Highlighter Ink Questions

[alanlight]

I use J. Herbin Vert Pré (a very light, yellow/green) as a highlighter and it works very well.

 

[truthpil]

 

I use this highlighter and add regular FP ink.

 

http://static2.jetpens.com/images/a/000/065/65594.jpg?s=00296813bbbf6f49518a3dff62e437bc

 

 

How does the Zebra highlighter compare to a Preppy highlighter?

I've been using the Preppy highlighters with Noodler's Dragon Catfish inks and YotGP for years, but wonder if this might be a better alternative.

Preppy highlighters have pretty cheap replacement tips. Is the same true for the Zebra highlighters?

 

I measured the tip on the Preppy highlighters and it's 3mm. As an alternative, has anyone found an FP with a 3mm nib (oblique would be preferable)? I think would be more fun than having to replace marker tips every couple months.

[Noihvo]

[…]

 

I measured the tip on the Preppy highlighters and it's 3mm. As an alternative, has anyone found an FP with a 3mm nib (oblique would be preferable)? I think would be more fun than having to replace marker tips every couple months.

 

[bluebellrose]

 

 

How does the Zebra highlighter compare to a Preppy highlighter?

I've been using the Preppy highlighters with Noodler's Dragon Catfish inks and YotGP for years, but wonder if this might be a better alternative.

Preppy highlighters have pretty cheap replacement tips. Is the same true for the Zebra highlighters?

 

I measured the tip on the Preppy highlighters and it's 3mm. As an alternative, has anyone found an FP with a 3mm nib (oblique would be preferable)? I think would be more fun than having to replace marker tips every couple months.

It doesnt seem to have replacement tips for sale at all.

On that note,I've been wondering.

Anyone try refilling the pilot spotlighter with fp link? Or the pentel handy line s ?

 

Replacing the tip every few months isn't very environmentally friendly though.

 

Though Im mostly looking at a highlighter that goes down on glossy paper receipts. I discovered people look at what you want them to look at if you use an attention grabbing highlighter. Currently using up my stash of highlighters. Though I'll probably finish or dry them out before long.

Edited October 26, 2017 by bluebellrose

[truthpil]

 

I tried using my 2.4 Pilot Parallel with De Atramentis Document Yellow as a highlighter and the experience wasn't positive. The nib is really just for calligraphy and too sharp for quick highlighting. It also requires holding the pen at a precise angle which doesn't match the angle at which I read books.

 

The solution may be to get an FP with an oblique angled nib (Manuscript offers a 2.8mm oblique calligraphy nib that may do the trick), but so far I have found nothing as convenient and comfortable for massive highlighting sessions as a Preppy highlighter. They simply glide over the page at any angle and the tips last for months, so long as you keep them moist (which the slip and seal cap helps with immensely).

[truthpil]

It doesnt seem to have replacement tips for sale at all.

On that note,I've been wondering.

Anyone try refilling the pilot spotlighter with fp link? Or the pentel handy line s ?

 

Replacing the tip every few months isn't very environmentally friendly though.

 

Though Im mostly looking at a highlighter that goes down on glossy paper receipts. I discovered people look at what you want them to look at if you use an attention grabbing highlighter. Currently using up my stash of highlighters. Though I'll probably finish or dry them out before long.

The tips are quite small, so I don't think replacing them every few months will do much harm to the environment. If you are just using it to highlight receipts and always keep the tip wet by having the pen inked, you may get a year or so out of one tip. The reason I've had to replace the tips on mine is because I use the clogging prone Noodler's Year of the Golden Pig which every couple months will harden in the tip no matter how often I use the pen. With normal highlighter ink I imagine you can get much more mileage out of a tip, especially if you don't push down hard.

 

Since I switched to De Atramentis Document Yellow diluted 50% with water, I believe I have solved the clogging/hardening issue and still have 100% waterproof ink, but I'll have to report back in a few months. For me the only downside of this ink is that it's a true yellow instead of the eye-popping chartreuse I prefer for highlighting.

 

So far I think the most environmentally and economically friendly choice is to get a Platinum Plaisir (basically a metal Preppy) and replace the FP nib assembly with a Preppy highlighter tip assembly, then always keep it inked with a non-clogging ink. You'd have one highlighter that could last a lifetime.

Edited October 26, 2017 by TruthPil

[KaB]

So as I decided to buy both options, it's finally time to compare them.

You'll find that here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/332566-platinum-preppy-highlighter-review/

[truthpil]

For anyone who still wants to try using a fountain pen as a highlighter (that is, highlighter over the words, not underlining them), I finally found a solution that works perfectly. I got one of these cheap no-name Chinese fountain pens with a wide range of calligraphy nibs off Taobao and the 2.9mm nib is exactly the width of many chisel-tip highlighters. I fill it up with De Atramentis Document Yellow and did a lot of highlighting today. The pen is dry enough the ink doesn't bleed at all and it makes an excellent crisp line for highlighting.

 

 

 

[]

 

The same nib is available in a similar pen here:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Calligraphy-Wide-Nib-Fountain-Pen-Gothic-Italian-Roman-Font-Writing-Fountain-Pen/192202165174?hash=item2cc0244bb6:m:mfvo7QRjALmg7akZtJ8B0Vg

 

It takes a little getting used to holding angling the pen so the whole tip lies across the text, but that could be solved with an oblique nib (Manuscript offers a cheap 2.8 oblique italic that they call a "left handed" nib). Another option might be a really broad Fude nib (like the Fude nib for the Jinhao X750) which would require a different angle for writing.

 

Anyway, I was so happy today to finally find a way to use a fountain pen as a hassle free highlighter. That means I can easily clean out the pen after a session and store if it need be, rather than having to throw away the tip if it dries out from not being used a while (a problem I had with the Preppy highlighters). It's also much easier to change inks if you suddenly need a different color.

[Guettaby]

Hi ,

Anybody thinks that large fude nib is more accurate and practical for highlighting since the grip is better than an italic nib ?

[KaB]

As OP, I'm still very happy with my solution. Still using it on a regular basis.

[bluebellrose]

On 10/26/2017 at 4:19 PM, truthpil said:

I tried using my 2.4 Pilot Parallel with De Atramentis Document Yellow as a highlighter and the experience wasn't positive. The nib is really just for calligraphy and too sharp for quick highlighting. It also requires holding the pen at a precise angle which doesn't match the angle at which I read books.

 

The solution may be to get an FP with an oblique angled nib (Manuscript offers a 2.8mm oblique calligraphy nib that may do the trick), but so far I have found nothing as convenient and comfortable for massive highlighting sessions as a Preppy highlighter. They simply glide over the page at any angle and the tips last for months, so long as you keep them moist (which the slip and seal cap helps with immensely).

I tend to do quick highlighting so I doubt the parallel would even serve me. Since I'm not actually sitting at a desk when I'm doing it lol. It's literally one quick swipe every few minutes.  I found the tip lasted longer than the pen itself 😆. Ended up having to dump two to staples pen recycling bin. One exploded on me and cracked during the summer heat and the other I dropped too many times.

 

 

 

[truthpil]

On 12/25/2021 at 7:11 PM, bluebellrose said:

I tend to do quick highlighting so I doubt the parallel would even serve me. Since I'm not actually sitting at a desk when I'm doing it lol. It's literally one quick swipe every few minutes.  I found the tip lasted longer than the pen itself 😆. Ended up having to dump two to staples pen recycling bin. One exploded on me and cracked during the summer heat and the other I dropped too many times.

 

The solution to the Preppy highlighters cracking is to put the section and tip of the highlighter into the body of a Platinum Plaisir, which is all metal. I now have both a pink and yellow Plaisir with highlighter sections inside and it's the perfect  sturdy combination for highlighting textbooks and stuff. Sure, it requires buying two pens initially, but since the Preppy body will crack eventually anyway, it's worth it to get the Plaisir.

[sssswwd]

I just bought some highlighting pencils, including KIN that worked really well overtop of FP ink. I'll try and find the scans

[bluebellrose]

On 12/28/2021 at 9:16 AM, truthpil said:

 

The solution to the Preppy highlighters cracking is to put the section and tip of the highlighter into the body of a Platinum Plaisir, which is all metal. I now have both a pink and yellow Plaisir with highlighter sections inside and it's the perfect  sturdy combination for highlighting textbooks and stuff. Sure, it requires buying two pens initially, but since the Preppy body will crack eventually anyway, it's worth it to get the Plaisir.

The section cracked on me lol. That was the problem. The entire pen somehow cracked in the summer heat. The only thing that didn't die was the cartridge and the tip.

[jchch1950]

Kaweco Calligraphy 1.5 and Lamy mango ink is the combination that I'm using lately with good results. I only underline in books

and not over handwriting with fountain pen.

[amberleadavis]

On 11/30/2022 at 3:23 AM, sssswwd said:

I just bought some highlighting pencils, including KIN that worked really well overtop of FP ink. I'll try and find the scans

 

 

Welcome aboard!  Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

 

[truthpil]

On 12/1/2022 at 3:18 AM, bluebellrose said:

The section cracked on me lol. That was the problem. The entire pen somehow cracked in the summer heat. The only thing that didn't die was the cartridge and the tip.

Yep, I've since upgraded my main yellow and pink highlighters to Platinum Plaisirs with highlighter tips. They are pretty much indestructible with the metal barrels and caps. It just took some time and patience to get the right yellow and pink Plaisir models for a decent price.