A THOROUGH TEST WITH OUR PAPER BY A CALLIGRAPHER - and a give away

We want to give you the broadest perspective on working with our paper. So after showing you our recommendations on nibs and letting you in on our favourite technique, today we’re giving you tips on the best inks. Never underestimate the power of different inks on handmade paper. 

Coming from an ink expert, talented calligrapher and artist Sarah 'Zarah' Zemlyak of Zarah Calligraphy, today we’re honouring the magic powers of inks for working with handmade paper. Finding the perfect ink is not only an essential choice for the style of your design. It can also make or break working with handmade paper. Zarah gives us her best recommendations. By the way, at the end of this article we have something for you too, so stay tuned.

My top combo for Claudia's Handmade Paper:

Brause rose nib no. 76 (highly elastic) + Ecoline water colour ink

Inks, their features and recommendations:

• Light and airy Calligraphy
  For light and airy Calligraphy I recommend „Ecoline“ water colour ink.
  It creates a slight ombré effect from light to dark within the written text. That makes for a very natural and light effect and an old-world charm & handmade character.

• Heavier coloured and more opaque Calligraphy

If I want stronger colour in the written text that is more opaque on the paper I recommend

"Royal Talens Amsterdam All Acrylics" Acrylic Ink (e.g. in neutral grey 710)

There is no or hardly any ombré effect. Wide range of colours.

Acrylic colours can also be mixed → perfectly suitable if you have to adapt the calligraphy to a certain theme or if you have to stick to a Corporate Identity and its colour schemes for example.

• Opaque White:

„Aero Color Professional“ by Schmincke & Co.;
Finest acrylic ink Color 28 101 SUPRA-White, opaque (in my opinion the best best opaque white)

• Black Ink:

„Rohrer & Klingner“ drawing ink black 29 770

• My favourite metallic colours:

Fine Tec pearlescent colours (my personal favourite out of their range = “arabic gold”)

For writing on handmade paper I mix these with a lower water content, so it doesn´t bleed.

Nibs I like to use:

1. Brause Rose Nib Nr. 76, highly elastic
2. Brause Nib Nr. 66, highly elastic
3. Brause Nib Nr. 65, medium soft

I have tested several different nibs and these are my favorites, sorted according to which I like best. They hardly stick to the paper, you can write fluently and quite fast.

Of course, you always have to keep in mind that calligraphy on handmade paper needs to be set more carefully and with more caution, but these nibs are a very good support.

Sarah Zemlyak
Atelier Zarah
www.instagram.com/atelier_zarah

www.zarah.at

Thank you, Zarah, for these valuable recommendations!

And by now, you´re probably wondering what we have for you...?

It´s something really simple but we´re really excited about it. We have tied together beautiful little scraps from our production as bundles of practice paper.

Yes – sets of paper bits from our workshop to practice writing on. We know how intimidating it can be to write on precious handmade paper, so we want to make it easier and simpler for you. And the best thing: We´re giving the bundles away for free with your next order. Just type in „SCRAP“ into the notes section of your next order and you´ll automatically get your set of practice paper!