Ink on Cheap Paper Tests

[Taur]

I've only been in the hobby since 2019, but on a number on forums, reddit, and videos I've seen requests for "what ink works best on cheap paper." I have a bevy of cheap paper around the office, so thought I'd do some tests with my ink. The full blog can be found here, but I'll link each individual test here as I complete them. I generally test for bleedthrough, ghosting, and dry time. I don't worry about feathering because it's going to happen on cheap paper. I don't review the ink so much as let the images speak for themselves and document what I see. The paper being tested is mostly of the AMPAD brand - legal pad, small legal pad, steno pad, and scratch pad. The other papers tested are Post-It-Notes, Staples Copy Paper 20 lbs 75 g/m², and pen & GEAR Notebook paper. Hope someone can find some use for these tests.

 

Introduction & Noodler's Lexington Gray

#2 Lamy Blue

#3 Noodler's Heart of Darkness

#4 Pilot Red

#5 Pilot Green

#6 Pilot Purple

#7 Pilot Pink

#8 Noodler's Operation Overlord Orange (V-Mail)

#9 Diamine Oxblood

#10 Noodler's X-Feather Black

#11 Noodler's Forest Green

#12 Diamine Oxford Blue

#13 Birmingham Pen Company Heron

#14 Noodler's Tiananmen

#15 Birmingham Pen Company Periwinkle

#16 Noodler's 54th Massachusetts

#17 Noodler's Navajo Turquoise (Turquoise of the Mesas)

#18 Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses

#19 Birmingham Pen Company Summersweet

#20 Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher

#21 Birmingham Pen Company Jade Inferno

#22 Noodler's House Divided

#23 Noodler's Standard Brown

#24 Diamine Iris

#25 Noodler's Eel Black

#26 Noodler's Marine Green

#27 Monteverde Midnight Black

#28 Noodler's Violet

#29 Birmingham Pen Company Black Olive

#30 Diamine Syrah

#31 Noodler's American Aristocracy

#32 Noodler's Sequoia Green

#33 Birmingham Pen Company Tesla Coil

#34 Noodler's Dark Matter

#35 Kaco Black Cartridge

#36 Noodler's Polar Black

#37 Noodler's Burgundy

#38 Iroshizuku Ina-ho

#39 Muji Black Cartridge

#40 Montblanc Black

#41 Birmingham Pen Company Electron

#42 Diamine Majestic Blue

#43 Kaweco Royal Blue

#44 Pilot Turquoise

#45 Pilot Blue

#46 Hongdian Black Cartridge

#47 Sailor Black Cartridge

#48 Wearingeul 13 Children

#49 Waterman Serenity Blue

#50 Wearingeul Mature

#51 Monarca Cardona

#52 Diamine Jack Frost

#53 Diamine Green/Black

#54 Pilot Namiki Black Cartridge

#55 Diamine Indigo

 

Upcoming

#56 Diamine Matador

#57 Birmingham Pen Company Iron Girder

#58 Lamy Black

#59 Birmingham Pen Company Ice Rink

#60 Diamine Marine

#61 Pilot Blue Black

#62 Diamine 1864 Blue Black

#63 Platinum Black Cartridge

#64 Diamine Chocolate Brown

#65 Diamine Earl Gray

#66 Generic Blue Cartridge

#67 Diamine Twilight

#68 Diamine Eau De Nil

#69 Noodler's Hunter Green

#70 Diamine Asa Blue

 

[TSherbs]

Taur, this is a fantastic resource. Thank you for doing it and sharing it.

[AndyYNWA]

Really nice resource! 👍 Thanks!

 

However, to me, feathering is the most important aspect when it comes to any ink on any paper. Feathering is the number one reason to not use that ink-paper combination, then you bring out your ballpoint instead.  

[AceNinja]

What a great resources!  May I request for future ink?

1. Pelikan 4001 Blue Black

2. Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black

3. Diamine Onyx

4. Diamine Jetblack

 

On 9/8/2023 at 2:13 AM, Taur said:

#4 Pilot Red

#45 Pilot Blue

in your blog you wrote that the Pilot Blue comes in bottled form and Pilot Varsity, and the sample is written by a Varsity.  I believe that the standard pilot blue ink in the 30ml bottle, 350ml, namiki's 70ml bottle, is different from Pilot Varsity's blue, which i believe it's could be the Pilot Mixable Blue.  Ie Pilot Mixable Blue (available in cartridge only marketed for Pilot Parallel, and I believe the blue in Pilot Petit) are not the same as Pilot Blue in 30ml bottle.  Same applies to Blue Black, Black, Red.

 

I used a lot of 'I believe, I think', because I myself never really did a conclusive test to found out, only based on what I've read.