If you like this content please 👉 Subscribe its FREE! - / @justshepcreator I am in the planning stages of my next Pen and Ink video which I hope will be live around Halloween :)
I'm an engineer, which will make my answer initially seem strange. In taking notes for my job, I use a rainbow of different ink colors. (My handwritten notes are my own. No one else reads them.) Whenever I switch from one technical topic to another, I switch ink color. So when I'm skimming through a notebook, I can easily see where a meeting begins and ends. I can tie together notes on one topic sprinkled throughout my notebook by scanning for that ink color. And, as an artist trapped in an engineer's body, the pretty colors make me happy. Well, happier... 🤓🎨
The last time I did any coursework I took notes with black ink, wrote out announcements in grey, used orange, blue, red, blue black, purple, and green for other things, and had to build a cheat sheet so I could keep them all straight in my mind. I did suggest to my instructors that assignments were better delivered in blue, blue black, or black, and they all agreed with me on that.
I also used about four colors when taking notes in college and I still use different colors when adding to my personal notes -- especially in ongoing documents that I add to over time. Now most of my notes are on electronic devices, but I still switch colors when adding new text or clarifying old text. My favorite handwriting ink color is purple, but I almost always fill out forms in blue ink. My son does the same color-coded note-taking for college, but his default ink color is green. I buy him a new pack of his favorite green pens for his Christmas stocking every year and a set of multi-colored pens every other year. Like you, color makes me happy (-ier) - I will never be the person whose rooms are tied together by one cohesive color palette.
An old joke from DDR made famous by Slavoj Žižek An East German worker gets a job in Siberia; aware of how all mail will be read by censors, he tells his friends: “Let’s establish a code: if a letter you will get from me is written in ordinary blue ink, it is true; if it is written in red ink, it is false.” After a month, his friends get the first letter, written in blue ink: “Everything is wonderful here: stores are full, food is abundant, apartments are large and properly heated, movie theaters show films from the West, there are many beautiful girls ready for an affair - the only thing unavailable is red ink.”
1:39 This was good to know, but it reminded me of a story from my grand mother. She said she paid all her bills by check and only ever used a green ink pen. One day she had to pay a bill and didn't have her pen so she borrowed a pen and used that. Her bank got the check and wouldn't cash it. They called her to verify because for more than 10 years every check she'd ever written was done in green ink.
My brother, who used to be a notary public, once advised me to sign a legal document in blue ink because ink in photocopies of that document tends to show up as black. That way the difference between the original document and photocopies can be seen at a glance. I still tend to write in black ink, however.
I learned that from someone I know who, fortunately, had signed a job contract in blue. A few weeks later he was able to prove that they had altered the expectations of the contract (with no pay increase of course) and copied his signature. Without that, they could have claimed he just didn't read it all before signing. Luckily I have always preferred blue anyway and usually have one on hand.
Same here. I like using black ink more than blue. But I'm also a notary public, and my state's rules for notaries require us to use blue ink when notarizing documents, but for our signatures and for the notary stamp.
@@tchristianphoto After seeing this video, I’m experimenting with using blue ink and seeing if it changes the writing experience for me. The jury is still out.
I knew someone who worked with a government agency, and worked on federally funded projects with some regularity. He said that certain documents had to be signed with blue ink so they could readily be seen as an original signature because of the photocopy thing.
@@NiallMor in the UK, Registrars (similar I think to your notaries public), who have to arrange formal certificates such as Birth, Marriage and Death use special black ink that gets darker with age.
I work in an office of public institution (Europe): it is required to sign documents in blue to easily distinguish original from a copy. We know that there are color copiers - but blue ink still copy inconsistently most of the time: with uneven colorization, darker spots, not fully mixed-in colors (copiers make dark blue using more than one ink). Black ink looks the same most of the time - no matter if originally signed or copied. With my personal notes I use black and blue interchangeably - But I like gel pens the most (my personal favourite is made by Polish brand Rystor)
I worked in preclinical pharmaceutical research for almost 40 years. For some reason, federal regulations do not allow the use of any color pen except black. They also did not allow the use of white-out or other correction fluids. If you made a mistake in entering hand-entered data you had to draw a line through the mistake, put a footnote number in a circle next to it, then at the bottom of the page, repeat the same circled number and put "entry error, should be xxxx" and date it with your initials. This was to prevent fraud.
I'm a sailor and in the logbooks we normally use blue ink. Red is for special things like drills, shore inspections and so on. They need to stand out so you can find it back easily.
Found this on the internet: "In the UK, green ink was stereotypically used for more interesting submissions. Journalists also used the term "green ink brigade" to describe people who wrote letters to news organizations". I'm an American, and now I want to use green ink whenever I write letters, just to be contrarian.
Fountain pen user here, self-employed. There’s nothing I love more than to switch colours when writing my notes. I’m currently using a light grey, a turquoise blue and a yellow. I’ve also got a dark, dark red I love from Diamine, named “Writer’s Blood.” Switching colours is too much fun to just use black or blue - but I get the need in formal settings.
When I was a teenager, a friend told me that she didn't use blue ink, because she felt it looked indecisive. So I always used black, after that, until I was about 50, and got bored with it. Now I primarily use pencil........which is incredibly indecisive. lol
When I was a teenager I thought blue ink looked unserious. Now I can’t get enough of a rich cobalt blue. I think pencil is a mature choice; it acknowledges that things change even when you weren’t expecting them to and you’re prepared for that eventuality.
When I began my legal career nearly 50 years ago the preferred color for signing legal documents was in blue ink. The majority of copiers back then could only make black and white copies so it was easy to tell the original document from a copy. And since legal documents rarely use color, the signing of the original document in blue ink and then copying in black and white remains an easy way to distinguish original signatures from copied signatures.
Personally I prefer purple ink because it’s my favorite color. I used to sell pens, and I was told that blue ink ballpoint pens had better viscosity. I have no idea if that is actually true. Red ink often gives an angry vibe.
A friend who worked in insurance told me once that notes in red ink get addressed more quickly. Ever since, for customer service, disputed bills, etc., I write a note in red ink on the original document and send it back. It does seem always to work.
@ yes, I learned in my teaching classes in college that it would be better if teachers used another color than red to grade with because of the negative vibe that red gives.
@@donnadrane4977 But when an editor corrects a manuscript, the expression is that they "blue pencil" it. Maybe it would be kinder if teachers didn't use red. Maybe green is available.
@ Actually, since most school work is now done on a computer, there is very little handwritten correction. Back in the day, however, it was the red pen. Now, for the most part, I see teachers being kinder than ever when correcting students, and I chalk it up to our changing times.
I always consider black for formal, blue for informal, red for quality control action, and green for quality control approval. My go to ink, is blue/black.
@kierangoddard2198 I use a blue/black 1.0 gel, a 0.38 "prussian blue" for finer writing, and an "archival" blue of one or another type, in fine nib fountains for official documents. Then bordeaux or grey for personal correspondence. Then blacks for general ballpoint and fountain note-taking. Gel Orange, white, green, gold, violet, even red, for situational use when I have my bag with me.
Many, many decades ago, green ink was reserved only for the head manager of our branch for his signatures. When a coworker told me that a few years ago, I added green ink to my repertoire of Lamy fountain pens with different colored inks, just to make my phone notes a little bit more colorful.... and to breach that "green is for the manager" barrier.
When I bought my first house, I had to initial and sign all of copies of the transfer documentation in blue ink as directed by the attorney handling the purchase. I was told that this was to allow anyone reviewing the documents to determine that they were original signed versions vs copies/faxes as those would only ever be black. This was back before color copiers were commonplace...
Our finance officer insisted on blue ink on the printed time sheets, completely ignoring the fact that all the timekeeping was done by computer and printed timesheets were superfluous. The printed copies were stored in some file cabinet, never to be seen again.
I was told the same thing about using blue ink on some Probate documents. But he added that judges were behind the times about knowing about color copiers.
This remains true today. Most legal documents are standardised and printed in black. Having read a standard form, once, if a lawyer recognises the standard form elsewhere, you don’t read it again, as you already know what it says. Writing in blue ink makes it easier to spot the signature, initials, and any annotations, such as striking out standard, printed text. The signature, initials, and any annotations are more important than the standard text because these things establish provenance, authenticity, and context. And they establish these things because they are the result of particular people performing particular actions with their pen. Many lawyers, myself included, use several differing ink colours in their own writing, with each colour bearing a particular meaning. For example, writing in red ink records something said by the judge, and something written in green ink is a reference, usually a partial reference being a unique reference code, to a previous decision. My standard ink colour is purple, because nobody else uses it, so when I see purple writing in a pile of papers, I can quickly know it was written by me.
I actually like both blue and black. But red is discouraged in the financial world because it’s used for debits and/or liabilities vs black which is use for assets and or deposits.
For me it's the Feel of the pen on the paper that's more important than the color. It must be smooth and easy enough to lay down a bold line with firm pressure and a thinner line with lighter pressure. Lines need to taper as you lift the pen. 😊
As an old’un I attended Primary School in the 1950s. In Australia (well, Victoria anyway) we graduated from slates, to pencil, & finally (hurrah!) to pen & ink. Being selected as the ink monitor was a pretty good wheeze - you basically (very carefully) wandered about the classroom with a huge bottle of ink (it seemed that way at the time…), filling all the inkwells on the desks. The ink was always Swan Ink & it was always BLUE. I was very unfairly banned from this task, not because I did it badly, but because in a fit of whimsy I (almost accidentally) placed the plait of the girl sitting at the desk in front of me, into my inkwell. Looking back I think it showed great intellectual promise: I’m sure Newton or somesuch genius would have applauded the experiment, investigating the ink take-up propensities of human hair. Somehow the teacher (cruel soul that he was, did not see things that way. I would have thought that six double-hander applications of the strap were more than sufficient, but no, I was banned from ink monitor-ship for the rest of Grade 5!
I do real estate closings and I am a Notary Public as well, and blue is required because it makes it easier to determine if a document is an original or a copy. Yes, color copiers exist, but they are purposely not used in my line of work. For my own personal writing, I bounce back and forth between black and blue. Just depends on what I am feeling on that particular day.
I copy my previous comment here: I work in an office of public institution (European): we know that there are color copiers - but blue ink still copy inconsistently most of the time: with uneven colorization, darker spots, not fully mixed-in colors (copiers make dark blue using more than one ink). Black ink looks the same most of the time - no matter if originally signed or copied.
Black was used for bookkeeping in profits and expenses in red. Blue was used for notes about transactions made. It made it very clear for accountants and bookkeepers to see them at a glance on a long list of pages. Inks were used with permanent inks. Computers now print (@ 1975) almost everything in black because they use laser printers and not inks which can be smeared or lost if the colour fades.
Growing up I was always told not to write to anyone using red ink as it may cause offence. Red ink was used to signify owing money or to be in debt. The final demand for your gas bill would be in red and the term in the red is still used to this day.
In the black is the corresponding term. Banks used black ink for any accounts in credit and red ink for overdrafts. Red is a great reminder that the balance is literally costing you money in interest charges.
I had heard of people taking offense at red markups/edits or getting stressed by it (because it was like blood all over the page). So I turned to purple…because Klingon blood. 😂
I use fountain pens because of the variety of ink colours available. I use a waterproof black ink for anything formal (waterproof is essential for anything legal, regardless of its colour, and not all fountain pen inks are waterproof). I dislike blue (unless it's really dark) because I was made to write in blue at school, and school was not a pleasant personal experience for the most part. My favourite colour for personal use, note-taking, journalling etc, is dark green.
Noodler’s offers many colors of “Bulletproof” inks: Inks that are cellulose-reactive so their marks can’t be removed without removing a noticeable amount of paper. I’ve been a fan of Noodler’s black for over 20 years now and I’ve lost track of how many times they’ve saved my research from unstable cups of coffee, sudden rain showers, and productive bubble baths.
Blue-Black ink is a really fun color to use in fountain pens, but if you don't want to mess with fountain pens there are a few gel pens that come in blue-black ink. One example that's pretty easy to find online is the "Pentel Energel Clena," which is basically just a regular Energel but with a bit of a retro style and comes in a few fun colors like blue-black and brown.
I grew up in Eastern Europe. Blue ink is required for legal documents and was the standard color used from pre-school to graduate school. I've been using black ink for the last 20 years and recently began using blue for taking some some notes and making some lists. I somehow got a strange feeling of nostalgia and began writing more with blue ink. It has been rather uplifting.
Before I retired as a Q.C. inspector I always used blue ink on routings and other paperwork since it was often copied and I needed to know which was the original. For problem issues I used red to signify such. For personal things such as writing checks it's always black ink. If you ever get into fountain pens beware of the ink color rabbit hole, as I probably have close to a hundred different ones.
I have many fountain pens and each has its very own ink painstakingly matched to it. I scored a zero in the x-rite hue test, so yes, they truly are all different colors to me. I am very close to the point that I could write in a different color every day for half a year. I acknowledge that I have a problem.
@@polymathica What's rather sad in my case is that with all of the pens and ink I have I only keep one inked up. That is my Montblanc 146, filled with either Mystery Black or Burgundy. Most of the time I just use one of my Tactile Turn Nautilus or Retro 51 rollerball pens.
@ Aww, that is a little sad, but we all have only so much time in a month and I have to admit my fountain pens are a very time-consuming hobby. While my pens are technically all inked up all the time, with the gap between uses, all but the Platinums and the Benus dry out. It’s a bit irresponsible of me, but I- 😐 Prepare yourself for the heresy-I flush them out with their own ink as I fill them when their time in the rotation comes. My theory is that ink will dilute itself and when the ink gets too dry I can add distilled water to return it to the right concentration. I do have my own ultrasonic cleaner if something gets really clogged
Regarding 2:06, in Asian cultures using red ink to write a person's name is taboo. This is because only names of dead people are written in red ink. However, if a living person's name is written in red ink, then this is considered to be a curse and is very insulting.
In more than twenty years of teaching, I never marked students' work in red ink. I just think red pen looks aggressive and is the equivalent of 'shouting' at the students. I always used a green bic biro, a much more positive colour and I always made a positive comment alongside any corrections or guidance. I never write in blue, I guess because most students wrote in blue. I prefer to write in black as it has a certain 'authority' to it and maybe a bit of 'stern-ness' if I am writing to Government or official organisations. Love and peace.
@@daweshorizon for some reason my teachers back in the 80s always used red, I guess that’s why I always feel a little weird using that colour to write. I have recently enjoyed writing my RUclips scripts in purple and underlined import areas in red. :)
I've been studying part-time for years, and have found (after a lot of experimentation), that I use green ink for names and dates (which stand out on my notes), black ink when I'm copying a quote from an author (again because that stands out), and blue ink for my own thoughts on what I'm reading. I have found that copic markers work best when you are writing in text books - they are waterproof and don't bleed through the thin pages - I have a brown copic pen that I use which stands out from the black print in my books.
I'm an elementary school teacher so I RARELY write in either blue or black ink. I like to be colorful and flair pens are my pen of choice so it could be any color from lime green to purple just depending on my mood. I work a reading interventionist on my campus so I don't really have papers to grade but back when I used to I might grade them in red, or it might be orange, or turquoise...the kids loved the colors and so did I! When I have to use a blue or black ink for something official I call it writing with a "grown up color"...lol.
😮i have arthritis and carpal tunnel, I just discovered papermate flairs, this year...I like them because the marker is a strong bold line I can see (bad vision too!) but it doesn't bleed thru the paper like sharpies do. They're easier to control than the gel type pens and easier to write with than the ball point pens. I now but them by the 12pak! I just wish they didn't have that sharp feeling rim near where your fingers hold it. My only complaint.
Once upon a time, blue ink was the “original” document, black was the “photostat.” Now a day, with colour scanners it really doesn’t matter. In the US and Canada, unless they state in the directions, the colour of pen doesn’t matter as long as it is blue or black. Personally, I keep a fountain pen loaded with one of each colour, and something else, like a brown, or a green, or purple. Red for corrections and editing, unless it’s a more burgundy like “Writers Blood.”
I was taught at school in the '50s: Blue for personal or private; Black for formal and funeral; Green - leave it to the tax man; Red - leave it to your teacher and poison-pen letter writers.
Pilot Precise v.5 black (primary) Pilot G2 v.7 black (secondary) Pilot G2 v.7 red (editing) but a few weeks back took a chance with an off brand through TEMU and they are working: v.35 black I mostly write freeverse poetry and a I've done some work with novellas.
A loooong time ago, when I was in school, before there were computers, you hand wrote everything and the paper and notebooks always had blue lines; mimeographed copies had blue text. Blue ink written on paper with blue lines or blue text looked muddy to me, hard to read, so I started using a black pen solely for legibility. Now everything is black lines so I often use blue, again just because it is easier to read.
As a nurse, we HAD to write our notes in black ink. This is because the colour black photocopied better, we were told.I So, black has always looked better to me. Of course, nowadays, everything is done On a computer screen and it is black. Very professional.
Health care worker in the USA here. That was the same for us too before electronic charts. The only other color allowed was red ink, and that was for notes that were going to be dictated later, and when the dictation came back it had to go directly under the original hand notes.
Many companies require their staff to use black ink. The one good thing about writing with a black fountain pen ink is it stands out from any ball point pen. It is almost as if you've typed your letter.
As a secondary school teacher (now retired) we traditionally marked students work with red ink, until, around fifteen years ago, school marking policy required us to use green for marking. I believe the philosophy was that red was an alarming colour and green more passive. I am not sure if this is now universal across UK schools.
I only use black ink in my pens no matter what type they are, fountain, ballpoint, gel or rollerball. If I buy a pen and it only comes with blue ink, I immediately swap it for black ink and just throw the blue cartridge away unless I can give it away. Sad to see that cursive is a fading art these days though, don't they teach that in schools now? When I was at school, cursive was called 'proper writing' and you got extra marks for using it.
i prefer to write with blue ink. i have a set of pens with 24 different colors. i have a set of pencils with 48 different color colors. i have a set of sharpies with 12 different colors. i have a set of fine tip sharpies with the same 12 colors. i have over 100 crayons. still, my blue ink pen is my favorite just for writing (when not counting my computer)
When I was in the Navy, I was told to use black always as it was the most clear and would copy the best. Later when I went to work as a government attorney I was told all signatures had to be in blue to distinguish them from a copied signature. That never changed after color copiers came into use. Personally, I like a deep teal, but mostly I love using fountain pens with colors other than basic blue or black.
Yeah when fountain inks come into play, there are some exquisite options out there! Teal sounds interesting and unique! I love me a rich sapphire blue or ultimate fav is a fun burple! 🥰
Where do you get teal? That's my favorite color but I have never found teal pens except as the "bonus" pen in a promotional package of ordinary black and blue.
@@epicnamepwns1242 Monteverde makes at least one teal ink, California Teal. Diamine makes a teal ink. Noodler's makes a teal black ink under the name of "Aircorp Blue-Black" or "Air Corp Blue-Black", but it's much more teal black than blue black. If you don't want to use a fountain pen, Noodler's makes three different refillable roller ball pens and Jacques Herbin makes six.
I use whatever color I want for my signature. Good luck ever finding a judge who will say, "Ah, this entire form is void and the plaintiff is free of all liabilty because he signed his name with a *green* pen."
Philip Caputo, a US Marine lieutenant in Vietnam, tried to fill in a form with blue ink, and was told only black ink was acceptable in the Marines. (Caputo, _A Rumor Of War_ first published 1977.)
Before the days of color copiers, the military used to require blue on financial documents because you could tell by the blue that it was the original signature and not a copy.
Being in the legal field, blue is my “go to.” In the days before digital signatures when we needed to be able to see an original signature rather than a photo copied one, but was always easiest. Now black just makes irritated.
@@SewHealthy8 Straight up, I use Diamine ink in a Lamy fountain pen, currently using Earl Grey (dark grey rather than black), last month I used Eau de nil (a dark green- blue).
I worked as a bank teller in college and we were not allowed to use red ink on checks or any financial documents as the microfiche scanners couldn't read it. That was back in the 90's so that may no longer be the case but it was a big deal back then.
I've written both creatively and scientifically for decades. In my teens and 20's, I preferred black ink because I saw it as dramatic, high contrast, and permanent. In my 30's, I switched to blue because our company wanted to show 'original signatures' even though a colour copy would negate the effect. Since then, I've taken a liking to blue for signatures and original writings but no problem flipping to whichever pen is available. I like writing to glide smoothly, so my preference is gel ink, but also carry a ballpoint when there's no time to sit for drying.
A fountain pen has always been my preferred pen of choice with Royal Blue (Quink) ink. I've used blue/black at times and is my preference over black ink. I loathe having to use biro pens. Therefore, if I don't have fountain pen then I use a pen which gives me an equivalent feel/ink-flow which tends to be the "ball pens" (OK, I know a biro is a ball pen too). I'm currently working through using a pacl of [Mitsubishi Pencil Co.] Uni-Ball Signo 0.7 pens.
Blue is personally my favorite color. Funny you should bring up financial industries. I worked in the mortgage industry. At our company, loan processors used black, underwriters used red, closers used green, post-closers used blue. I worked in secondary marketing, and I used whatever color I wanted...except red.
Really cool video. I havent written with a blue pen since I was in high school in the 90s. I use black to fill out checks and make grocery lists which is basically the only writing I do regularly.
As a Sanitation Supervisor, my job requires we carry a 4 color pen. Black was required for writing summonses, before we got the NOVAS printers, blue was required for Derelict Vehicle Operations forms. Official logs and documents require black or blue ink. Night operations and diesel fuel is required to be green. Snow operations and gasoline is required to be red. The lubricant log is blue for B Preventative Maintainance records and Red for A's. (We also have the very labor intensive C PMs but that color is not specified, so I use black or green for those.) When filling in 350s (cardboard forms issued to each truck to record the truck #, crew names, supv names, day, date, function, cutoff times, tarekey weights, weather, section, route, etc) that my fellow supvs neglected to completely fill out, if it's a day ticket (black or blue ink) I will purposely use the opposite color to show how much work I did; if a night ticket, I'll use a different kind of green pen then the original supv. Things I don't have info for, I'll circle in red. I take all my personal notes in red in an effort to even out it's use with the other colors, but as a 4-12 garage supv, I still use green at a rate of 2/3 to 1 Vs the other colors. As a Sanitation Worker, I was required to carry a black or blue pen as part of my uniform to fill out 350s and sign documents. We could get written up for not having one. I once signed in on the official sign in sheet in green on St Patty's Day to be cute and was threatened with disciplinary action. These days it seems anybody can do anything they want and nobody gets in trouble. None of these S/Ws these days seem to have a pen ever.
I worked for a software company that was temporarily housed in a bank building. And the bank only had blue pens. Not because of forgery issues, but because as photocopies got better it became harder to tell the original from the photocopy. The original document has legal standing, a photocopy of it however is just a piece of paper - of no legal value at all. So it was important banks didn't mix them up. Thus blue pens as signatures and such stood out on the original, but were in black on the photocopy. Myself, I prefer a medium dark blue ink. It's a restful color. Being a lefty though some colored inks are slower drying than black ink and that can cause smudging. So I always have a couple known non-smudging black pens at the ready just in case.
If you intend to make copies of the documents you are writing on, use black ink because when you use blue ink it's rather faded on the copies. Almost to the point that it's not there in some cases.
Writing in blue ink was always something I had to do for homework in school, therefore black ink is to me for something of my own, independent, more meaningful, interesting. I use blue for filling forms because I was told so - probably so that people reading forms could sea at a glance that blue (fill) is at all the right places.
interersting stuff my favorite color pen to use is dark blue. A particular shade of dark blue, do not enjoy the lighter versions at all. i even use it to sketch. Also on another note - in my county we use only blue pen for legal documents, blacks might be an occasional use.
I had an ex who worked at a company that dealt with medical forms, and she was told to always use blue ink and not black. I believe the reason was that blue would be easier to discern as a fresh marking and not a photocopy.
As someone who spent most of their career negotiating, and arranging the execution of, commercial leases and associated documents, I always insisted that they were signed in blue. This was, prior to the arrival of colour copying, a simple way to know you were looking at an original at a glance. When reviewing requested changes to a draft and making notes for amendments, always red.
In the former soviet republics and still now sovereign countries there has been a strict rule to use blue pens everywhere and the obligatory use of seal in company or official documents in blue ink. I think this is to distinguish between the original and a copy or fake.
Some legal documents MUST be signed in BLUE. If they are signed in black they will be rejected. If you are filling out a legal document, always check the instructions. If the instructions don't specify, please don't assume - ask.
I go for a black pen every single time and have done ever since discovering gel pens many decades ago. Sod "calming"! I want it to be legible even if I don't have my glasses on! 😄
Gel pens are great. I have a few sparkly ones that even have a nice perfumed scent impregnated into them. Can you imagine how many '80s school girls would have loved them when they can dot their I's with a heart, sparkle and perfume?
The use of black or blue ink is generally acceptable for writing, I personally use both, however, when it comes to signing documents, blue ink is typically mandated. This is to ensure that the original document's signature can be differentiated from copies during photocopying processes, thus avoiding any potential confusion or misinterpretation.
One of the problems with fountain pen ink is that it fades - certainly it fades in the sun, anyway. You can see this if you look at old certificates, diplomas, etc. with people's professional credentials such as you see posted up in chemist shops, for example, where the printed sections are perfectly legible after decades, but the signatures are barely discernable, if at all. Perhaps the inks are more 'sun~fast' or whatever the term is, these days? I guess I'll have to wait until 2050 or so to find out, lol! Also, call me a traditionalist, but while I don't think I could ever be accused of writing a poison pen letter, as such, I have been known to write in green ink where I want to convey a certain tone of snottiness or passive agression, but the circumstances dictate that the actual text has to be somewhat deferential in nature... Of course these days the gesture would go entirely over the heads of most recipients, but on the other hand it has the benefit that where the inference is appreciated, a certain plausible, or at least technical deniability is still feasible; ie, "It does? _Really?!_ Why, I had no _idea!_ I'm so sorry -- I know green isn't 'super~professional', but it was all I had to hand; I certainly never meant any offence! _And if you believe that, you are an even bigger gobdaw than I was aware of!"_ 😌🧏♂️
@@bcase5328 Presumably it would say on the label? I don't know how they would know, other than by waiting, but I presume they have their methods - blasting them with high~intensity ultraviolet light, for one, I'm guessing?
Now I use a 4 colours ballpoint pen tbh. But the blue colour is the first I finish 😂 And when I was a student, I was using a fountain pen with dark purple ink 😮
My dad loved to write with green ink. I draw a lot so black is my go to color. Blue is seldom used unless requested and the green and red ink is usually used for accents in some of my drawings.
Interesting, for me blue ink feels more formal and black is more for personal notes etc. It's probably a cultural thing. I live in Finland, and almost all forms are filled and documents signed using blue ink. It used to even be a requirement for the matriculation examination essays that you write with a permanent, blue pen (nowadays they're written on a computer). Btw, great pick on the favorite color! 😅 I just in the past year or so realized that like 70-80% of my clothes are blue or at least close to blue (purple, cyan).
Usually use black ink for work: blue for personal. However, I do try to sign documents in blue so that the original vs. the photocopy can be distinguished. As a fountain pen 🖋 lover, I use various ink colors for color-coding meetings, organizations to which I belong, etc.
I use a set of multicolored G2 pens for my personal finances and notes. My son will use those too but prefers Sarasa Zebra pens 05. He is VERY Picky about his pens, but since he is working hard in his last year of college, I figure he's worth the extra expense.
I worked for a Prosecutor in the past and blue ink was preferred in that office because it stood out, was harder fake as well as it was easier to spot that it was not a photocopy, but the original document (the main printer did not have color).
When in school, blue seemed to be the preferred ink color. When I got to the point where I could write in black ink without repercussions, I switched, and it became my preferred color.
Blue ink is my go to. When I worked, I felt blue was more eye catching than black when I made notes on paperwork for the office. Also, I just like seeing some colour on the paper. I’ll use purple at home. I also prefer gel ink to regular ballpoint ink. I rarely have used fountain pens. Forms at work were in triplicate and required the use of a ballpoint.
I like writing notes in blue ink, if using a ball pint. Fountain pens always get black - it's weird that I never thought about this, it just feel correct to be that way.
Believe it or not, I used to use the 4 ink pen when I was in college. I"d use the red ink as a header for definitions, the green ink as header for lists, and the blue/black for standard notes. I know everyone in my classes could hear the click-click constantly.
I learned not to keep my diary in blue ink. When the diary got water damaged, the blue ink ran, erasing my entries. Black ink is less vulnerable to running.
That's more due to the formulation than the color. TWSBI makes an iron gall blue-black that is water resistant, in that water will wash away the blue dye but will leave the precipitated iron salts, along with a small amount of the dye, on the paper; but their black ink will wash away completely, leaving the faintest ghost of what was written behind. Same with their Sapphire Blue, Midnight Blue, and Red. I would use a documental blue ink. They are made to be archival, and won't run when wet. de Atramentis, Monteverde, and Colorverse, to my knowledge, all make at least one pigmented blue documental ink.
i write in blue pen most of the time. i use a black pen to write over important words. black on blue is distinct, blue on black isn't so much. i use red to indicate something that might be a problem, either incorrect or that i need more information on. basically something that requires further action. i go for a fairly bright blue so that it is very distinct from black. my black pen is bolder than my blue pens so it makes writer over the blue lines easier. it's also a useful technique for headings and such.
For journals and music, I use blue; for work I use black; for commentary/markups I use red or pink; and for art (like books, script, and illuminated manuscripts) I will get a dark brown. Sometimes I get a bit crazy and use blue/black, dark green, and silver for black-page journals.
There is a very simple explanation. Before mass industrial printing, people wrote mainly in black ink. Then, when a lot of forms and papers appeared, they began to write in blue. This is necessary in order to immediately understand what is printed on the sheet and what is written by hand. Why not print blue, but write in black? Blue is a composite color in printing, it has shades. Black is easier to handle and more stable as a result. Other ink colors like red and green were left for notes. Since the whole world actively used paper and forms, the practice took root. I will also note a couple of points. Light ink is extremely inconvenient. What is written in a bright red, scarlet pen is difficult to read, for example. It is also practical to have a white or light-colored carrier (paper). Anyone who has tried to paint a black wall with white will understand.
Back in the day, there were no color copiers. So writing in blue was a way to insure the authenticity of a signature. But blue did not copy as legibly as black. So aside from signatures black was most commonly used for filling out forms. When I worked in a laboratory in the early 70's we were required to record the analysis sheets in black ink.
I do crosswords and recently treated myself to some new pens, including a pack of multi coloured ink pens, just for a change. My favourite one at the moment is purple - very regal, it seems very luxurious. I also enjoy using a pink pen to make useful notes on sheet music (I'm learning piano and reading two lines of music at once fries my brain). I have occasionally completed crosswords online, but I prefer pen and paper. As for legal documents, years ago certain deeds had to be signed in bull's blood, as this was thought to make it harder for people to forge copies.
@@bluemoon6625 thanks for the comment, I also like purple as a pen colour. I have purple and Orange in my pack of white board pens which always run out first.
As a Nurse in most of my professional life I had to write in black ink. So blue( or any other color I can fill my inexpensive fountain pens with) is fantastic! I am quite creative and love color! Violet is my favorite!
I change the colour of my pen on the first of every month. This month is a purple month. I use all colours except the kind of standard blue because it reminds me too much of school. But I always have a black pen in my bag, in case I have to sign something where I don't want to stand out. I have never used that pen...
Yes to the month thing, me too! 😂 Vintage Sarasa blue-grey is absolute favourite, followed closely by green-black and red-black. Haven't used black since I retired.
If you like this content please 👉 Subscribe its FREE! - / @justshepcreator I am in the planning stages of my next Pen and Ink video which I hope will be live around Halloween :)
I'm an engineer, which will make my answer initially seem strange. In taking notes for my job, I use a rainbow of different ink colors. (My handwritten notes are my own. No one else reads them.) Whenever I switch from one technical topic to another, I switch ink color. So when I'm skimming through a notebook, I can easily see where a meeting begins and ends. I can tie together notes on one topic sprinkled throughout my notebook by scanning for that ink color. And, as an artist trapped in an engineer's body, the pretty colors make me happy. Well, happier... 🤓🎨
Keep on creating and write how you feel the creativity flows
sounds like a great system and if it works for you stick with it.
The last time I did any coursework I took notes with black ink, wrote out announcements in grey, used orange, blue, red, blue black, purple, and green for other things, and had to build a cheat sheet so I could keep them all straight in my mind. I did suggest to my instructors that assignments were better delivered in blue, blue black, or black, and they all agreed with me on that.
I did the same thing while taking notes in college.
I also used about four colors when taking notes in college and I still use different colors when adding to my personal notes -- especially in ongoing documents that I add to over time. Now most of my notes are on electronic devices, but I still switch colors when adding new text or clarifying old text.
My favorite handwriting ink color is purple, but I almost always fill out forms in blue ink. My son does the same color-coded note-taking for college, but his default ink color is green. I buy him a new pack of his favorite green pens for his Christmas stocking every year and a set of multi-colored pens every other year.
Like you, color makes me happy (-ier) - I will never be the person whose rooms are tied together by one cohesive color palette.
An old joke from DDR made famous by Slavoj Žižek
An East German worker gets a job in Siberia; aware of how all mail will be read by censors, he tells his friends: “Let’s establish a code: if a letter you will get from me is written in ordinary blue ink, it is true; if it is written in red ink, it is false.” After a month, his friends get the first letter, written in blue ink: “Everything is wonderful here: stores are full, food is abundant, apartments are large and properly heated, movie theaters show films from the West, there are many beautiful girls ready for an affair - the only thing unavailable is red ink.”
😂
🤣
All these years, when someone asks to "borrow" my pen, I pull out a red ballpoint and say "keep the change, ya filthy scriptomaniac!"
@@Euripides_Panz 😂
@@Euripides_Panz This seems like a silly and rude response.
1:39 This was good to know, but it reminded me of a story from my grand mother. She said she paid all her bills by check and only ever used a green ink pen. One day she had to pay a bill and didn't have her pen so she borrowed a pen and used that. Her bank got the check and wouldn't cash it. They called her to verify because for more than 10 years every check she'd ever written was done in green ink.
Now that's a good bank
My brother, who used to be a notary public, once advised me to sign a legal document in blue ink because ink in photocopies of that document tends to show up as black. That way the difference between the original document and photocopies can be seen at a glance. I still tend to write in black ink, however.
I learned that from someone I know who, fortunately, had signed a job contract in blue. A few weeks later he was able to prove that they had altered the expectations of the contract (with no pay increase of course) and copied his signature. Without that, they could have claimed he just didn't read it all before signing. Luckily I have always preferred blue anyway and usually have one on hand.
Same here. I like using black ink more than blue. But I'm also a notary public, and my state's rules for notaries require us to use blue ink when notarizing documents, but for our signatures and for the notary stamp.
@@tchristianphoto After seeing this video, I’m experimenting with using blue ink and seeing if it changes the writing experience for me. The jury is still out.
I knew someone who worked with a government agency, and worked on federally funded projects with some regularity. He said that certain documents had to be signed with blue ink so they could readily be seen as an original signature because of the photocopy thing.
@@NiallMor in the UK, Registrars (similar I think to your notaries public), who have to arrange formal certificates such as Birth, Marriage and Death use special black ink that gets darker with age.
I work in an office of public institution (Europe): it is required to sign documents in blue to easily distinguish original from a copy. We know that there are color copiers - but blue ink still copy inconsistently most of the time: with uneven colorization, darker spots, not fully mixed-in colors (copiers make dark blue using more than one ink). Black ink looks the same most of the time - no matter if originally signed or copied.
With my personal notes I use black and blue interchangeably - But I like gel pens the most (my personal favourite is made by Polish brand Rystor)
I worked in preclinical pharmaceutical research for almost 40 years. For some reason, federal regulations do not allow the use of any color pen except black. They also did not allow the use of white-out or other correction fluids. If you made a mistake in entering hand-entered data you had to draw a line through the mistake, put a footnote number in a circle next to it, then at the bottom of the page, repeat the same circled number and put "entry error, should be xxxx" and date it with your initials. This was to prevent fraud.
I'm a sailor and in the logbooks we normally use blue ink. Red is for special things like drills, shore inspections and so on. They need to stand out so you can find it back easily.
Pink glitter gel pen is the choice of a man of taste and class.
Writing with glitter is the height of decadence 😉
i tottally agree
Ah yes, "Dudes For Harris". 😉
As opposed to f'tards for the Gilded Turd.
@@chrislj2890 Exactly.
Found this on the internet: "In the UK, green ink was stereotypically used for more interesting submissions. Journalists also used the term "green ink brigade" to describe people who wrote letters to news organizations". I'm an American, and now I want to use green ink whenever I write letters, just to be contrarian.
I like that
Oooh, didn't Rita Skeeter have an acid green pen?
Love this!
@@sarahrosen4985She did! This comment makes the choice of her ink color an important detail.
There is an urban legend that the head of the British secret service, in the old days, would sign his name as One initial in green ink. 🟩🔏
Fountain pen user here, self-employed. There’s nothing I love more than to switch colours when writing my notes. I’m currently using a light grey, a turquoise blue and a yellow. I’ve also got a dark, dark red I love from Diamine, named “Writer’s Blood.” Switching colours is too much fun to just use black or blue - but I get the need in formal settings.
@ellieisbusy i love writer's blood! currently it's in a monteverde carbon fiber and rose gold refillable rollerball.
When I was a teenager, a friend told me that she didn't use blue ink, because she felt it looked indecisive. So I always used black, after that, until I was about 50, and got bored with it. Now I primarily use pencil........which is incredibly indecisive. lol
😂😂
Always use a pencil on your walls. Ink will not be covered over.
When I was a teenager I thought blue ink looked unserious. Now I can’t get enough of a rich cobalt blue. I think pencil is a mature choice; it acknowledges that things change even when you weren’t expecting them to and you’re prepared for that eventuality.
i'm also team pencil, unless i'm signing a document or sending a letter
Pencils are for children; ink pens are for grown-ups.
When I began my legal career nearly 50 years ago the preferred color for signing legal documents was in blue ink. The majority of copiers back then could only make black and white copies so it was easy to tell the original document from a copy. And since legal documents rarely use color, the signing of the original document in blue ink and then copying in black and white remains an easy way to distinguish original signatures from copied signatures.
Thanks for sharing it’s great getting even more context for this subject.
Exactly.
This is what they taught us real estate agents as well.
Personally I prefer purple ink because it’s my favorite color. I used to sell pens, and I was told that blue ink ballpoint pens had better viscosity. I have no idea if that is actually true. Red ink often gives an angry vibe.
A friend who worked in insurance told me once that notes in red ink get addressed more quickly. Ever since, for customer service, disputed bills, etc., I write a note in red ink on the original document and send it back. It does seem always to work.
Teachers used to use red ink pens when correcting tests and homework!
@ yes, I learned in my teaching classes in college that it would be better if teachers used another color than red to grade with because of the negative vibe that red gives.
@@donnadrane4977 But when an editor corrects a manuscript, the expression is that they "blue pencil" it. Maybe it would be kinder if teachers didn't use red. Maybe green is available.
@ Actually, since most school work is now done on a computer, there is very little handwritten correction. Back in the day, however, it was the red pen. Now, for the most part, I see teachers being kinder than ever when correcting students, and I chalk it up to our changing times.
Dark brown. Uncommon, warm, yet formal.
Where do you get brown ink? I have never heard of it.
@@Momiji-e8k Search for CultPens. They have a huge range - I have Aurora Borealis and Deep Dark Brown from Diamine. (I do use two fountain pens!)
@@Momiji-e8k Noodlers has some nice shades. Walnut is nice
I haven’t heard of brown ink before either, but I find the idea of brown ink attractive.
@@Momiji-e8k My earlier reply has been deleted.
A company the sells Pens and is a sort of Cult. They sell Diamine inks.
I always consider black for formal, blue for informal, red for quality control action, and green for quality control approval. My go to ink, is blue/black.
@kierangoddard2198
I use a blue/black 1.0 gel, a 0.38 "prussian blue" for finer writing, and an "archival" blue of one or another type, in fine nib fountains for official documents. Then bordeaux or grey for personal correspondence.
Then blacks for general ballpoint and fountain note-taking.
Gel Orange, white, green, gold, violet, even red, for situational use when I have my bag with me.
Blue is NOT for informal writing - for decades, at least, maybe longer, blue ink is the color of formal, official signatures for legal documents.
Many, many decades ago, green ink was reserved only for the head manager of our branch for his signatures.
When a coworker told me that a few years ago, I added green ink to my repertoire of Lamy fountain pens with different colored inks, just to make my phone notes a little bit more colorful.... and to breach that "green is for the manager" barrier.
When I bought my first house, I had to initial and sign all of copies of the transfer documentation in blue ink as directed by the attorney handling the purchase. I was told that this was to allow anyone reviewing the documents to determine that they were original signed versions vs copies/faxes as those would only ever be black. This was back before color copiers were commonplace...
Our finance officer insisted on blue ink on the printed time sheets, completely ignoring the fact that all the timekeeping was done by computer and printed timesheets were superfluous. The printed copies were stored in some file cabinet, never to be seen again.
I was told the same thing about using blue ink on some Probate documents. But he added that judges were behind the times about knowing about color copiers.
This remains true today. Most legal documents are standardised and printed in black. Having read a standard form, once, if a lawyer recognises the standard form elsewhere, you don’t read it again, as you already know what it says. Writing in blue ink makes it easier to spot the signature, initials, and any annotations, such as striking out standard, printed text. The signature, initials, and any annotations are more important than the standard text because these things establish provenance, authenticity, and context. And they establish these things because they are the result of particular people performing particular actions with their pen. Many lawyers, myself included, use several differing ink colours in their own writing, with each colour bearing a particular meaning. For example, writing in red ink records something said by the judge, and something written in green ink is a reference, usually a partial reference being a unique reference code, to a previous decision. My standard ink colour is purple, because nobody else uses it, so when I see purple writing in a pile of papers, I can quickly know it was written by me.
I actually like both blue and black. But red is discouraged in the financial world because it’s used for debits and/or liabilities vs black which is use for assets and or deposits.
Blue ink is acknowledged as the “original” signature, Iused to only use blue ink for checks and signatures.
For me it's the Feel of the pen on the paper that's more important than the color. It must be smooth and easy enough to lay down a bold line with firm pressure and a thinner line with lighter pressure. Lines need to taper as you lift the pen. 😊
I prefer a very fine pen - I have a heavy hand so I feel like a fine pen looks better and less messy. 🤷♀️
As an old’un I attended Primary School in the 1950s. In Australia (well, Victoria anyway) we graduated from slates, to pencil, & finally (hurrah!) to pen & ink. Being selected as the ink monitor was a pretty good wheeze - you basically (very carefully) wandered about the classroom with a huge bottle of ink (it seemed that way at the time…), filling all the inkwells on the desks. The ink was always Swan Ink & it was always BLUE. I was very unfairly banned from this task, not because I did it badly, but because in a fit of whimsy I (almost accidentally) placed the plait of the girl sitting at the desk in front of me, into my inkwell. Looking back I think it showed great intellectual promise: I’m sure Newton or somesuch genius would have applauded the experiment, investigating the ink take-up propensities of human hair. Somehow the teacher (cruel soul that he was, did not see things that way. I would have thought that six double-hander applications of the strap were more than sufficient, but no, I was banned from ink monitor-ship for the rest of Grade 5!
You are using the scientific method😂
Loved the trip down memory lane. I'm Victorian too, but 1970's. Luckily no strap but I was the last in my class to get my pen licence.
That sounds really interesting, your a good storyteller!
Interesting story that would make a nice short story/film. You're a great storyteller as someone already pointed out in the comments. 😀
Just the sort of thing I would have done. Top man👍
I do real estate closings and I am a Notary Public as well, and blue is required because it makes it easier to determine if a document is an original or a copy. Yes, color copiers exist, but they are purposely not used in my line of work. For my own personal writing, I bounce back and forth between black and blue. Just depends on what I am feeling on that particular day.
I copy my previous comment here:
I work in an office of public institution (European): we know that there are color copiers - but blue ink still copy inconsistently most of the time: with uneven colorization, darker spots, not fully mixed-in colors (copiers make dark blue using more than one ink). Black ink looks the same most of the time - no matter if originally signed or copied.
Black was used for bookkeeping in profits and expenses in red. Blue was used for notes about transactions made. It made it very clear for accountants and bookkeepers to see them at a glance on a long list of pages. Inks were used with permanent inks.
Computers now print (@ 1975) almost everything in black because they use laser printers and not inks which can be smeared or lost if the colour fades.
Growing up I was always told not to write to anyone using red ink as it may cause offence. Red ink was used to signify owing money or to be in debt. The final demand for your gas bill would be in red and the term in the red is still used to this day.
In the black is the corresponding term. Banks used black ink for any accounts in credit and red ink for overdrafts. Red is a great reminder that the balance is literally costing you money in interest charges.
I had heard of people taking offense at red markups/edits or getting stressed by it (because it was like blood all over the page). So I turned to purple…because Klingon blood. 😂
I use fountain pens because of the variety of ink colours available. I use a waterproof black ink for anything formal (waterproof is essential for anything legal, regardless of its colour, and not all fountain pen inks are waterproof). I dislike blue (unless it's really dark) because I was made to write in blue at school, and school was not a pleasant personal experience for the most part. My favourite colour for personal use, note-taking, journalling etc, is dark green.
@@LewisLittle66 I’m hearing quite a few comments about dark green and it is intriguing me.
@@JustShepCreator Monteverde offers a Jade Noir, a very dark green. Monteverde offers 10 (I think) different Noir inks.
But which dark green, inquiring minds want to know! is it R&K verdigris?
@@annafdd Diamine Sherwood Green :)
Noodler’s offers many colors of “Bulletproof” inks: Inks that are cellulose-reactive so their marks can’t be removed without removing a noticeable amount of paper. I’ve been a fan of Noodler’s black for over 20 years now and I’ve lost track of how many times they’ve saved my research from unstable cups of coffee, sudden rain showers, and productive bubble baths.
Blue-Black ink is a really fun color to use in fountain pens, but if you don't want to mess with fountain pens there are a few gel pens that come in blue-black ink. One example that's pretty easy to find online is the "Pentel Energel Clena," which is basically just a regular Energel but with a bit of a retro style and comes in a few fun colors like blue-black and brown.
Pentel Energel Clenas are my favorite gel pens. Other than those, I write with fountain pens.
I grew up in Eastern Europe. Blue ink is required for legal documents and was the standard color used from pre-school to graduate school. I've been using black ink for the last 20 years and recently began using blue for taking some some notes and making some lists. I somehow got a strange feeling of nostalgia and began writing more with blue ink. It has been rather uplifting.
Before I retired as a Q.C. inspector I always used blue ink on routings and other paperwork since it was often copied and I needed to know which was the original. For problem issues I used red to signify such. For personal things such as writing checks it's always black ink. If you ever get into fountain pens beware of the ink color rabbit hole, as I probably have close to a hundred different ones.
Thanks for you comment and thank you for your info on ink colours
Hear hear, brother.
I have many fountain pens and each has its very own ink painstakingly matched to it. I scored a zero in the x-rite hue test, so yes, they truly are all different colors to me. I am very close to the point that I could write in a different color every day for half a year.
I acknowledge that I have a problem.
@@polymathica
What's rather sad in my case is that with all of the pens and ink I have I only keep one inked up. That is my Montblanc 146, filled with either Mystery Black or Burgundy. Most of the time I just use one of my Tactile Turn Nautilus or Retro 51 rollerball pens.
@ Aww, that is a little sad, but we all have only so much time in a month and I have to admit my fountain pens are a very time-consuming hobby. While my pens are technically all inked up all the time, with the gap between uses, all but the Platinums and the Benus dry out. It’s a bit irresponsible of me, but I- 😐 Prepare yourself for the heresy-I flush them out with their own ink as I fill them when their time in the rotation comes. My theory is that ink will dilute itself and when the ink gets too dry I can add distilled water to return it to the right concentration. I do have my own ultrasonic cleaner if something gets really clogged
Regarding 2:06, in Asian cultures using red ink to write a person's name is taboo. This is because only names of dead people are written in red ink. However, if a living person's name is written in red ink, then this is considered to be a curse and is very insulting.
In more than twenty years of teaching, I never marked students' work in red ink. I just think red pen looks aggressive and is the equivalent of 'shouting' at the students.
I always used a green bic biro, a much more positive colour and I always made a positive comment alongside any corrections or guidance.
I never write in blue, I guess because most students wrote in blue. I prefer to write in black as it has a certain 'authority' to it and maybe a bit of 'stern-ness' if I am writing to Government or official organisations.
Love and peace.
@@daweshorizon for some reason my teachers back in the 80s always used red, I guess that’s why I always feel a little weird using that colour to write. I have recently enjoyed writing my RUclips scripts in purple and underlined import areas in red. :)
I've been studying part-time for years, and have found (after a lot of experimentation), that I use green ink for names and dates (which stand out on my notes), black ink when I'm copying a quote from an author (again because that stands out), and blue ink for my own thoughts on what I'm reading. I have found that copic markers work best when you are writing in text books - they are waterproof and don't bleed through the thin pages - I have a brown copic pen that I use which stands out from the black print in my books.
Thank you so much for sharing that useful tip!
anti Goth propaganda. Black is always best.
😅 Brilliant 😅❤
I always prefered pencil, lately I'm using sanguin pencil on buff paper. It just feels better! What does that say about me?😮
@@sirlurk_calot I would say that probably makes you a New Romantic (a bit like a Goth, but Goth lite , an arty Goth so to speak)
Meh. Silver ink on black paper FTW.
99% pencil writer. 1% fountain pen / ballpoint pen blue or black. No preference.
I didn’t know Goths could write!
I'm an elementary school teacher so I RARELY write in either blue or black ink. I like to be colorful and flair pens are my pen of choice so it could be any color from lime green to purple just depending on my mood. I work a reading interventionist on my campus so I don't really have papers to grade but back when I used to I might grade them in red, or it might be orange, or turquoise...the kids loved the colors and so did I! When I have to use a blue or black ink for something official I call it writing with a "grown up color"...lol.
I use different colors depending on my mood too. I love that you use different colors for the kids. I bet they do too.
😮i have arthritis and carpal tunnel, I just discovered papermate flairs, this year...I like them because the marker is a strong bold line I can see (bad vision too!) but it doesn't bleed thru the paper like sharpies do. They're easier to control than the gel type pens and easier to write with than the ball point pens. I now but them by the 12pak! I just wish they didn't have that sharp feeling rim near where your fingers hold it. My only complaint.
For personal use, I prefer green ink. It is easier for me to read. For documents, I prefer black. Blue would be my last choice.
Once upon a time, blue ink was the “original” document, black was the “photostat.” Now a day, with colour scanners it really doesn’t matter. In the US and Canada, unless they state in the directions, the colour of pen doesn’t matter as long as it is blue or black.
Personally, I keep a fountain pen loaded with one of each colour, and something else, like a brown, or a green, or purple. Red for corrections and editing, unless it’s a more burgundy like “Writers Blood.”
Loving the thought of the dark red colours, got to try this!
Notfamiliar with "writer's blood" but have what must be similar called "oxblood".
@@greggi47 Writer's Blood is a Diamine color. It behaves well and cleans easily. It isn't water resistant, though, if that's a concern.
I was taught at school in the '50s:
Blue for personal or private;
Black for formal and funeral;
Green - leave it to the tax man;
Red - leave it to your teacher and poison-pen letter writers.
Pilot Precise v.5 black (primary)
Pilot G2 v.7 black (secondary)
Pilot G2 v.7 red (editing)
but a few weeks back took a chance with an off brand through TEMU and they are working:
v.35 black
I mostly write freeverse poetry and a I've done some work with novellas.
Great video. Blue/black is the best because it is ‘old school’ and retains elements of formality while being aesthetically pleasing.
And copies well. 😊
A loooong time ago, when I was in school, before there were computers, you hand wrote everything and the paper and notebooks always had blue lines; mimeographed copies had blue text. Blue ink written on paper with blue lines or blue text looked muddy to me, hard to read, so I started using a black pen solely for legibility. Now everything is black lines so I often use blue, again just because it is easier to read.
As an artist I would have to say that there is no true black ink, but very dark blues. If the ink fades it typically turns to a grayish blue.
As a nurse, we HAD to write our notes in black ink. This is because the colour black photocopied better, we were told.I
So, black has always looked better to me. Of course, nowadays, everything is done On a computer screen and it is black. Very professional.
Health care worker in the USA here. That was the same for us too before electronic charts. The only other color allowed was red ink, and that was for notes that were going to be dictated later, and when the dictation came back it had to go directly under the original hand notes.
I use blue-black in an attempt to win-win…can tell the original + copies well.
Many companies require their staff to use black ink. The one good thing about writing with a black fountain pen ink is it stands out from any ball point pen. It is almost as if you've typed your letter.
As a secondary school teacher (now retired) we traditionally marked students work with red ink, until, around fifteen years ago, school marking policy required us to use green for marking. I believe the philosophy was that red was an alarming colour and green more passive. I am not sure if this is now universal across UK schools.
@@rodjacob1000 oh wow that’s some amazing insights green being preferred is not something I had heard. Thanks for sharing your comment 👍
You gotta be kidding me! Sorry Sir, what I meant was, you have got to be having a joke! 😉
@@richiehoyt8487 Not joking.... Typical of the kind of initiatives that those in charge came up with.
For marking papers the Japanese use cute little stamps to add pleasant encouragement.
I rebelled and used purple because it was the color of Klingon blood 😂
No blue for legal signatures reduces the chances of forgery because in a copy the blue will show as a gray rather than black
I only use black ink in my pens no matter what type they are, fountain, ballpoint, gel or rollerball. If I buy a pen and it only comes with blue ink, I immediately swap it for black ink and just throw the blue cartridge away unless I can give it away.
Sad to see that cursive is a fading art these days though, don't they teach that in schools now? When I was at school, cursive was called 'proper writing' and you got extra marks for using it.
i prefer to write with blue ink. i have a set of pens with 24 different colors. i have a set of pencils with 48 different color colors. i have a set of sharpies with 12 different colors. i have a set of fine tip sharpies with the same 12 colors. i have over 100 crayons. still, my blue ink pen is my favorite just for writing (when not counting my computer)
When I was in the Navy, I was told to use black always as it was the most clear and would copy the best.
Later when I went to work as a government attorney I was told all signatures had to be in blue to distinguish them from a copied signature. That never changed after color copiers came into use.
Personally, I like a deep teal, but mostly I love using fountain pens with colors other than basic blue or black.
Thanks for the comment, everyone's input is really making me stop and think
Yeah when fountain inks come into play, there are some exquisite options out there! Teal sounds interesting and unique! I love me a rich sapphire blue or ultimate fav is a fun burple! 🥰
Where do you get teal? That's my favorite color but I have never found teal pens except as the "bonus" pen in a promotional package of ordinary black and blue.
@@epicnamepwns1242 I find in bottled inks to use in my fountain pen. Not always called teal but there are literally thousands of colors out there!
@@epicnamepwns1242 Monteverde makes at least one teal ink, California Teal. Diamine makes a teal ink. Noodler's makes a teal black ink under the name of "Aircorp Blue-Black" or "Air Corp Blue-Black", but it's much more teal black than blue black.
If you don't want to use a fountain pen, Noodler's makes three different refillable roller ball pens and Jacques Herbin makes six.
I use whatever color I want for my signature.
Good luck ever finding a judge who will say, "Ah, this entire form is void and the plaintiff is free of all liabilty because he signed his name with a *green* pen."
Until someone came up with the bright idea of printing signatures in blue to make a form letter look hand-signed.
@@cliveadams7629 true I have received letters mass printed with a blue signature.
Philip Caputo, a US Marine lieutenant in Vietnam, tried to fill in a form with blue ink, and was told only black ink was acceptable in the Marines. (Caputo, _A Rumor Of War_ first published 1977.)
Before the days of color copiers, the military used to require blue on financial documents because you could tell by the blue that it was the original signature and not a copy.
Being in the legal field, blue is my “go to.” In the days before digital signatures when we needed to be able to see an original signature rather than a photo copied one, but was always easiest. Now black just makes irritated.
Autumn and Winter I use black ink, Spring and Summer blue.
my mind is blown ❤ Iove it. I hope what you are saying is true
@@SewHealthy8 Straight up, I use Diamine ink in a Lamy fountain pen, currently using Earl Grey (dark grey rather than black), last month I used Eau de nil (a dark green- blue).
being an engineer, technical drawings were only signed in black because plan copies were in blue and blue never showed. ( that was before CAD )
I worked as a bank teller in college and we were not allowed to use red ink on checks or any financial documents as the microfiche scanners couldn't read it. That was back in the 90's so that may no longer be the case but it was a big deal back then.
I don't know about red, but for a while during college, I wrote my cheques with a purple Flair pen. Those always went through.
I've written both creatively and scientifically for decades. In my teens and 20's, I preferred black ink because I saw it as dramatic, high contrast, and permanent. In my 30's, I switched to blue because our company wanted to show 'original signatures' even though a colour copy would negate the effect. Since then, I've taken a liking to blue for signatures and original writings but no problem flipping to whichever pen is available.
I like writing to glide smoothly, so my preference is gel ink, but also carry a ballpoint when there's no time to sit for drying.
A fountain pen has always been my preferred pen of choice with Royal Blue (Quink) ink. I've used blue/black at times and is my preference over black ink. I loathe having to use biro pens. Therefore, if I don't have fountain pen then I use a pen which gives me an equivalent feel/ink-flow which tends to be the "ball pens" (OK, I know a biro is a ball pen too). I'm currently working through using a pacl of [Mitsubishi Pencil Co.] Uni-Ball Signo 0.7 pens.
Uni-ball are very smooth writers. You'd probably enjoy fine tipped gel pens with your ability to alter pressure on different parts of penstrokes.
As a child, when using a fountain pen for penmanship, I preferred Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black Ink..
Blue is personally my favorite color. Funny you should bring up financial industries. I worked in the mortgage industry. At our company, loan processors used black, underwriters used red, closers used green, post-closers used blue. I worked in secondary marketing, and I used whatever color I wanted...except red.
Really cool video. I havent written with a blue pen since I was in high school in the 90s. I use black to fill out checks and make grocery lists which is basically the only writing I do regularly.
Thanks for the comment I really appreciate it :)
green is for auditing ,red for correcting. blue is legal
Blue pencils used by editors.
As a Sanitation Supervisor, my job requires we carry a 4 color pen. Black was required for writing summonses, before we got the NOVAS printers, blue was required for Derelict Vehicle Operations forms. Official logs and documents require black or blue ink. Night operations and diesel fuel is required to be green. Snow operations and gasoline is required to be red. The lubricant log is blue for B Preventative Maintainance records and Red for A's. (We also have the very labor intensive C PMs but that color is not specified, so I use black or green for those.)
When filling in 350s (cardboard forms issued to each truck to record the truck #, crew names, supv names, day, date, function, cutoff times, tarekey weights, weather, section, route, etc) that my fellow supvs neglected to completely fill out, if it's a day ticket (black or blue ink) I will purposely use the opposite color to show how much work I did; if a night ticket, I'll use a different kind of green pen then the original supv. Things I don't have info for, I'll circle in red. I take all my personal notes in red in an effort to even out it's use with the other colors, but as a 4-12 garage supv, I still use green at a rate of 2/3 to 1 Vs the other colors.
As a Sanitation Worker, I was required to carry a black or blue pen as part of my uniform to fill out 350s and sign documents. We could get written up for not having one. I once signed in on the official sign in sheet in green on St Patty's Day to be cute and was threatened with disciplinary action. These days it seems anybody can do anything they want and nobody gets in trouble. None of these S/Ws these days seem to have a pen ever.
I worked for a software company that was temporarily housed in a bank building. And the bank only had blue pens. Not because of forgery issues, but because as photocopies got better it became harder to tell the original from the photocopy. The original document has legal standing, a photocopy of it however is just a piece of paper - of no legal value at all. So it was important banks didn't mix them up. Thus blue pens as signatures and such stood out on the original, but were in black on the photocopy. Myself, I prefer a medium dark blue ink. It's a restful color. Being a lefty though some colored inks are slower drying than black ink and that can cause smudging. So I always have a couple known non-smudging black pens at the ready just in case.
If you intend to make copies of the documents you are writing on, use black ink because when you use blue ink it's rather faded on the copies. Almost to the point that it's not there in some cases.
Writing in blue ink was always something I had to do for homework in school, therefore black ink is to me for something of my own, independent, more meaningful, interesting. I use blue for filling forms because I was told so - probably so that people reading forms could sea at a glance that blue (fill) is at all the right places.
interersting stuff my favorite color pen to use is dark blue. A particular shade of dark blue, do not enjoy the lighter versions at all. i even use it to sketch. Also on another note - in my county we use only blue pen for legal documents, blacks might be an occasional use.
I had an ex who worked at a company that dealt with medical forms, and she was told to always use blue ink and not black.
I believe the reason was that blue would be easier to discern as a fresh marking and not a photocopy.
Your STATUS is determined by the ink color.
Blue/Black is the color of dead.
Red is the color of living.
As someone who spent most of their career negotiating, and arranging the execution of, commercial leases and associated documents, I always insisted that they were signed in blue. This was, prior to the arrival of colour copying, a simple way to know you were looking at an original at a glance. When reviewing requested changes to a draft and making notes for amendments, always red.
In the former soviet republics and still now sovereign countries there has been a strict rule to use blue pens everywhere and the obligatory use of seal in company or official documents in blue ink. I think this is to distinguish between the original and a copy or fake.
Some legal documents MUST be signed in BLUE. If they are signed in black they will be rejected. If you are filling out a legal document, always check the instructions. If the instructions don't specify, please don't assume - ask.
Always blue ink for me - always fine tip too unless there are none around. I also love gel ink, it just glides so nicely 😊
I go for a black pen every single time and have done ever since discovering gel pens many decades ago. Sod "calming"! I want it to be legible even if I don't have my glasses on! 😄
@@MrSlipstreem I must admit black can be maximum legible 😃
Gel pens are great. I have a few sparkly ones that even have a nice perfumed scent impregnated into them. Can you imagine how many '80s school girls would have loved them when they can dot their I's with a heart, sparkle and perfume?
The use of black or blue ink is generally acceptable for writing, I personally use both, however, when it comes to signing documents, blue ink is typically mandated. This is to ensure that the original document's signature can be differentiated from copies during photocopying processes, thus avoiding any potential confusion or misinterpretation.
One of the problems with fountain pen ink is that it fades - certainly it fades in the sun, anyway. You can see this if you look at old certificates, diplomas, etc. with people's professional credentials such as you see posted up in chemist shops, for example, where the printed sections are perfectly legible after decades, but the signatures are barely discernable, if at all. Perhaps the inks are more 'sun~fast' or whatever the term is, these days? I guess I'll have to wait until 2050 or so to find out, lol!
Also, call me a traditionalist, but while I don't think I could ever be accused of writing a poison pen letter, as such, I have been known to write in green ink where I want to convey a certain tone of snottiness or passive agression, but the circumstances dictate that the actual text has to be somewhat deferential in nature... Of course these days the gesture would go entirely over the heads of most recipients, but on the other hand it has the benefit that where the inference is appreciated, a certain plausible, or at least technical deniability is still feasible; ie, "It does? _Really?!_ Why, I had no _idea!_ I'm so sorry -- I know green isn't 'super~professional', but it was all I had to hand; I certainly never meant any offence! _And if you believe that, you are an even bigger gobdaw than I was aware of!"_ 😌🧏♂️
Some fountain pen inks might fade, but not all, just like some are water resistant and others aren't.
@@bcase5328 Presumably it would say on the label? I don't know how they would know, other than by waiting, but I presume they have their methods - blasting them with high~intensity ultraviolet light, for one, I'm guessing?
Now I use a 4 colours ballpoint pen tbh. But the blue colour is the first I finish 😂 And when I was a student, I was using a fountain pen with dark purple ink 😮
My dad loved to write with green ink. I draw a lot so black is my go to color. Blue is seldom used unless requested and the green and red ink is usually used for accents in some of my drawings.
Interesting, for me blue ink feels more formal and black is more for personal notes etc. It's probably a cultural thing. I live in Finland, and almost all forms are filled and documents signed using blue ink. It used to even be a requirement for the matriculation examination essays that you write with a permanent, blue pen (nowadays they're written on a computer). Btw, great pick on the favorite color! 😅 I just in the past year or so realized that like 70-80% of my clothes are blue or at least close to blue (purple, cyan).
I'm always trying to make sure I deliberately buy different coloured clothes as blue seems to feature heavily
I liked to write in green ink in university. I’d occasionally get a little note praising it, never got a negative reaction from a professor.
Usually use black ink for work: blue for personal. However, I do try to sign documents in blue so that the original vs. the photocopy can be distinguished. As a fountain pen 🖋 lover, I use various ink colors for color-coding meetings, organizations to which I belong, etc.
I like Pilot G2 pens, mostly black, but also red, blue and green, in the sizes 07 and 05.
I use a set of multicolored G2 pens for my personal finances and notes. My son will use those too but prefers Sarasa Zebra pens 05. He is VERY Picky about his pens, but since he is working hard in his last year of college, I figure he's worth the extra expense.
@@nanszoo3092 I am also very picky, and love the G2s, but I have never tried the Zebras. I will have to look for them.
I know when we were closing on our house, they wanted us to use the blue ones so they could tell the difference between the original and copies.
I've been using turquoise ink since a teenager, if it's not available I settle for green.
Yes, black in for filling in forms
I worked for a Prosecutor in the past and blue ink was preferred in that office because it stood out, was harder fake as well as it was easier to spot that it was not a photocopy, but the original document (the main printer did not have color).
When in school, blue seemed to be the preferred ink color. When I got to the point where I could write in black ink without repercussions, I switched, and it became my preferred color.
Blue ink is my go to. When I worked, I felt blue was more eye catching than black when I made notes on paperwork for the office. Also, I just like seeing some colour on the paper. I’ll use purple at home. I also prefer gel ink to regular ballpoint ink. I rarely have used fountain pens. Forms at work were in triplicate and required the use of a ballpoint.
I like writing notes in blue ink, if using a ball pint. Fountain pens always get black - it's weird that I never thought about this, it just feel correct to be that way.
Believe it or not, I used to use the 4 ink pen when I was in college. I"d use the red ink as a header for definitions, the green ink as header for lists, and the blue/black for standard notes. I know everyone in my classes could hear the click-click constantly.
Love That :)
I learned not to keep my diary in blue ink. When the diary got water damaged, the blue ink ran, erasing my entries. Black ink is less vulnerable to running.
That's more due to the formulation than the color. TWSBI makes an iron gall blue-black that is water resistant, in that water will wash away the blue dye but will leave the precipitated iron salts, along with a small amount of the dye, on the paper; but their black ink will wash away completely, leaving the faintest ghost of what was written behind. Same with their Sapphire Blue, Midnight Blue, and Red.
I would use a documental blue ink. They are made to be archival, and won't run when wet. de Atramentis, Monteverde, and Colorverse, to my knowledge, all make at least one pigmented blue documental ink.
@@alflyover4413 Thank you. 🙂
i write in blue pen most of the time. i use a black pen to write over important words. black on blue is distinct, blue on black isn't so much. i use red to indicate something that might be a problem, either incorrect or that i need more information on. basically something that requires further action. i go for a fairly bright blue so that it is very distinct from black. my black pen is bolder than my blue pens so it makes writer over the blue lines easier. it's also a useful technique for headings and such.
My favourite for personal writing is a pen with green ink. I use either green or blue to sign legal documents that I scan.
For journals and music, I use blue; for work I use black; for commentary/markups I use red or pink; and for art (like books, script, and illuminated manuscripts) I will get a dark brown. Sometimes I get a bit crazy and use blue/black, dark green, and silver for black-page journals.
Nice! Now lets go to green and brown. I use it often at work, bringing a smile to the reader. Yes they instantly go to those and know it is from me.
There is a very simple explanation. Before mass industrial printing, people wrote mainly in black ink. Then, when a lot of forms and papers appeared, they began to write in blue. This is necessary in order to immediately understand what is printed on the sheet and what is written by hand. Why not print blue, but write in black? Blue is a composite color in printing, it has shades. Black is easier to handle and more stable as a result. Other ink colors like red and green were left for notes. Since the whole world actively used paper and forms, the practice took root.
I will also note a couple of points. Light ink is extremely inconvenient. What is written in a bright red, scarlet pen is difficult to read, for example. It is also practical to have a white or light-colored carrier (paper). Anyone who has tried to paint a black wall with white will understand.
I use black in my ballpoint and turquoise in my fountain pen because it contrasted the not-quite black of forms produced on older photocopiers.
@@ianwalker1182 I must admit I do remember turquoise ink ✍️
Back in the day, there were no color copiers. So writing in blue was a way to insure the authenticity of a signature. But blue did not copy as legibly as black. So aside from signatures black was most commonly used for filling out forms. When I worked in a laboratory in the early 70's we were required to record the analysis sheets in black ink.
Worked in banking, and when using a fountain pen, my ink color of choice was blue-black.
When I bought a house 20 years ago in Canada the lawyers insisted I use black ink.
I do crosswords and recently treated myself to some new pens, including a pack of multi coloured ink pens, just for a change. My favourite one at the moment is purple - very regal, it seems very luxurious. I also enjoy using a pink pen to make useful notes on sheet music (I'm learning piano and reading two lines of music at once fries my brain).
I have occasionally completed crosswords online, but I prefer pen and paper.
As for legal documents, years ago certain deeds had to be signed in bull's blood, as this was thought to make it harder for people to forge copies.
@@bluemoon6625 thanks for the comment, I also like purple as a pen colour. I have purple and Orange in my pack of white board pens which always run out first.
As a Nurse in most of my professional life I had to write in black ink. So blue( or any other color I can fill my inexpensive fountain pens with) is fantastic! I am quite creative and love color! Violet is my favorite!
I change the colour of my pen on the first of every month. This month is a purple month. I use all colours except the kind of standard blue because it reminds me too much of school. But I always have a black pen in my bag, in case I have to sign something where I don't want to stand out. I have never used that pen...
@@peter84624 oh wow, what a cool idea 💡
Yes to the month thing, me too! 😂
Vintage Sarasa blue-grey is absolute favourite, followed closely by green-black and red-black. Haven't used black since I retired.