EFNIR: Yunjingtang Departing Imminently

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Yunjingtang Departing Imminently

This is review #380 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: This ink from China was gifted to me by a generous FPNer. My apologies for not including the Chinese name of this ink-my database language doesn't support double-byte characters, nor do I know how to write them properly. Please see my inks spreadsheet which now has a tab with both the Chinese and English ink names. This is a chroma-shading ink. Since this attribute can be less stable over time, I'm reviewing all of them out of sequence.

Nothing liked the color of this ink. The scan is closest. The text at the bottom of the video thumbnail is also close. It's a very dark, muted, blue-leaning purple. You can barely see the color from this nib.

The microscope smear was boring. Cleaning was quick and easy even with needing an extra half flush due to how dark it was. On starting to rinse, the purple instantly turned blue, which makes me wonder if a fresher bottle might shade between blue and purple...

Zoomed in photo (All wrong. Didn't pick up any color really, and when I tried to fix it, it looks far too reddish-purple.)

Screenshot (Also didn't capture the color. Your imagination might suggest a hint of blue-purple, or not.)

Scan of Completed Review (This is closest and fairly close to what my eyes see.)

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper) (Absorbent paper is a little too blue. Copy paper is fairly close (it's almost impossible to see any color on copy paper).)

Line width (Roughly 318µm. The "I" in "Ink:". Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each. With 380 inks measured, the average line width is 299µm.) (I begin to wonder if all chromashaders write wider lines.)

Swatch card comparison (Pretty close. Dark parts might be a little too dark. On the smear, this ink was very purple (like grape candy purple), but on paper, it's right on the border between purple and blue. It's sort of a blurple-black or blurple-grey - low saturation, bluer on some papers, purpler on others. Doldam has some similarity to the lightest part of this ink. Stipula is sorta kinda similar. Midnight Blue is actually more purple (or perhaps just more saturated).)

Alternate Papers (Iroful is too blue, but otherwise, it's pretty close.)

Previous Review: Collection Traced Valley Night.

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll.

View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh? Find the whole story here. Or read Part 8: The Ice Fields Adventure.

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[A Smug Dill]

Thanks for another review! Your consistency is beyond admirable. It's almost completely out of the social media stratosphere.

 

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

On starting to rinse, the purple instantly turned blue, which makes me wonder if a fresher bottle might shade between blue and purple...

 

Official marketing images:

[yazeh]

Great review @LizEF 

I'm not sure what to make of this ink. It seems a pretty regular navy. I missed the swatch cards. 😺🙀

Loved the sequence between Vika and her mother.  Though I wonder if she's another staff, or the ice voice or this whole ordeal is a trial by ice. 😃

I haven't reviewed enough chromo-shading inks, but it's my understanding that only some colours, mostly unsaturated teals, taupes, and murky greens can have that effect and with limited success.

 

Thanks for introducing us to a new brand. Though I admit the brand and ink name are as fleeting as the colour. 

 

I hope we'll get soon out of ice. It seems we're getting an ice storm tomorrow. Not a prospect I'm looking forward too. 

 

After, orange, grey and now Ice, I hope your heros will go somewhere over the rainbow. 🌈 

 

Thanks for reminding us of magic and our inner truth. 🙏🙏🙏

 

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Another Unobtainium color that I probably would not buy, even if Obtainium. It's the properties that fend me off. I have Kaweco Midnight anyway.  Close enough for me.

 

Go, Vika!  Stay true to your friends and listen to Mommy.  I love this icy test of companions.  ❄️ 💨 🖌
 

@LizEF, thanks for brightening this sunny, but inwardly gray Tuesday.  

[LizEF]

21 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Thanks for another review!

You're most welcome!

 

22 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Your consistency is beyond admirable. It's almost completely out of the social media stratosphere.

 😊 Thanks!  It's the database developer / programmer in me - can't stop, must finish, must keep order... 

 

23 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Official marketing images:

Thank you!  I look forward to the day when @yazeh's Kitty and Mousey encounter a dragon!  

[LizEF]

14 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Great review @LizEF 

You're most welcome!

 

14 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I'm not sure what to make of this ink. It seems a pretty regular navy. I missed the swatch cards. 😺🙀

You and me, both!  Fixed!  Hopefully they show the purplish shade.

 

14 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Loved the sequence between Vika and her mother.  Though I wonder if she's another staff, or the ice voice or this whole ordeal is a trial by ice. 😃

 Vika's mother is the Earth, via Vika's mother-tree (the Ironwood tree in the Staff Grove, introduced in Part 3).

 

19 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I haven't reviewed enough chromo-shading inks, but it's my understanding that only some colours, mostly unsaturated teals, taupes, and murky greens can have that effect and with limited success.

I haven't tried to narrow it down to specific colors.  Mao She (tan, pink, and green) and Wushan & Lamp Night (both purplish, pinkish, green) have done best so far.

 

22 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for introducing us to a new brand. Though I admit the brand and ink name are as fleeting as the colour. 

Gladly!   Writing the name a few times helps it affix itself into my memory.

 

23 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I hope we'll get soon out of ice. It seems we're getting an ice storm tomorrow. Not a prospect I'm looking forward too. 

 It won't be long now.  Hope the ice storm doesn't kill power or anything.  We've had the most bizarre winter here, and that's saying something, since our weather usually fluctuates wildly - just not this  wildly.

 

24 minutes ago, yazeh said:

After, orange, grey and now Ice, I hope your heros will go somewhere over the rainbow. 🌈 

 The Inky Stars know what they'll encounter next.  (And they have yet to inform me - though they've hinted that the Professor has discovered something exciting.)

 

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for reminding us of magic and our inner truth. 🙏🙏🙏

 You're welcome!

[LizEF]

20 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Another Unobtainium color that I probably would not buy, even if Obtainium. It's the properties that fend me off. I have Kaweco Midnight anyway.  Close enough for me.

 Yes, this one isn't as exciting as some of the others.  It's a lovely color, but I'll be content to just run the rest through a wider-nibbed pen and call it good.  Mao She is in my Pelikan now, and I will mourn its passing (and hope the Diamine or Dominant Industry tan ink I have is close enough or better).

 

21 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Go, Vika!  Stay true to your friends and listen to Mommy.  I love this icy test of companions.  ❄️ 💨 🖌

 Thanks!

 

22 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

@LizEF, thanks for brightening this sunny, but inwardly gray Tuesday.  

You're most welcome!  Wishing you bright, happy inward colors to drive the grey away!  

[yazeh]

19 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thank you!  I look forward to the day when @yazeh's Kitty and Mousey encounter a dragon!  

I thought I had dragons at one point, when I was inventing your world's creation myths. But thanks for the heads-up. 😊

[yazeh]

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

You and me, both!  Fixed! 

Thanks. I see the grey now.

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Hopefully they show the purplish shade.

 

They do. But it's still meh, even though @A Smug Dill's promotional images are enticing.

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 Vika's mother is the Earth, via Vika's mother-tree (the Ironwood tree in the Staff Grove, introduced in Part 3).

Thanks for reminding me. So all the staffs of all the wizards and wizardess are Vika's siblings?

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

I haven't tried to narrow it down to specific colors.  Mao She (tan, pink, and green) and Wushan & Lamp Night (both purplish, pinkish, green) have done best so far.

I will at to the list Jinchen Purple forest. I still have to review it properly, but the initial testing is promising.

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Gladly!   Writing the name a few times helps it affix itself into my memory.

I'll try it.

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 It won't be long now.  Hope the ice storm doesn't kill power or anything.  We've had the most bizarre winter here, and that's saying something, since our weather usually fluctuates wildly - just not this  wildly.

Our neighbor's Manitoba maple. It's a very big and brittle tree. Last time it's branches crushed our electricity line. Though we still had power.  I pray that this time it'll avoid the power lines. I hope you'll have enough water for this summer. ,🙏

9 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

 The Inky Stars know what they'll encounter next.  (And they have yet to inform me - though they've hinted that the Professor has discovered something exciting.)

That's exciting. Hope @InesF resurfaces with her the professors exciting discovery.

[LizEF]

30 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I thought I had dragons at one point, when I was inventing your world's creation myths. But thanks for the heads-up. 😊

 Yes, that sounds familiar!

 

17 minutes ago, yazeh said:

They do. But it's still meh, even though @A Smug Dill's promotional images are enticing.

 Big nibs and brushes required.

 

18 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for reminding me.

Gladly!

 

18 minutes ago, yazeh said:

So all the staffs of all the wizards and wizardess are Vika's siblings?

Well, all the sentient staffs are.  What I'm not sure of is whether sentient staffs only come from the Staff Grove. I suspect not.  I suspect they can come from elsewhere, but that's a rare occurrence.   And I'm certain that not all staffs are sentient.  Some are likely just enchanted.  Others may be physical objects only, for appearances (a weaker wizard(ess) trying to look important or powerful)...

 

21 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I will at to the list Jinchen Purple forest. I still have to review it properly, but the initial testing is promising.

Oooh, sounds lovely.  🤔 I think Quin, et al, may need to venture into the Purple Forest to retrieve some rare, dangerous, magical item for a very, very important enchantment or potion... 💡

 

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Our neighbor's Manitoba maple. It's a very big and brittle tree. Last time it's branches crushed our electricity line. Though we still had power.  I pray that this time it'll avoid the power lines.

Yikes!  Hopefully the ice storm doesn't cause more old branches to come down!  (And hopefully the neighbor has it trimmed properly! Every year I have to saw a few off my mulberry tree.)

 

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I hope you'll have enough water for this summer. ,🙏

Thanks!

 

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

That's exciting. Hope @InesF resurfaces with her the professors exciting discovery.

[Penguincollector]

  What a beautiful muted blurple! I’m glad Vika saw through the ice’s lies and was able to rely on their connection to the Earth for guidance. I wish more people would tune into that connection. May we all have enough water to make it through the summer, our usual winter rains have been lighter and generally more sporadic this winter, and I worry for our farmers. 
 

@A Smug Dill, the promo photos are gorgeous, thank you for sharing them. 

[LizEF]

28 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

What a beautiful muted blurple! I’m glad Vika saw through the ice’s lies and was able to rely on their connection to the Earth for guidance. I wish more people would tune into that connection.

 

 

29 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

May we all have enough water to make it through the summer, our usual winter rains have been lighter and generally more sporadic this winter, and I worry for our farmers.

Amen to that!  People tend to forget that even with global shipping, we need our local farmers!

[inkstainedruth]

I'm kinda with yazeh on this one.  The first image looked more black than anything else, and then a lot of the other ones looked navy blue.  And unless some US vendor starts carrying this brand?  I can probably pass (I was quite surprised at just *how* different the color was from the scans that A Smug Dill posted).  But thanks as usual for the comprehensive review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

47 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

I'm kinda with yazeh on this one.  The first image looked more black than anything else, and then a lot of the other ones looked navy blue.  And unless some US vendor starts carrying this brand?  I can probably pass (I was quite surprised at just *how* different the color was from the scans that A Smug Dill posted).  But thanks as usual for the comprehensive review.

 You're most welcome!  From the EF nib, it's certainly difficult to see the color, and this one didn't like the camera, so my images don't do it justice - hooray for marketing images instead!  

[A Smug Dill]

18 hours ago, LizEF said:

It's sort of a blurple-black or blurple-grey - low saturation, bluer on some papers, purpler on others.

 

It certainly is true that this ink renders differently on various papers.

 

17 hours ago, yazeh said:

I'm not sure what to make of this ink. It seems a pretty regular navy.

 

It's tricky.

 

17 hours ago, yazeh said:

But it's still meh, even though @A Smug Dill's promotional images are enticing.

 

13 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

@A Smug Dill, the promo photos are gorgeous, thank you for sharing them. 

 

12 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

(I was quite surprised at just *how* different the color was from the scans that A Smug Dill posted)

 

Well, I can't do what the manufacturer has the technical capability (and the vested interest) to show off the ink to advantage. In fact, I'm not even sure how to capture and present meaningfully what I see from it; but let's try. (N.B. Click to enlarge the thumbnailed images.)

 

In indirect sunlight,

 

 

and through a loupe:

 

  

 

  

 

Illuminated by white LED light:

 

 

and through a loupe:

 

  

 

  

 

(and, yes, my writing technique with a brush still sucks, never mind my terrible drawing skills)

[USG]

19 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

I'm kinda with yazeh on this one.

 

Good job Liz.  Always a fan of your ink reviews. 😀

 

I'm curious about the spreading.  On decent paper, it spreads without feathering, yes?  You said it's unsaturated, yes?   Is it thin or watery?

 

At one point you mentioned that it was too blue on Iroful.... relative to...?

 

What paper are you using as your color standard?

 

Just curious, what's the weight of the bank paper were you using?

 

 

[LizEF]

38 minutes ago, USG said:

Good job Liz.  Always a fan of your ink reviews. 😀

 Thanks!

 

39 minutes ago, USG said:

I'm curious about the spreading.  On decent paper, it spreads without feathering, yes?

It writes a wider line than average. Whether that counts as "spreading", I don't know.   As you can see from the images, it doesn't feather on Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Life, or Iroful.  It does feather on the poor puzzle paper (nearly everything does), and it does fuzz a bit on copy paper.

 

41 minutes ago, USG said:

You said it's unsaturated, yes?   Is it thin or watery?

Here's an image:

This image suggests to me that the ink is low chroma, because the ink leans to the grey side in my eyes.  It's also low intensity because it's a little dark from my nib.  Make sense?

 

I don't know how concentrated the dye is.  I have no idea what "watery" means when it comes to fountain pen inks which are mostly water.  OK, sure, super sheeners and many pigment inks can seem slightly closer to syrup than water, but they're still mostly water and flow around in the bottle / vial like water.  These chromashaders often seem to have less dye in them (low dye concentration), but this one is dark enough to leave me unsure.

 

46 minutes ago, USG said:

At one point you mentioned that it was too blue on Iroful.... relative to...?

The image of the ink on Iroful looks bluer than what I see in real life.  In real life, the ink on Iroful is more purple than the scan shows.

 

47 minutes ago, USG said:

What paper are you using as your color standard?

I don't understand the question.  If you're asking about the CMYK cards in the video, those are Pantone color swatches I purchased from Pantone.  I have no idea what paper they're on, but the ones with "C" after the color name are "coated" paper (on the right in the video) and the ones with "U" are "uncoated" paper (on the bottom in the video (formerly at the top, but I moved it in more recent videos)).  The coated paper is glossy. The uncoated paper is matte.

 

50 minutes ago, USG said:

Just curious, what's the weight of the bank paper were you using?

The Life Writing Paper Bank Paper T35 is .62lb according to Amazon (where I bought it) and what I think is the same paper on JetPens (but a different size) says 84.9gsm.

[USG]

7 hours ago, LizEF said:

The image of the ink on Iroful looks bluer than what I see in real life.  In real life, the ink on Iroful is more purple than the scan shows.

 

Thanks for the clarification. 😀👍

 

7 hours ago, LizEF said:

"What paper are you using as your color standard? " 

I don't understand the question.

 

When you're reviewing an ink and you want to assign a color to it, which paper are you using to make that determination?   

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, USG said:

When you're reviewing an ink and you want to assign a color to it, which paper are you using to make that determination? 

None.  I use whatever the online vendors are telling me the color is (most specify a color), or what the ink name or manufacturer claims, or what online images suggest to my eyes, or, when all that fails, whatever color the ink is either in the vial or on a microscope slide (but to the naked eye).  These Chinese inks are the only ones I've had where I had to resort to looking at the ink itself to see what color it seemed to be in the vial.  In a couple cases, instead of assigning it a normal color in my database, I use "Multiple" as the color.  

[A Smug Dill]

 

I just received (OK, rather more than) one of these Sailor Hocoro brush pens — in the hope that they would be easier to write with than my sub-$1, poor quality Chinese calligraphy brushes — and decided to kill two birds imminently by testing it (dip-)writing in this ink on Iroful paper.

 

 

 

 

In spite of the paper's trademark name, I don't think it does a better job than CRENA swatch cards or Lizhi Stationery ‘Tree Bit’ paper in bringing out the colours of Yunjingtang ‘Departing Imminently’ ink, even when I think CRENA swatch cards didn't do so well for this ink either.