Editing Fountain pen (section)

==Inks==
[[File:Green Ink Bottle - 02.jpg|thumb|A bottle of turquoise ink]]

{{Main|Fountain pen ink}}
[[Ink]]s intended for use with fountain pens are water-based. These inks are commonly available in bottles. Plastic cartridges came into use in the 1950s, but bottled inks are still the mainstay for many fountain pen enthusiasts. Bottled inks usually cost less than an equivalent amount in cartridges and afford a wider variety of colours and properties.<ref name="pen fountain">{{cite web|url=http://penfountain.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/fountain-pen-inks-arent-all-the-same/|title=Fountain pen inks aren't all the same|access-date=2011-02-20|year=2010|website=Penfountain|archive-date=2011-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227115314/http://penfountain.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/fountain-pen-inks-arent-all-the-same/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Fountain pens are not as tightly coupled with their inks as [[ballpoint pen|ballpoints]] or [[gel pen]]s are, yet some care must be taken when selecting their inks. Contemporary fountain pen inks are almost exclusively [[dye]]-based because [[pigment]] particles usually clog the narrow passages.<ref name="pen fountain" /><ref name="gold spot">{{cite web|url=https://goldspotpens.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/cartridge-vs-converter.html|title=Cartridge vs. converter|access-date=2016-07-27|year=2010|website=Goldspot Pens|archive-date=2016-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817085543/https://goldspotpens.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/cartridge-vs-converter.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Traditional [[iron gall ink]]s intended for dip pens are not suitable for fountain pens as they will corrode the pen (a phenomenon known as flash corrosion) and destroy the functionality of the fountain pen.<ref name="www.richardspens.com inks">{{cite web|last1=Binder|first1=Richard|title=Inks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly|url=http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/care/inks.htm|website=Richard Binder's Pens|access-date=26 July 2016|archive-date=27 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727070339/http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/care/inks.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Instead, modern surrogate iron gall formulas are offered for fountain pens. These modern iron gall inks contain a small amount of ferro gallic compounds that are gentler for the inside of a fountain pen, but can still be corrosive if left in the pen for a long period.<ref name="www.richardspens.com inks" /> To avoid corrosion on delicate metal parts and ink clogging, a more thorough than usual cleaning regime – which requires the ink to be flushed out regularly with water – is sometimes advised by manufacturers or resellers.<ref name="maintenance">{{cite web|url=http://www.nibs.com/PenMaintenance.htm|title=Pen maintenance|access-date=2016-07-27|website=Nibs|archive-date=2016-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808175217/http://www.nibs.com/PenMaintenance.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Some pigmented inks do exist for fountain pens, such as "Carbon Black" and "Chou Kuro" made by the brand Platinum as well as Rohrer & Klingner and De Atramentis inks from Germany, but these are uncommon. Normal [[India ink]] cannot be used in fountain pens because it contains [[shellac]] as a binder which would very quickly clog such pens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/pens/|first=Michael A.|last=Covington|website=A Few Notes About Fountain Pens|title=A Few Notes About Fountain Pens|access-date=2011-02-20|archive-date=2010-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122054439/http://covingtoninnovations.com/pens/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Inks ideally should be fairly free-flowing, free of sediment, and non-corrosive, though this generally excludes permanence and prevents large-scale commercial use of some colored dyes. Proper care and selection of ink will prevent most problems.<ref name="www.richardspens.com inks"/>