Editing Fountain pen (section)

===Concerns and alternatives===
Pen manufacturers that produce proprietary cartridges (which in almost all cases are the more expensive ones like the ones mentioned above) tend to discourage the use of cheaper<ref name="www.richardspens.com inks"/> internationally standardised short/long cartridges or adaptations thereof due to their variance in ink quality in the cartridges which may not offer as much performance, or be of lesser quality than the pen's ink cartridge that has been designed specifically for the pen itself. Due to potential additive deficits such as glycerides or uneven pigmentation, cheaper ink may also skip or produce uneven colour on the page and "feather" (spread out of the originally written line) more on thinner grades of paper (e.g. 75 gsm).<ref name="www.richardspens.com inks"/>

While cartridges are more convenient to refill than bottle filling, converter and bottle filling systems are still sold. Non-cartridge filling systems tend to be slightly more economical in the long run since ink is generally less expensive in bottles than in cartridges. Advocates of bottle-based filling systems also cite less waste of plastic for the environment, a wider selection of inks, easier cleaning of pens (as drawing the ink in through the nib helps dissolve old ink), and the ability to check and refill inks at any time.<ref name="gold spot" />