink (but in a cheap pen, of course...).

[mhguda]

I tried this and actually have a bottle of blue food coloring serve as a bottle of turquoise ink. That's the problem. I have enough regular turquoise inks. When I asked this I wanted a better black ink, and I had this dylon left over.

It works pretty well by itself, I did not add salt (you're supposed to, when dying fabric). But it's not great, so it mostly just sits there. Other ink powders worked better.