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Ink For Correspondence?


DiegoCarranza

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I've been interested in fountain pens for a little over two years now, but never had anyone to mail a letter to until now. Since I use my pens for school almost exclusively, I don't have a lot of inks; the two I use the most are a blue Parker quink ink I found at Office Depot, and a black Sheaffer skrip ink (I do not like this one, as it is a very shady black with brown undertones... I like strong black inks). The rest of my inks are Diamine Marine, Diamine Oxblood, Diamine Eclipse, and Diamine Cocoa Shimmer.

 

To be honest, I like Cocoa Shimmer and Oxblood the best, specially Oxblood, but I worry that using a red ink might come off as rude.

 

Do you think I should skip Oxblood or is it okay for it being "brown-ish"? I'd really like to read your thoughts on this, as I am very much inexperienced on the topic.

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Most of us use all the colors that we have. Red, blue, green - - whatever. Use different colors in the same latter if you want. My only suggestion is not to use an ink that is too pale to read easily. Gray and light orange are hard on the eyes.

 

If you are writing to your grandmother for the first time, you might want to play it safe with a blue or black.

Edited by Charles Rice
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I second the previous answers. As long as it's personal correspondence, use whatever (readable) color(s) you prefer - it will make the letter that much more personal.

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To be honest, I like Cocoa Shimmer and Oxblood the best, specially Oxblood, but I worry that using a red ink might come off as rude.

 

Do you think I should skip Oxblood or is it okay for it being "brown-ish"? I'd really like to read your thoughts on this, as I am very much inexperienced on the topic.

Use what you like! It is kind of you to consider that something might seem rude, but the content of the letter is far more important than the ink color. (Oxblood and Cocoa Shimmer are both beautiful, in my opinion.) Happy writing!!

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You can't go wrong with a dark blue. To my mind, Diamine Regency Blue is the perfect ink for correspondence (unless you're writing a love letter).

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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Use what you like! It is kind of you to consider that something might seem rude, but the content of the letter is far more important than the ink color. (Oxblood and Cocoa Shimmer are both beautiful, in my opinion.) Happy writing!!

Books on etiquette from the fountain pen heyday period are adamant regarding acceptable colour of ink used in correspondence. Just a thought and probably of little relevance in the days of those yellow blobs and lol

Edited by Amory
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I prefer Diamine Denim. Coming out of my needlepoints, it's a deep blue-black and looks nothing like the swabs of it I see on forum reviews or sellers' web listings (and I don't write notes using a Q-tip). My personal stationery paper and card stock is ecru with navy ink for the engraving, and the envelope lining is a tan/blue/white stripe.

 

I have used Oxblood. It produces a brown line from my pens (not the dried blood color seen in swabs of it). I had worked for a company whose ink used on their note card stock was brown, so it looked good with that on their ecru paper. I don't think it's inappropriate, at all.

 

I may get flamed for saying this, but I do think the writer's gender matters. I think there are inks that are more masculine (black, blue, brown) and inks that are more feminine (basically, the rest of the rainbow of colors available). I receive notes from women whose ink represents their personal flair and genuinely reflects their nature, or inks that change with the seasons. If I received a note from a guy using some of those inks, it would seem odd.

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...(unless you're writing a love letter).

 

OK, I've just gotta ask -- what ink color(s) is/are most appropriate for love letters?

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OK, I've just gotta ask -- what ink color(s) is/are most appropriate for love letters?

 

IMHO, a guy should probably go with a blue, but not as dark and formal as Regency. Try Parker Penman Sapphire--it shows her you're willing to spend the big bucks on her--or one of its wannabes, like Monteverde Horizon Blue, Bungubox First Love Sapphire, or Diamine Blue Velvet.

 

A lady should use a purple or red ink. This demonstrates that she loves her guy enough to risk staining that pristine, heretofore uninked Vacumatic that she's been waiting for the right occasion to use. :P :wub: :lol:

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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OK, I've just gotta ask -- what ink color(s) is/are most appropriate for love letters?

Heartbreak Habanero

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I routinely write in hues ranging the whole spectrum. Just like my great grandfather, I stay away from blues and blacks, opting instead for a dark purple. Frankly, to disagree with others here, gender means squat. I am male, and I routinely write with magentas in spring and summer when the prickly pears are at their most prevalent. A color from my home when sending letters abroad, and with it more vibrancy and good news.

 

So, in short, use whatever makes you happy. The recipient will (or at least should) care more about the content of your letter rather than the color choice of the inks you choose. If writing in neon yellow brings joy to your heart, embrace that joy. The reader will make do.

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I think the obvious answer is just "whatever suits your mood." If you ask me, the ink choice should reflect both the person writing and the contents of the letter, so it's very individual. I'd expect that for the average letter recipient, the choice of ink color will mean much less than what's being written, but I think the color of writing does convey a certain mood, so I do put thought into it before writing. Blacks and blues are more business-like, reds can be somewhat alarming, greens are quirky, purples are emotional... those are my (very broad) impressions, at least. I think of all of those categories, red is the color with the strongest connotation, so I understand why you might be worried about using a red ink, but I doubt anyone would take offense at a letter written with Oxblood.

 

All that being said, thinking back, I think my most often-used ink for letter-writing is Sailor Rikyu-Cha.

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OK, I've just gotta ask -- what ink color(s) is/are most appropriate for love letters?

 

Brown, at least according to etiquette books of a century or so ago. Blue and black for business correspondence and brown for personal correspondence. I like following this rule (sometimes) and have found an inky friend in Herbin 'Lie de The'.

 

The ink-color rules of 100 years ago have little traction today, but I can see how the warmth of brown would cause it to be put in that category. Also, I suspect there wasn't the wide range of ink colors we have available today.

 

I also like a German ink from Rohrer & Klingner, 'Alt Goldgrun'. It's a botanical olive color or, less romantically, army green. My individual interpretation of green is that it's peaceful. I'd be inclined to use Old Gold-green for intimate correspondence or, as everyone else has said, whatever floats your boat.

 

I agree with you that Oxblood is a gorgeous color and with the others that it's OK for letter writing. It's not "accountant red" - that would indeed be a bit alarming.

 

Work on your penmanship, though, no matter how good it already is. A confident, consistent hand says more than any color.

Edited by Manalto

James

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On a whole use any ink colour you want, but also consider the recipient and what they might like or not like.

 

There are some guidelines though, like using red ink is a huge no-no for Chinese people, grey ink is for mourning in Japan and similar.

 

See these threads

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/333568-the-hidden-meaning-of-colors/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/334498-ink-color-etiquette/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/319680-ink-etiquette-international/

 

Imo too one can never go wrong with a blue ink :happyberet: :sm_cat:

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To repeat what others have already said, colour doesn't really matter when you're writing to someone just for fun; in fact, especially if you found your pen pal on FPN, chances are that they'll enjoy the non-standard inks more than your everyday blue and black.

 

 

I may get flamed for saying this, but I do think the writer's gender matters. I think there are inks that are more masculine (black, blue, brown) and inks that are more feminine (basically, the rest of the rainbow of colors available). I receive notes from women whose ink represents their personal flair and genuinely reflects their nature, or inks that change with the seasons. If I received a note from a guy using some of those inks, it would seem odd.

 

I also have to disagree that there should be any link between gender and colour - I'm sorry for putting it so harshly, but it's just plain old bullshít. One of the more benign examples of how people are being put into arbitrary restraints on grounds of their sex and/or gender.

 

 

Dominique

Edited by by_a_Lady

Snail Mail


(fluent in SK, CZ, DE, EN


currently learning EO, JP, NL)

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Back when we were dating I wrote to my wife with Diamine Violet, I wrote to my sister's kids in KWZ Brown Pink, I sign cards in whatever color is in my pen which can be any color, except a true yellow because I have yet to open the one bottle of that I have, not purposefully but because I have too many inks to be distracted by.

 

Part of writing a letter is the joy you get in how it looks, so as long as the ink doesn't signify something rude culturally (such as death, displeasure etc.), or would be difficult to read if the receiver has color blindness or eye degeneration that makes certain colors difficult to read, I would choose whatever color you enjoy writing with.

 

Oxblood is a great color, one of my favorite reds, I cannot say I have ever had a relationship effected by using it, or something similar like Monaco Red.

 

For some reason I am wanting KWZ Raspberry to be the next ink I use for a letter....

Edited by JakobS

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I use a different ink on each page. I’ve used Mont Blanc Corn Poppy Red and Diamine Red Lustre. Some letter writers use the same ink and pen for the entire letter. Some change mid page. I enjoy seeing a wide range of colors.

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I use a different ink on each page. Ive used Mont Blanc Corn Poppy Red and Diamine Red Lustre. Some letter writers use the same ink and pen for the entire letter. Some change mid page. I enjoy seeing a wide range of colors.

Effective colour coding :) the reader will remember the content in each colour zone and might even remember the exact location on the page.

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I think a couple of things come into play. One of those is intended audience. A thank you note to a potential employer or other business correspondence, a blue, blue black or black generally. Although a brown on a ivory or cream would be acceptable too.

 

My pen pals that are pen friends get a rainbow of color. One I am working on now has Lamy Petrol, Blackstone Red Cashmere among others. Who knows what other colors will end up in it? I don't know yet. It does have a hint of Diamine Classic Red, Kon Peki and a couple of others already.

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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