The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen.
Specs
Name: Red Robin
Maker: Diamine
Color Family: Red
Properties: Shading
Gifted to me by my lovely friend Greg
What’s in a name?
This was part of the 2021 Diamine InkVent collection. I presume it was named for the bird, the red robin, and the orangey red hue matches pretty well.
Swatches
A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to show any shimmer or sheen). But what about when you’re writing a letter or notes with it?
The above was written on Cosmo Air Light 75gsm paper, using a Lamy AL Star fountain pen with a Medium nib.
Of course, for maximum effect you want to see it in light and in motion. The following video shows the ink swatched on Skylab Letterpress 160gsm cards.
Thoughts
This lovely rust-brown ink has consistent shading and a smooth, semi-wet flow. The lightest hue is closest to that robin’s breast orange- even in an EF nib pen, I think it’d be easily visible. The darker color trends more brown than orange, to my eyes, so the overall effect is reminiscent of autumn leaves.
Interestingly, the swatch came out more of a deep red than the writing. But I’m not fussed about it- I think this is a great hue and, aside from potentially being an issue with R/G colorblind folks, legible and low-key enough for business use. As usual for Diamine, it’s a smooth ink!
*All pics and vid were taken using a Samsung Galaxy S22 and color-adjusted to best reflect the hue of that ink.
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