Dr. Ph. Martin's Iridescent Calligraphy Color (11R) Ink Bottle, Copper Plate Gold

I ADORE Dr. Ph. Martin's inks.The colors are true to how they appear in the bottle (once any sediment has been properly shaken up and suspended), truly waterproof, no fading. Do note that this is metallic and a light color. On light paper, it can be difficult to see for some.The ink doesn't run and bleed everywhere, it works with every nib I've tried (quite a range, every modern leonardt, almost every modern speedball, several others), and almost every paper (anything your nib scratches to bits is obviously out of the question). It is a thicker ink than many others you might find--it flows beautifully, smooth without breaks, but you don't want to, say, leave it in a roundhand nib with a reservoir untouched for ten minutes. It is ink. It will dry.But that just leads me to another plus--it's easy to clean out. Once dry it flakes off nibs at the touch of fingernail, not counting unfortunate grooves. It responds well to nib cleaning solution, abd of course when wet (again, not counting grooves where any ink would get stuck) it wipes right off with paper. I've also found that it come out of my scrap cloth with little effort, but don't go spilling it on your carpet or favorite white shirt and expect it to come out. I just mean that the scrap I use for cleaning isn't darkly or noticeably stained from these.They also are wonderful in painting, and again waterproof, so you can do things like soaking a drawing in tea to make it appear aged without worrying about losing the drawing.With metallic inks, because they may have been in storage some time, you may have to go into the bottle with a rod to loosen and mix any sediment that may have collected. Once mixed, though, I find the occasional shake is sufficient before using the inks. I haven't had to go back into any ink to remix settled pigment since I've bought them, so my suspicion is that they have to be completely undisturbed for some time to need rod mixing rather than just shaking.

Once again, Dr. Ph Martin's does not disappoint! I have been using this ink for about a year, and I have now just finished a little more than half of the bottle. The ink is gold, dries with a slightly elevated texture, and does not have glitter particles that make so many gold inks appear fake. I use this ink both for coloring doodles and calligraphy (the main reason I use it), and have been impressed with how smooth it writes on smooth and textured papers with both large and small nibs. This ink is NOT FOR FOUNTAIN PENS and as all metallic inks REQUIRES CONSTANT MIXING WHEN WRITING FOR LARGE PERIODS, so if you have a large envelope job, I would reccomend getting an ink stirrer so that you do not waste time mixing the ink. If the ink looks dark brown and watery, do not be surprised as this is normal with metallic inks which are usually suspended pigments and particles. Simply shake the bottle vigorously and voila! It is ready to use. I have not experienced the ink becoming moldy or smelling weird, and I use the dropper to put the ink directly on my nibs. If prefered, the ink may also be transferred to a dinky dip using its dropper. However, the opening is too small to dip a pen, which is why its lid is a dropper and also why it does not mold. I must caution that because the ink separates, the dropper can get clogged and spill ink all over you, your desk, and your work if you use pressure to unclog the dropper. So if your purchase this product, make sure that you keep the plunger and bottle neck clean. Finally, to remove the ink from my nibs, I use 50% isopropyl alcohol solution and clean my nibs every few minutes and as soon as I have finished writing, because once it dries, it is nearly impossible to remove, even with acetone and dish soap.

I must admit that I love the quality, texture, and shimmer of the Iridescent line of colors pictured. I will definitely be ordering more from this company. You must shake the product well before using, otherwise the ink will be watery and difficult to use. The dropper that is included makes usage easier. If you want a smooth line use less ink, and for a bold, raised line slightly more ink your nib. These inks are best used with dip pens, however, glass pens are a little more difficult because the ink dries fast. I read in another review that the company will send you beads to put in the jars if you contact them. I used copper BB's and noticed that some inks do not like them and damages the ink. I recommend using plastic or glass beads to help mix the ink when separated.

Got this ink to spruce up inktober. I'm using it for pretty much only art purposes, so I can't speak on the ink quality for calligraphy. I love this ink, but there are a few things to note about it.1. It separates in the bottle. This seems to be standard with gold inks. The ink reincorporates well and doesn't need to be shaken for too long.2. It's kind of glittery. It's not a chunky glitter, but it does have some sort of glitter in it, as opposed to a straight metallic sheen. This isn't a problem for me, but just something to note.3. It can kind of be a little streaky if you're going over a large area. Maybe that's just the paper I'm using, but still.4. It plays nicely with water.5. If you put an ink over it, it will still show through. I've tried layering sharpie over it and the gold glitter somehow still appears over it?6. I needed to use a thumbtack to dislodge a chunk of ink from the dropper tool upon first usage.Images are attached to hopefully show off the ink closer up. None of them are edited, and all are taken under florescent light. Overall, really nice and shiny.(If this review helped you, please hit "helpful")