Calligraphy inks

Calligraphy inks are inks for decorative handwriting that flow evenly from dip pen nibs, quills and brushes. Here you'll find French Jacques Herbin Calligraphy Ink in 40 ml glass bottles, Aladine Izink Calli & Co in 15 ml bottles, including the metallic shades Copper, Old Gold and Platinium, and acrylic Daler Rowney Calli in 29.5 ml bottles, individually or in a set of six colours. Black Chinese ink AMI Chinese Ink in a 60 ml bottle is also intended for calligraphy. If you're starting out with calligraphy, the Daler Rowney Simply set contains a pen, six nibs, a converter and six ink cartridges.

Which calligraphy ink should you choose?

The ranges use different bases, so they behave differently on paper. Use the table to choose a range depending on whether you want to dilute the ink or need it to resist water once dry.

Jacques Herbin uses a traditional calligraphers' recipe with gum arabic. The ink is vegan, and the bottle has a wide neck that lets you comfortably dip even an oblique pen holder into it. The range includes the dark shades Deep Black, Arabic Black and Walnut Husk, the colours Chinese Red, Electric Blue and Fuchsia, and the opaque white shade White.

Which tools can you use with calligraphy inks?

Aladine and Jacques Herbin both specify their inks for dip pens: a holder with a replaceable nib that you dip directly into the bottle. According to the manufacturer, Izink is also suitable for goose quills and calligraphy brushes. Acrylic Daler Rowney Calli flows from pens and brushes without clogging them. You'll find pens and nibs for decorative handwriting in the Calligraphic Pens category, and other inks and coloured drawing inks in the Inks category.