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Shading is a common (and often desired) result of a fountain pen ink pooling in certain parts of a letter when writing, so that the color and saturation of the ink appears different within a single letter or word. This characteristic cannot be achieved with ballpoint or rollerball pens and is a very appealing aspect of fountain pen use for those particularly drawn to all the pretty ink colors.

Sheen is a characteristic of a fountain pen ink where, when ink pools, another color can be seen on top of the ink. It is more pronounced when looked at in different light angles using certain paper types. There is no way to guarantee an ink will sheen, but using a larger nib on a pen may help obtain better sheening results in your writing.

Yes! Shimmering ink (a fountain pen ink that has small particles of glitter mixed in) is a great way to add some flare to your writing. We have found that a larger nib will showcase more shimmering particles while writing, but you can use any nib size with shimmering ink. While it is safe to use in fountain pens, it may require a little extra maintenance.

Due to the amount of particulate in this ink used to achieve the sparking look, you may experience restricted ink flow in some of your pens, especially with finer nibs.

We recommend shaking the ink thoroughly before filling, and gently rolling the pen in your hands often to keep the shimmer effect consistent. This will also help prevent clogging.

You will also want to be diligent about regularly cleaning and maintaining your pen when using this ink.

For more information, check out our blog post on How to Write with Shimmering Ink, or watch the video here:

Any of these fountain pens will work with bottled ink. Typically, as long as the pen can be filled with a converter, has a built-in filling mechanism like a piston, or can be eyedropper-filled, it can accept bottled ink. You can also refill an empty ink cartridge from bottled ink using an ink syringe.

This product may be returned if it is in new, unused condition; or if it was found to be defective.

We accept returns for up to 30 days from purchase. You can read all our Return Policies here.

To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.