Fountain Pen Ink Guide: How to Choose the Right Ink for Your Pen

You have a fountain pen — now you need ink. But with hundreds of ink brands, colors, and formulas available, how do you know which one works best? This guide covers everything you need to know about choosing fountain pen ink, from the basics of cartridges vs. bottled ink to our favorite colors from brands we carry at Occasions Just Write.

Cartridge Ink vs. Bottled Ink

Fountain pen ink comes in two main formats, and each has clear advantages.

Ink cartridges are pre-filled, sealed plastic tubes that snap into your pen. They are convenient, mess-free, and perfect for travel or on-the-go writing. The downside is limited color selection — most brands only offer 5-8 cartridge colors — and the cost per milliliter is higher than bottled ink.

Bottled ink offers hundreds of colors and is more economical over time. You fill your pen using a converter (a refillable cartridge with a piston) or a built-in piston mechanism like the one on the TWSBI ECO. The tradeoff is a slightly messier filling process, though most writers find this becomes second nature after a few fills.

Understanding Ink Properties

Not all fountain pen inks behave the same way on paper. Here are the key properties to consider:

• Flow: How wet or dry the ink writes. Wetter inks show off shading and color variation but may feather on cheaper paper. Drier inks are more controlled and work better on everyday office paper.
• Dry time: How quickly the ink dries on the page. Fast-drying inks prevent smearing — especially important for left-handed writers.
• Water resistance: Most fountain pen inks are water-soluble, meaning they will smear or wash away if exposed to water. If permanence matters, look for inks specifically labeled as waterproof or water-resistant.
• Shading: The variation in color intensity as the ink pools in different areas of each letter. Inks with strong shading produce beautiful, organic-looking writing.

Our Favorite Inks at Occasions Just Write

Jacques Herbin Cartridge Inks

Jacques Herbin has been making ink in Paris since 1670 — they are the oldest ink manufacturer in the world. Their standard cartridge inks offer rich, well-behaved colors that work beautifully in any pen that accepts international standard cartridges (which includes most pens except LAMY and a few proprietary brands).

Popular colors include Perle Noire (a deep, true black), Eclat de Saphir (a vivid sapphire blue), and Terre de Feu (a warm, earthy brown). Herbin inks are known for smooth flow, pleasant shading, and easy cleaning — making them ideal for beginners exploring color beyond basic blue and black.

LAMY Ink

If you own a LAMY Safari, AL-star, or any LAMY pen, LAMY cartridges are the most convenient choice. LAMY uses a proprietary cartridge size, so you need LAMY-branded cartridges or the LAMY Z28 converter for bottled ink. Their cartridge colors include blue, black, red, green, and turquoise — all reliable everyday writing inks with moderate flow and reasonable dry times.

Matching Ink to Paper

Even the best ink can look bad on the wrong paper. Standard copy paper and most spiral notebooks tend to cause feathering (fuzzy edges on letters) and bleed-through with fountain pen ink. For the best results, use paper designed for fountain pens or high-quality stationery. Brands like Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm1917 all handle fountain pen ink beautifully.

We carry a range of quality notebooks and stationery papers at our Wilmington, NC shop that pair perfectly with fountain pen inks.

Ink Care and Maintenance Tips

• Flush your pen every 4-6 weeks if you use it regularly, or whenever you change ink colors. Run clean water through the pen until it runs clear.
• Do not mix inks from different brands in the same pen — chemical reactions can cause clogging.
• Store ink bottles upright in a cool, dark place. Most fountain pen inks have a shelf life of decades when stored properly.
• Cap your pen when not writing to prevent the ink from drying in the nib and feed.

Ready to explore? Browse our fountain pen ink collection online or visit us at 3501 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC to see our full ink selection in person.