Platinum Carbon Ink Bottle 60ml - Black

This carbon ink has quickly become one of my favorite art supplies. It dries fast, holds up flawlessly to water, and delivers an impressively deep, dark black. Whether you sketch, ink, create line art, or simply want a dependable ink for everyday fountain pen writing, this one performs beautifully. As someone just getting into urban sketching and watercolor, this ink has been a game-changer— especially after learning the hard way that not all “waterproof” pens can withstand a good watercolor wash. This ink absolutely can. No smearing, no feathering, no losing that crisp line work! I honestly have nothing negative to say. It does exactly what it promises, and it has elevated my artwork more than I expected. If you’re looking for a truly waterproof, fast-drying, super black ink that works for both art and everyday writing, this one is absolutely worth adding to your toolkit.

Platinum Carbon Ink is a solid choice if you're looking for a true black ink that’s waterproof and archival quality. It has a deep, rich black color that makes your writing or artwork stand out. The ink is great for situations where permanence is important, and it performs well on different paper types with minimal feathering and low bleed-through. However, it's a pigmented ink, which means it requires a bit more care and maintenance. If you don't regularly clean your pen, it can lead to clogging, and getting the pen back to working smoothly can be a hassle. While it doesn't offer any shading or sheen, the rich black tone provides excellent contrast, which is great for readability. Overall, Platinum Carbon Ink is a great option for those needing durable, high-quality ink. Just be prepared for the extra effort to maintain your pens to avoid any performance issues.

Usage time - almost a year. Platinum Carbon Black has a pencil like lustre to my eyes. This is a pigmented ink. These inks have their own set of troubles including the need for a thorough deep clean when there is a dried ink issue. However, this ink is easy to clean (as are sailor Kiwaguro and Seiboku, I will reserve judgement for Souboku). Also Platinum gets around this with their slip seal tech which is present on most of their pens (certainly their cheapest preppy, profounte and plaisir models ). If you are worried that you will forget about the ink and it will dry out, try a preppy. If you really forget about the pen, still, 2 weeks down the line you have a pen that writes when put to paper. If it is 2 months, you have a forgetful memory. If it is two years, you have way tooo many pens. Comparison to other black inks 1. Noodlers X-Feather. better water resistance on Platinum carbon Black, wetter and more lubricated, also a faster dry time and non-smudging off good paper. X-F is blacker, cheaper (per ml basis) and also 2. Herbin perle noire. PCB has Much better water resistance, slightly more lubricated. HPN is cheaper, slightly blacker and slightly wetter, and since it has no pretensions of water resistance, cleans off easier. 3. Schneider Black cartridges - PCB has much better water resistance, is a true black. Schneider has a purple undertone, is much cheaper, and is wetter. Overall, if using in a EF/F pen (especially something like a preppy) - this is a solid, reliable daily pen. This ink bottle, a Sailor Seiboku bottle and a preppy F and EF for each, and a Sailor/Pilot 14k/18k FM PGS is all one needs for a desert island situation.

Very nice ink. Slight feathering on most papers using dip-pen. Works excellent on textured watercolor paper, whereon, once dried it will not smudge, and totally waterproof. Not as good as Sumi inks for dip-pen, but I needed something that was waterproof. Mine had a small vial inside, which according to my research was to hold last very small amount of ink for types of pens used by sailors. I had writing that is in the description translated, and below is what I got: Here is the translation of the Japanese text in the image: Features • Platinum’s Carbon Black ink has ultra-fine particles, making writing smooth. • Carbon Black is a pigment-based ink, providing excellent lightfastness and durability, ensuring long-lasting clarity. It is ideal for archival writing and document preservation. However, because it is not water-soluble, once dried, it cannot be re-dissolved. Therefore, when using it in a fountain pen, maintenance and care are necessary. Usage Instructions • Carbon ink is for writing with fountain pens and similar instruments. Avoid using it for other purposes. • If changing ink types, clean the nib, cover, and pen reservoir thoroughly with water to prevent chemical reactions. • After use, ensure the bottle cap is tightly closed. Fountain Pen Maintenance • The ink solidifies as moisture evaporates, so always close the cap when not in use. • If the writing quality declines slightly, soak the nib in water and gently wipe it with a soft cloth. • If the pen has not been used for a while or the ink flow is poor, soak the nib in lukewarm water for one to two days. Then, rinse with running water until no more ink color comes out, ensuring only clear water flows. Finally, dry with a soft cloth to remove any moisture. • Do not leave the pen uncapped. If the ink clogs and dries completely, a full disassembly and cleaning will be required.

Many inks love to claim water resistance. So far, this is the only one I've ever seen actually live up to its claims. Water just does not affect anything written with this stuff. Anything you can do to remove this ink from a page will absolutely ruin the paper before the ink even starts to fade or smear. And on top of all that, it's incredibly nice to write with. It flows nice, doesn't smear once it's dry, and has never dried out a pen (although I only use ones that seal well). It's not a super dark black, more like a very dark gray, akin to the shade of Uni-ball gel and rollerball pen inks, and it's somewhat shiny. Overall, despite being a bit more expensive than other inks, this is absolutely essential for any fountain pen user to have on hand, as a perfect, waterproof black ink. And God help you if you spill this stuff.

I bought this for artwork because a lot of people recommended it as a water safe ink to use with watercolor. That is mostly true but I found some problems. First it isn't a true black. When I write with it it looks black but if you look at the way the light reflects off of it in certain light it looks more like a deep charcoal gray, not black. I think that is a minor gripe since its barely noticeable, but if you use it with other black inks or paints then it becomes noticeable by comparison. Just mentioning it because a lot of people work in black and white and contrast is important to those folks. As for the color fastness this is mostly true but if you are working on watercolor paper you have to make sure you leave plenty of time to allow it to dry COMPLETELY before applying water. Heavy 100% cotton Watercolor paper can draw this ink deep into the fibers and even though its dry to the touch on the surface, the ink is still kind of wet beneath the surface and will run as soon as water or paint comes in contact with it. This is manageable, however I found that even taking this precaution I can never completely prevent the paint from mixing with the paint even it it is minimal, but its enough to make a vibrant color look muddy. If you want to use this in solely for writing and not for artwork I think there are better options, because it is so heavily pigmented I find that this ink will clog the flow of ink in the nibs of most of my pens after a while. So I don't really use this stuff anymore, I have found other solutions that do what Platinum Carbon does but better and for less money. Although I will say that the vendor I bought this from on Amazon sold it to me for half of the cost I have seen it for in local stores in my area so nice job there.

This was my first ink from Platinum, and definitely won't be my last. It's a solid black, which looks lovely and covers paper evenly. It's smooth to write with, and I've had zero flow issues with any pens so far. Cleaning is my only issue with this ink, as it's expected to be an issue with any pigmented ink. Proper flushing and gentle brushing of the feed can get you there, but I've found it's so much easier to soak the feed in pen flush, or use an ultrasonic cleaner. Since I began collecting fountain pens, I've wanted a solid black ink that shows little to no shading for a similar writing quality to gel or rollerball pens. This ink has given me that, with a low enough price per milliliter that I can comfortably use it to my heart's content. Despite being pigmented, this ink behaves pretty well. It's definitely worth a try if you're curious about pigmented inks, or just want a truly solid black ink.

I've written this review multiple times trying to get it right so I'm going to start from the beginning. I draw comic books and saw people talking about this ink and how black it was on Youtube. After all the reviews, I found it on Amazon an ordered it. Comic book artist like deep black ink against white Bristol board, Speedball Super Black is generally what's used along with Ultra Draw, Dr. PH Martin and various sumi inks which are also getting popular now. I wanted to review this ink on the Night Phoenix Press Youtube channel specifically from the point of view of a comic book artist and how it would work with my Pentel Fude Brush Pen, brushes and dip pens. When I got it, it seemed to dry more dark grayish than black. I shook it up and everything. I will say with the dip and fountain pens there were never any problems. My go to inks are Blick Black Cat and Yasumoto Waterproof Sumi, but I originally tested Carbon Black against Blick Black Cat and Zig Black Ink 60 which is also sumi and made for drawing. Both inks seemed noticeably blacker, so I reviewed it here. I revamped my review when I noticed on 300gsm cotton water color paper Carbon Black went down black and stayed black. I don't know what happened, but a few days later I was going to remove Carbon Black from my brush pen and fill it with Ultra Draw (a thinner ink used for technical pens), but I made some marks with the brush pen and the Carbon Black went down very black and stayed that way. I drew a few images using the brush pen and it was indeed satisfyingly black. I don't know if the pigment had to settle or maybe there was some water still in the brush pen, but I did also try it with a brush early on so I don't know. It is very black now. I tossed the original dark grayish images I used in the original review, but have posted the new images of the ink being very black. My issue is with pricing, considering big bottles of sumi ink cost the same as this and two ounces of Super Black, Black Cat and Zig's cartoonist and manga inks all cost much less. The thing is this ink is marketed to fountain pen users. It's a very black ink that's thin enough to use in fountain pens and easy to clean up according to reviews I've seen. Also the cool glass bottle and internal cup definitely add to the price as most fountain pen inks come in these slick glass bottles that do look cool on a desk. It's a definite recommend, but not something I would buy consistently considering Black Cat, Speed Ball Super Black, Yasumoto and Zig's sumi inks are all very black and Ultra Draw is decently black and can be used as a brush pen ink. I assume Ultra Draw would also work in a fountain pen as it's made for Rapidograph and other technical pens which have much smaller outlets. Also it's more water resistant than waterproof, but according to some that has to do with the kind of paper used. I'm not going to be painting over it and sketch artist who watercolor their art like Teoh Yi Chie still like it, so there's that. -Nathyn Brendan Masters

Works as expected...no bleeding when used with watercolors or erasing pencil marks when you let dry for a couple of minutes. I use with my Lamy Fountain pens with converter. Recommend

Tinta de negro muy intenso, de gran calidad. Ideal para plumas fuentes y para dibujo para mezclar con técnicas de acuarela pues es resistente al agua

This is a waterproof ink for Platinum fountain pens. It is hard to come by so I was pleased to find it on Amazon. The ink is excellent and it was delivered on time.

Best ink. No fading. Notebook can be accidentally washed in hot water without moving the ink. Permanent adherence to fibers. Excellent flow performance forever in fountain pens and fineliners. Should be sold everywhere.

Great ink. Doesnt bleed. Many inks say theyre are waterproof. Even india ink. But this is the only true waterproof ink.