Fountain pen ink can take its time to dry and when it does, you end up with the all-too-familiar smudge across your hand or page. The good news is that there are plenty of quick-drying options that do not compromise on colour or quality. Here are our recommendations across a range of colours.
For this guide, we are defining quick-drying as anything that dries within 30 to 40 seconds on good quality paper. Where an ink dries faster than that, we will say so.
Quick-Drying Black Inks
J. Herbin: Perle Noire - A deep, rich black with pleasant shading and minimal feathering. Dries in around 30 seconds on quality paper, faster on copy paper. One of the best all-round black inks available. Discover >
Pelikan 4001: Brilliant Black - Well regarded for its low feathering and bleed, and can dry in as little as 20 seconds on more porous paper. Slightly lighter than Perle Noire, with hints of shading and sheen. Discover >
Private Reserve: Velvet Black - A flat mid-range black with slight sheen through a wider nib. Similar dry time to Perle Noire, minimal bleeding, and decent water resistance. All Private Reserve inks tend to dry quickly. Discover >
Also worth considering: Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun and Kiri-Same both grey-blacks that dry very quickly with minimal bleed.
Quick-Drying Blue Inks
Pilot Iroshizuku: Asa-Gao - A rich royal blue with purple undertones and a red-copper sheen through a broader nib. Dries in around 15 seconds with a surprisingly wet flow for such a fast-drying ink. Discover >
Noodler's: Bernanke Blue - A vibrant electric royal blue, particularly popular with left-handed writers. Dries in as little as 15 seconds even on coated paper, with minimal bleeding. Discover >
Diamine: Royal Blue - A soft, legible blue that dries in 10 to 15 seconds on less coated paper. Minimal shading, low feathering. A reliable everyday choice. Discover >
For the very fastest drying blue, try Van Dieman's Bass Strait - dry within 10 seconds, though with more feathering on lower quality paper. J. Herbin's Bleu Calanque is a great all-rounder at 15 seconds with minimal feathering.
Quick-Drying Inks by Colour
Browns: Van Dieman's Oak Wood (very quick drying, slight feathering on some papers); Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri (15 seconds, golden sheen, minimal feathering).
Reds: Van Dieman's Bay of Fires (very quick drying, eye-catching orange-red, good water resistance); Lamy T53 Ruby (20 to 30 seconds, no feathering or bleeding).
Greens: Diamine Inkvent Elf (very quick drying, mint-green with shading, no bleed); Robert Oster Light Green (15 to 20 seconds, no feathering).
Purples: Colorverse #69 Opportunity (eye-catching magenta, slight feathering on lower quality paper); KWZ Gummiberry (rich deep purple, 15 to 20 seconds, slight bleed).
Pinks: Diamine Shimmer Pink Glitz (bright pink with golden shimmer, quick drying, minimal bleed); Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu (pale to deep shading pink, slight feathering with thicker nibs).
Oranges: Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki (reddish orange, dries in around 15 seconds, slight bleed with thicker nibs); Van Dieman's Bay of Fires (also excellent as an orange-red).
Yellows: Diamine Sunshine Yellow (deep yellow-orange, 20 to 30 seconds, minimal feathering); Noodler's Apache Sunset (dark yellow-orange, slightly longer dry time, some bleed).
If you need help finding the right quick-drying ink for your pen and paper combination, get in touch we are always happy to advise.