Good Ink For Checks

[davidtaylorjr]

Does anyone know of a good ink for writing checks? I'm not referring to waterproof (necessarily) or security features etc. I am referring to an ink that does not easily bleed through the check. I use a Pilot Metro F (soon to be Pilot Custom 74 EF)

[JefferyS]

My recommendation would be one of the Registrar's inks. My favorite is Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Blue Black Registrar's Ink. I find that it doesn't bleed, and it is fairly permanent.

[pajaro]

My recommendation would be one of the Registrar's inks. My favorite is Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Blue Black Registrar's Ink. I find that it doesn't bleed, and it is fairly permanent.

 

Is this a fairly dry ink?

Edited December 4, 2018 by pajaro

[inkstainedruth]

I like various waterproof Noodler's inks for signing checks: HoD, El Lawrence, Kung Te Cheng. But the last few batches of checks I've gotten from my bank are really poor quality paper and I get a lot of spread and some bleedthrough, no matter what ink I use.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TSherbs]

If sign up ng a check, any ink will do, really. You are just depositing the check. And if you are taking a pic and doing e-banking, truly any ink with contrast will do.

 

If writing a check, just use anything with even just a bit of water resistance. I find greater concern about this mostly paranoic. How likely is check tampering, really? For me, it is like bank account balancing: after 30 years of double checking every penny only to find that the bank never made a single error, I freed myself from the worry and effort. I write checks with any ink that I feel like.

[JefferyS]

Is this a fairly dry ink?

Yes, it leans toward dry. Goes down blue, but dries blue-black.

[Fuzzy_Bear]

Kon Peki

[kestrel]

Bad Belted Kingfisher.

My wife uses a blend of Violet Vote with a little Noodler's Purple added.

[dan in montreal]

I like various waterproof Noodler's inks for signing checks: HoD, El Lawrence, Kung Te Cheng. But the last few batches of checks I've gotten from my bank are really poor quality paper and I get a lot of spread and some bleedthrough, no matter what ink I use.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

True enough. With crappy paper, I just use Noodler's Black.

 

If sign up ng a check, any ink will do, really. You are just depositing the check. And if you are taking a pic and doing e-banking, truly any ink with contrast will do.

 

If writing a check, just use anything with even just a bit of water resistance. I find greater concern about this mostly paranoic. How likely is check tampering, really? For me, it is like bank account balancing: after 30 years of double checking every penny only to find that the bank never made a single error, I freed myself from the worry and effort. I write checks with any ink that I feel like.

Also true. I'm assuming most fraud today has more to do with identity theft. Check tampering? Not really a big issue. I have to say I rarely pay anything by check any more, so it's no much of a concern.

[Mechayoshi]

I don’t personally write checks but at my job I sometimes have to record customer details on them in small print. I’ve found that it’s a matter of having a fine writing pen, not really the ink. Yes, I wrote once with Noodlers’s Rome burning which is super fleathering prone, yet there wasn’t an issue at all.

[Flaxmoore]

Diamine Registrar's and Monteverde Documental Blue are the inks I use to write prescriptions, where overt fraud is still a problem.

[pepsiplease69]

I use Sailor Kiwa-guro to write all my checks. Never had any issues.

 

There is one drawback to using fountain pens to make checks, you cannot press down hard to reach the carbon copy below as you can with ballpoints.

 

I just rewrite the info on the carbon copy afterwards.

[GardenWeasel]

I’ve used Noodler’s Walnut now for several months. Quite nice for checks and addressing envelopes!

[tonybelding]

So, we have a couple of issues here: ink and paper.

 

Noodler's Black should be the go-to ink for anyone wanting to write on poor quality paper. It's readily available, not expensive, it's waterproof security ink, and it's not too often you'll run into paper it can't deal with.

 

The absolute best ink I've found for writing on the very worst paper is "Accident" blue from Organics Studio. It's a pigmented waterproof ink with a soft blue color that shades like mad, one of the most strongly shading inks I've seen (IMO quite pretty with a wet pen), and it's much more resistant to feathering and bleeding even than Noodler's Black. Unfortunately, it's rather hard to locate. I found some not too long ago from Pen Chalet, so you might give them a try.

 

As for paper… The checks from my bank used to be fantastic, superbly printed on excellent paper. Over the last couple of years they've changed their sources, and the last batch of checks I got were poorly printed on some of the worst paper that I've ever seen anywhere. I was never able to find any fountain pen ink whatsoever that would write properly on them. It was too wretched even for Accident. I ended up buying some new security checks from Wal-Mart — yes, Wal-Mart! They're quite good, problem solved.

Edited December 6, 2018 by tonybelding

[pepsiplease69]

I ended up buying some new security checks from Wal-Mart yes, Wal-Mart! They're quite good, problem solved.

I ordered my checkbook from SamsClub which is probably paper with the same provenance as Walmart. Pretty happy with the quality.

[KellyMcJ]

Perfectly serviceable, similar permanence characteristics to ballpoint: regular Pilot inks; blue, black, blue black

Extra permanent, tamper resistant ink: nanoparticle inks (I use Sailor Sei Boku).

 

Neither of these are likely to bleed or feather much on a check, as long as you use a reasonable nib (no crazy flex, music nib, etc which you wouldn't use on a check anyway, probably.)

[BaronWulfraed]

I use Sailor Kiwa-guro to write all my checks. Never had any issues.

 

There is one drawback to using fountain pens to make checks, you cannot press down hard to reach the carbon copy below as you can with ballpoints.

 

I just rewrite the info on the carbon copy afterwards.

The main reason I still carry a very beat up Levenger roller-ball that uses international standard cartridges (and have about 7 spare sections for when the ball tip starts to wear and ooze).

 

But I'm pretty sure the old Sheaffer Intrigue has a nib stiff enough to transfer to the "carbon"... Maybe an Esterbrook fitted out with a "manifold" nib?

[eharriett]

I use Diamine Registrar's Blue Black. Very well behaved. Also good for addressing envelopes.

[PJohnP]

I use Sailor Kiwa-guro to write all my checks. Never had any issues

 

+1 on this ink. It's reliable and runs a smooth line for cheques with "limited quality paper".

 

I also use Noodlers Zhivago (adulterated) as it's equipped with enough colour to differentiate it from other inks.

[Retro-user]

In addition to all that's been said here, you would probably also want to use a fine-point nib to further avoid any problems with bleed-through, feathering and ghosting.