PDA

View Full Version : Ink in your pen ~ How to remember what's in there ?!?!



earthdawn
February 11th, 2014, 07:37 PM
So, I went to do some pen cleaning during the last snow storm. What was starting to annoy me more then just realizing how many dang pens were inked up BUT how many of them I could not remember for the life of me what ink was in some of the pens.

So for those who have way to many inks and keep too many pens inked up on top of that, is there any neat ideas on how to remember what ink is in each pen?

Driving me nuts !

Runnin_Ute
February 11th, 2014, 08:27 PM
Date

the name of the pen and ink

I do this every time I change ink in a pen.

earthdawn
February 11th, 2014, 08:45 PM
Date

the name of the pen and ink

I do this every time I change ink in a pen.

Meaning you keep a journal and just update it ?

cwent2
February 11th, 2014, 08:48 PM
Date

the name of the pen and ink

I do this every time I change ink in a pen.

Meaning you keep a journal and just update it ?

I use a Rhodia 9 x 14 cm notebook and enter the date, pen and ink each time the pen either is refilled with a new ink and redate the entry or it it brought into rotation with a new entry.

00Photo
February 11th, 2014, 08:50 PM
yes, ink journal, I find them very handy.

Jeph
February 12th, 2014, 03:58 AM
I just scribble on a random piece of paper and take my best guess.
I accept the fact that the situation is pretty much hopeless and don't let it bother me.
Hell, I don't even remember which pens are inked.

I have been slowly going through pens and cleaning them out though. I don't mind not knowing but I do mind leaving ink dormant in a pen for months just to make cleaning it that much harder later when the pen catches my eye again. My usual excuse is that the pen will re-enter the rotation once I try out some fresh pen but there always seems to be another pen waiting for a turn.

SteveE
February 12th, 2014, 07:00 AM
Since I only keep 3 or 4 pens in rotation, it isn't that difficult. I have a 4-slot Levenger pen case that also holds a few 3X5-inch note cards. On the top card of the stack, I write the name of each active pen, along with the ink it is filled with. When I rotate a pen out, I line through its entry. When I rotate a pen in, I simply add a line entry. I'm not really this intent on matching the inks, but it helps me not to introduce drops of ink A into bottle B when refilling.

Sailor Kenshin
February 12th, 2014, 08:41 AM
So, I went to do some pen cleaning during the last snow storm. What was starting to annoy me more then just realizing how many dang pens were inked up BUT how many of them I could not remember for the life of me what ink was in some of the pens.

So for those who have way to many inks and keep too many pens inked up on top of that, is there any neat ideas on how to remember what ink is in each pen?

Driving me nuts !

I just write the kind of pen and the ink each time I make a notation of any sort, be it journal entry or to-do list. Seems to work for me.

caribbean_skye
February 12th, 2014, 05:27 PM
i keep a journal just for this. Using the pen just after it is inked, i write brand and ink name followed by the make and model of the pen. I find the it helps me know what ink is in the pen but also quick refresher of what that ink colour looks like.

reprieve
February 12th, 2014, 06:25 PM
Yes, ink journal! It's another way for me to use up part of my overgrown cache of notebooks. Right now I'm using a Rhodia webbie (dots); I just enter the date, the pen, the nib, and the ink every time I bring something new into rotation or swap out ink colors. I also have an artist's sketchbook for ink swabs; every time I get a new ink bottle or sample, I grab a q-tip and a dip pen and do a swab and brief writing sample so that I can remember what the color looks like on paper.

Jon Szanto
February 12th, 2014, 06:31 PM
I had to start doing this, because I couldn't keep track as well.

I figured a journal wouldn't be a flexible format, so I opted for index cards, in a card file box. While I could do a database, this is an easy way to set down each pen when I purchase it - all the relevant data about the pen, etc. Then, when (if) I ink the pen, I put that down (with the ink itself), and can always go back to it. If I take a pen totally out of rotation, I'll flush it clean and note that on the card.

The only time the system fails me is when I don't record the info. Such is life, but all in all it has been quite helpful.

DrChumley
February 13th, 2014, 12:10 AM
I use a top wirebound Clairefontaine A5-sized notebook (Graph, in this case) for this very thing. I couldn't find a use for the notebook for anything else, so I figured this was as good a use as any, and I've loved having it so far.I Just write down the Pen and the Ink with that pen and ink when I ink it up. Then, when I clean out the pen, I cross out that line, so I always know which pens are currently in use. I like the idea of including the date on that as well, so I know how long the ink has been in the pen. I usually try not to keep more than 5 or 6 pens inked at any one time, but sometimes I get carried away a bit. I just keep this notebook right next to my writing desk, so it's always there when I ink up or finish up a pen.

ethernautrix
February 13th, 2014, 03:17 AM
A very quick shot:

9874

Throughout my notebooks, there are these pages of Pens & Inks.

Tracy Lee
February 13th, 2014, 04:35 AM
Yes, ink journal! It's another way for me to use up part of my overgrown cache of notebooks. Right now I'm using a Rhodia webbie (dots); I just enter the date, the pen, the nib, and the ink every time I bring something new into rotation or swap out ink colors. I also have an artist's sketchbook for ink swabs; every time I get a new ink bottle or sample, I grab a q-tip and a dip pen and do a swab and brief writing sample so that I can remember what the color looks like on paper.

I have a custom notebook my mom gave me with fabulous artists paper inside. I carry it everywhere, it has pen pal information, stamps, my ink journal of what is in my pens (I carry 14 and use a lot of samples so I need to keep track and I do the same as Reprieve). I have swabbed all my inks into this book (first thing I do with a new bottle or a sample), made wax seal samples of all of my seals, clipped in stamps, business cards from my favorite vendors, and made a pocket for stuff like business cards that I picked up at the DC pen show last year. I have also clipped in a field notes sized notebook to track pen and pen related purchases for the year, where and when purchased. I have a "to buy" ink list in there, and a list of products or pens or paper I have heard about and want to look into more. All of this in a fat, bulging, A5 sized book with a leather cover and a big button/loop enclosure. I still have lots of pages to use. I love it! It's like my pen and ink brain.

klpeabody
February 13th, 2014, 06:05 AM
Yes, ink journal! It's another way for me to use up part of my overgrown cache of notebooks. Right now I'm using a Rhodia webbie (dots); I just enter the date, the pen, the nib, and the ink every time I bring something new into rotation or swap out ink colors. I also have an artist's sketchbook for ink swabs; every time I get a new ink bottle or sample, I grab a q-tip and a dip pen and do a swab and brief writing sample so that I can remember what the color looks like on paper.


This is the method that I use! :)

reprieve
February 13th, 2014, 06:23 AM
I really like this idea (http://penaddict.com/blog/2014/1/2/ink-samples-with-the-maruman-mnemosyne-word-book) for ink swabs. This one, too (http://www.banasikcayaz.com/2013/11/ink-indexing-murekkep-arsivleme.html).

inlovewithjournals
February 13th, 2014, 06:32 AM
I keep an ink journal as well - a PaperBlanks Ananda Mini. When each pen is inked up I record the date, the make and model, and the ink. I only have 5 in rotation (usually) but I still find it helpful to keep track.

Mags
February 14th, 2014, 04:37 AM
I just try to keep it all straight in my head and an ink journal would be a good idea but a bit predictable. I am living on the edge and sometimes just thinking is the pen filled with blue, black, red or green....imagine my surprise seeing a purple....what had I been thinking inking something in purple or orange. Well you get it.

View from the Loft
February 14th, 2014, 05:48 AM
Well sounds like it's me being boring then.

I have one pen inked with Diamine Onyx Black, one with Diamine Midnight, and one with whatever sample I am trying out (currently Diamine Jade - FWIW good as a highlighter/underlining ink, not for blocks of text). Whatever the pen itself, they are always in the inkcolour order in my pen wrap - Black, Blue, sample.

Simples.

ethernautrix
February 14th, 2014, 07:08 AM
My purpose isn't to remember today what inks are in what pens but for future reference.

I started listing Pens & Inks a few years ago after I paged through some old notebooks and wondered what pens I had used. I hardly ever mentioned them then.

earthdawn
February 14th, 2014, 07:43 PM
OK so an ink journal it will be.

Thanks everyone for the input and ideas and sharing what you do !

TPC James
February 17th, 2014, 07:00 AM
Personally - I like the surprise "oh Sepia - that's nice, I'd forgotten about that!". Bit annoying thought if your just trying to find a pen to write black! So maybe a journal is the way forward...

SteveE
February 21st, 2014, 01:31 PM
Whatever stains your fingers. . . er, whatever floats your boat. . . Heck, whatever makes you happy.

I only keep my ink vs. pen card to know what's in each pen so I can refill with the same ink. If I've already emptied and flushed the pen for storage, it doesn't really matter what used to be in it. Next time the pen rotates into the "working" case, it may get a different ink, depending upon how I feel that day.

Just keep enough info to have fun, and enjoy yourself.

Avalona
February 27th, 2014, 08:07 AM
Maybe I need to start using an ink journal, too. Half of the time I can't remember what inks are in what pens. I usually use the "draw a line on my hand and guess from that" trick, but that doesn't always work. I've got a few notebooks I could use for this cause, like some of my Field Notes notebooks.

VertOlive
February 28th, 2014, 12:28 PM
Since I recently inked pens with a batch of similar inks [but not the same inks] I finally ran into trouble flying by the seat of my pants. Now I've got a stationery sheet with an entry for each pen and its ink. I can glance at the sheet before writing a letter. I don't care if it's not a permanent record, I just want to know what's in there if I reference the ink in a letter...

Jon Szanto
February 28th, 2014, 12:50 PM
The last two entries are really what eventually hits most people. If you have favored pens that are always filled with a favorite ink, it isn't a problem. But when you get a bunch of new inks, especially if you are working with multiple inks within a certain color range, you soon find out how hollow these thoughts are: "Oh, I'll just put some in this pen and test it out. And this one, too."

Nothing like a couple of pens with *some* kind of blue, or brown, or whatever, that look close but aren't the same, and you realize you have no idea which is which and what is what. Time to get AR.

Aleks
February 28th, 2014, 02:20 PM
Not to sound like a troll but i just ink a bunch of pens (which sometimes range up to 10 ---cant do more for i have no space to have >10 pens lying around on my desk) and literally hope for the best. i do a little scribble and hope i can remember by looking at it which ink i used. Now that's quite a challenge if you take into consideration i have 60+ ink bottles of which easily 25 are some sort of purple shade >_<' maybe not the smartest way to keep "inventory" but definitively keeps things interesting :D :jester:

tandaina
February 28th, 2014, 02:51 PM
I try to keep less than 6 pens inked. So honestly I just grab a pen and use it. I don't care what color is in it, I sorta like it being a mystery. *shrug*

SteveE
March 4th, 2014, 01:44 PM
I try to keep less than 6 pens inked. So honestly I just grab a pen and use it. I don't care what color is in it, I sorta like it being a mystery. *shrug*

The mystery can be fun -- until you accidentally mix two inks that do not play well together. That's one reason why I keep my ink card in my pen case. No permanent record, just notes of what's in which pen so I don't make a mess when I refill.

kia
March 4th, 2014, 04:07 PM
Well, when I was first starting - and buying more feverishly than any other time (really) - I had nearly 40 pens inked at one time and it was near impossible to remember. Now, like Tandaina, I like to keep less than half a dozen pens (preferably only three to four max) inked at any given time; and they are inked with colors I like, so whichever pen I choose is good. Three or 4 is much easier to remember than nearly 40, as well. Also, after this much time, I now recognize the colors I used once the ink flows to page, and I'm happy.

tandaina
March 4th, 2014, 04:21 PM
I always, always flush a pen before refilling. So this is not an issue.

ypsilanti
March 9th, 2014, 09:06 PM
I use the itty bitty Rhodia pads, make a list of currently inked and keep the slip with my pen case. Before writing I look at the list to decide which flavor sounds good at the moment. Usually have about eight pens inked up.

broadoblique
March 13th, 2014, 12:54 AM
Maybe that's why I like piston demonstrators so much.

Titivillus
March 13th, 2014, 09:05 AM
When I had a test tube rack for my pens I would do a strip of paper with the colors scribbled in front of each pen. Then when I would change one I redid the entire list to keep all the pens ready.

Plume145
April 6th, 2014, 10:20 AM
I have two sets of listings, an ink journal and a memory aid.

The ink journal is a mini binder filled with cards cut out from Deleter comic paper from Jetpens (could be any paper, I just went with that because I bought a pack for my mom to try, she didn't like it, so I used that). Each ink is on a separate card: every time I open a new ink (sample or not), I make up the card. The name of the ink goes first, using my glass pen for comparison, then every time I put the ink in a new pen I go back to the card and add the pen model and nib size to the card. It probably sounds a lot more of a faff than it really is :P

The mini binder stays home stashed with my inks, but sometimes i need a portable memory aide. So I list all my in-rotation pens with their inks on a little piece of paper and washi-tape it to the back of my journal. But on this one I can just use any paper I have lying around, consistency doesn't matter, and I can list the pens and inks partially, not in whole. Like, 'Waterman Red - O.S. L Frank Baum', instead of 'Waterman Phileas Mississippi Red, M nib - Organics Studio L. Frank Baum Emerald'.

But I'm thinking about ditching that and going with ethernautrix's idea. Updating the memory aide is a pain in the neck, and her solution has long-term value as well, whereas when I change inks I ditch the memo and make a new one.

inkyletters
April 14th, 2014, 07:34 PM
I haven't really jumped into the world of ink yet (for someone who loves color and variety as much as I do this is about to become an EXPENSIVE hobby. However, I do have something extra to throw in: right now I have several clones, especially Hero 529's and each has a different ink in it since I just got a big shipment of ink samples from goulet. So I could distinguish easily between the three kids I wrapped a small strip of washi tape around the body, it looks intentional and helps me remember what color I have in there (green colored tape for green ink, red for red/pink shades, etc) I don't expect the tape to last long but I think it should last long enough until I change the ink in the pen and put a new strip on there.

Alex2014
April 15th, 2014, 05:24 AM
An Excel 2013 file.:big_boss:

spotted and speckled
April 15th, 2014, 04:26 PM
Everytime I ink a pen, I write down what the pen is and what ink I put in it. I keep a list for the month (or two) and restart the list when I empty everything out and start over. I write the date on the top of the list, so I know I'm looking at the current list.

I also write a scribble or 2 about the ink in my ink journal, and state which pen I used for that particular scribble.

I have about 20 pens inked today. Two of the greens are very similar.

sharmon202
April 16th, 2014, 09:37 PM
I use a journal to record every ink refill or change, Rhodia side staple 48 sheets, nice white to see colors. Also helps see differences between ink and nib. I also have played with a visual chart for quick reference using dot paper.