The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen.
Specs
Name: Wonderland
Maker: Diamine
Color Family: Yellow
Properties: Shading
Gifted to me by my lovely friend Greg
What’s in a name?
This was part of the Diamine 2021 InkVent collection, but I couldn’t find any reasoning behind the name. Possibly it’s a nod to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, though why that name would be connected to an orange ink, I don’t know. Or perhaps, since this is a regular wintertime ink release, it’s a reference to the song Walking in a Winter Wonderland- a scene which conjures images of sparkling white snow, but of course a white ink on white paper is pointless, so perhaps the color was inspired by bright winter sunshine.
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 Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a Kaweco AL Sport 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 orangey yellow ink evokes a feeling of simple happiness. It’s a pretty reliable shader, trending toward reddish orange on the darker side and a tangerine on the lighter side. It’s got a moderate flow and drying time (though my Kaweco kept doing hard-starts…I suspect because it’s very sensitive to changes in the angle of my grip as I write, which does seem to shift a little).
It’s probably not a color for work, but legible in an F or larger nib and will probably bring a smile to your pen pal’s face. I expect it’ll also be great for art use, given its properties and reliable flow.
*All pics and vid were taken using a Samsung Galaxy S22 and color-adjusted to best reflect the hue of that ink.
Leave a Reply