Basic ink colors

[Hawk]

I have an ink color question. Does anyone know when certain basic colors became popurla? i.e. black, blue, purple. It would seem "more correct" when using a vintage pen to use a color ink that was period correct.

I remember in my nuclear power industry days in the 70's that documents had to be signed in black because "blue wouldn't copy". BTW, we used ballpoint pens. I never had a problem with the blue copying. Red, on the other hand often disappeared on the copy. Times change.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm only guessing, but I'd say black, blue-black and regular ol' blue have a long history as classics.

[VertOlive]

Well, looking at my Iron Gall ink recipe from Sir Isacc Newton, all I was able to produce was a black ink. I think I've also seen brownish versions of early handmade ink as well.

[tandaina]

My last church had archived, handwritten sermons from the 1860s. (Dip pen at that point). The ink was most likely iron gall and maybe homemade? It was brown. That could be from fading, but it was very strong and distinct and had been stored in the dark. No way to know what the ink color originally was but I'm guessing a brownish/black would be a good guess.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Sepia? Literally, from cuttlefish ink?

[Wile E Coyote]

I remember in my nuclear power industry days in the 70's that documents had to be signed in black because "blue wouldn't copy". BTW, we used ballpoint pens. I never had a problem with the blue copying. Red, on the other hand often disappeared on the copy. Times change.

There is a specific color blue, a very light blue (RGB 164, 221, 237), that will not reproduce in a copy machine or many black and white reproduction cameras. A regular blue ballpoint and almost any other dark blue will copy. Somewhere the fact that it was a particular color that was not reproducible was lost and many organizations falsely required signatures in black ink only. Prior to color copy machines it was a good idea to sign all documents in blue to ensure they were original copies and not reproduced.

[scrivelry]

And in the year2014 there are several outfits I deal with which require that I sign the paperwork in black, so it will scan or whatever they think they have to do to it. Upon due consideration of everything I know, I would say someone just got the memo issued in 1972 that warned about blue inks...

[Hawk]

Thanks everyone for your input.
I guess I wasn't the only one who bucked the 'blue doesn't copy craziness'.

[johnus]

Had a boss once who always used Blue Ink so he knew that no one alter his memos.... The other half of that formula was that you always knew when he altered someone else's work because he send it out in Zeroxed in black ink. ( as if we didn't catch on to that quickly.

[littletim]

And in the year2014 there are several outfits I deal with which require that I sign the paperwork in black, so it will scan or whatever they think they have to do to it. Upon due consideration of everything I know, I would say someone just got the memo issued in 1972 that warned about blue inks...

I too find this funny. It is very difficult to defeat old habit.