Guide to Diluting Ink?

[Toolattack]

Can anyone give me a link to an amateur’s guide to ink dilution? I have a couple of bottles that have gone a little sludgy and I’d like to resurrect them if possible. Are there certain types, brands or colours of ink that this works better for? I’d also appreciate any advice on what to use as a diluting agent - water, distilled water or something else? Thank you in advance for your help.

[Karmachanic]

Use 5ml sample vials.  Tap water in my region works for me.  Start maybe 4:1 ink to water and adjust to taste from there.

[A Smug Dill]

You'd definitely want to use a diluting agent that is sterile. If using water, then distilled and demineralised water would be best; but water will affect the performance characteristics of the ink, whether you're diluting ink as-supplied to obtain a lighter colour, or trying to ‘restore’ ink that has been condensed through evaporation over time in storage.

 

Some ink producers, e.g. Platinum Pen, make specific ink diluting liquids available as retail products. Which brand and product would best give you the performance characteristics you seek or prefer is going to be a matter of experimentation, especially if you're not using the same brand as the ink you want to dilute.

[Karmachanic]

I've been using tap water, in 5 ml containers, without any deleterious effect for many years.  One of the benefits of using a small container is easily noticing if something is going wrong.  If it does, switch to distilled, and try again.  Rinse, repeat and adjust as/if required..

[Toolattack]

14 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

Use 5ml sample vials.  Tap water in my region works for me.  Start maybe 4:1 ink to water and adjust to taste from there.

Thanks @Karmachanic 🙏

[Toolattack]

13 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

You'd definitely want to use a diluting agent that is sterile. If using water, then distilled and demineralised water would be best; but water will affect the performance characteristics of the ink, whether you're diluting ink as-supplied to obtain a lighter colour, or trying to ‘restore’ ink that has been condensed through evaporation over time in storage.

 

Some ink producers, e.g. Platinum Pen, make specific ink diluting liquids available as retail products. Which brand and product would best give you the performance characteristics you seek or prefer is going to be a matter of experimentation, especially if you're not using the same brand as the ink you want to dilute.

That’s very useful @A Smug Dill I will check that out 🙏