Van Dieman's are an ink manufacturer from Tasmania, Australia, producing a well-regarded range of inks with beautiful colours and evocative names. They have put together this helpful guide for anyone new to shimmer inks.
1. Choose the Right Pen
Not all pens are suited to shimmer inks. You want a pen that can be easily disassembled, with a nib and feed that can be removed for cleaning. The Lamy Safari and TWSBI Eco are excellent choices -- versatile, reliable, and straightforward to maintain.
2. Use a Broad Nib and Wet Flow
To let shimmer ink really shine, you need a pen with a broad nib and a generous ink flow. The more ink on the page, the more the shimmer particles can catch the light. Pilot Parallels and Jinhao X450s work particularly well for this.
3. Don't Shake the Bottle
When you are ready to fill up, resist the urge to shake the bottle. Instead, turn it gently to distribute the shimmer particles. Shaking creates air bubbles, which interrupt ink flow and cause skipping.
4. Use It Regularly
Shimmer inks need to keep moving. Use your pen daily to keep the ink flowing freely. If shimmer ink is left to dry in a pen, it can cause clogging that is difficult to clear.
5. Flush Regularly
If you are not using the pen for a couple of days, or it has been a week since you last cleaned it, give it a thorough flush with clean water. This prevents shimmer particles from settling and building up in the feed.
6. Deep Clean When Needed
For a thorough clean, fully disassemble the pen and use warm (not hot) water. If the pen is particularly stubborn, a small drop of washing-up liquid in warm water can help. Soak overnight if necessary -- patience pays off with shimmer inks.
7. Dedicate Pens to Shimmer Inks
Where possible, keep certain pens exclusively for shimmer inks. Even after a thorough clean, a few shimmer particles may remain and could mix into your next ink. This is fine for casual use, but less ideal if you are switching to a formal or archival ink.
Shimmer inks are some of the most visually spectacular inks available -- and with a little care, they are straightforward to use. Browse the full Van Dieman's range at Pure Pens, or get in touch if you need advice on which shimmer ink to try first.