The whole Tom’s Studio range is compatible with our fountain pen ink.

Absolutely! All our inks are alcohol-free.

Yes! Our inks are 100% free from any animal-derived ingredients, making them a vegan-friendly option.

They have a low lightfast rating – the little blighter that is UV rays will eventually change and lighten dye based inks if exposed to the sun. 

They're not waterproof – this means that you can't paint or write over them without smudging. 

However, Tom has developed a waterproof ink - the No. 60 Pigment Black. You can find that here.

Yes! Our inks have a pH range of 2.4-8.4.

Tom uses MD Paper which is lovely and smooth and perfect for fountain pen use.

All of our notebooks have been tried, tested (and are loved!) by the team.

Fountain Pens and Calligraphy pens. Please note: you cannot use Shimmer Ink with the Wren, Lumos, Ori or Field Mouse pens as it’ll clog the reservoir inside the pens

Absolutely! All our inks are alcohol-free.

Yes! Our inks are 100% free from any animal-derived ingredients, making them a vegan-friendly option.

Yes! Our inks have a pH range of 2.4-8.4.

The shimmers naturally collect at the bottom of the glass bottle. Just give it a good shake before use to unleash all that sparkly goodness onto your page!

Calligraphy or pigment-based inks are only suited to calligraphy pens which are much easier to clean. You can find our range of calligraphy pens here.

Absolutely! All our inks are alcohol-free.

Yes! Our inks are 100% free from any animal-derived ingredients, making them a vegan-friendly option.

They're often lightfast  – because they contain colour particles the sun can shine all it likes and it will have a much harder time affecting the colour.

There is an exception to the rule: Black, White, Silver and Gold have high  lightfastness as they have different ingredients.

They're waterproof! Some pigment based inks are permanent like our India Ink, which contains a type of shellac so it won't bleed if you want to layer other inks on top.

Yes! Our inks have a pH range of 2.4-8.4.

Here in the studio, we use Bristol Board, a heavyweight, smooth paper that is excellent for calligraphy as it handles ink well without bleeding.

We also use MD Paper, which is not as thick but can manage most calligraphy inks without significant bleed-through.

Another option for practice is our Tom’s Studio Practice Pads; they are 100gsm and do not bleed through.

In a bottle of ink with pretty big particles (normally metallics) settling can occur as gravity works its magic. The solution (without using plenty of elbow grease and shaking often) is to use a Finetec palette or a magnetic ink stirrer (Google it – it will change your life).

With calligraphy pens, you do have to dip your pen every time you run out of ink. The solution? Use our One-Dip-Wonder to make your dip last ten times longer!

Perfectly paired with the Wren, Lumos and Field Mouse, this water-based ink glides through the tips, offering just the right balance of boldness and precision.

Unlike our fountain pen inks, Fibre Tip Ink is designed for an instant 'smooth start' – no warming up needed. 

You can also use Fibre Tip ink with calligraphy and fountain pens. 

Absolutely! All our inks are alcohol-free.

Yes! Our inks are 100% free from any animal-derived ingredients, making them a vegan-friendly option.

They are not lightfast – the little blighter that is UV rays will eventually change and lighten dye based inks if exposed to the sun.

They're not waterproof – this means that you can't paint or write over them without smudging.

1. Ensure you have a clean reservoir if you're switching ink colours (you can purchase replacements here). 
2. Dip the reservoir into your ink of choice. Let capillary action draw the ink into the reservoir and hold for 20-30 seconds.
3. Remove the reservoir from the bottle, dab any excess ink off with some paper towel and insert back into the pen.
4. Alternatively, you can use the mini pipette in your mini ink bottle to drop ink directly into the reservoir. You can find a video on how to do this here. 

1. Clean the ink converter and have a soft cloth or paper towels ready.
2. Dip the clear end of the converter into the Mini Ink bottle.
3. Twist the end clockwise to draw ink in, then twist anti-clockwise to empty. Repeat until there are no air bubbles.
4. With the converter full, attach it to the nib inside the pen.
5. Twist the converter a little to push ink into the nib and wipe off any excess.

1. Clean the ink converter and have a soft cloth or paper towels ready.
2. Take the ink syringe (thin end) and insert into the Mini Ink bottle.
3. Twist the other end clockwise to draw ink in, then twist anti-clockwise to empty. Repeat until there are no air bubbles.
4. If you're refilling an empty cartridge: with the converter full, move from the ink bottle to the empty cartridge (standard international size) and release the ink.
5. If you're refilling the body of the pen: with the converter full, move from the ink bottle to the body of the pen and release the ink. Make sure you have used silicone grease to seal the pen beforehand.

It depends on the ink.

Our highlighter inks fall into two categories:

Dye-based: Green, Yellow and Purple

Pigment-based: Blue, Pink and Orange.

The dye-based inks (Green, Yellow and Purple) can be used with the Lumos fibre and brush tips. However, they are not compatible with the fineliner or writing tips.

The pigment-based highlighter inks are not suitable for use in the Lumos, as they can clog the reservoir or tips. These are best used with dip pens or calligraphy tools.

Our highlighter inks are designed to be bright, bold and highly visible on the page – which means they behave a little differently to standard fountain pen inks. They’re more heavily loaded with colour, so they flow best through broader tips (like fibre or brush tips) where there’s more surface area for the ink to move through. In very fine tips, this can lead to reduced flow or clogging over time. For the best performance, we recommend using highlighter inks with fibre or brush tips only.

If you’re ever unsure, feel free to reply to this message and we’ll happily point you in the right direction.

Bleed-through will depend on the paper you're using. In our testing on standard copy and printer paper, Purple showed the most bleed-through, while Pink showed a small amount. Blue, Yellow, Green and Orange did not bleed through.

We also tested all colours on our Studio Pad paper (116gsm) and heavyweight cartridge paper (200gsm), and none of the inks showed any bleed-through on either paper type.

We have tested our highlighter with a range of inks and recommend pigment-based inks for the best results and minimal smudging. You can use either of our pigmented inks;

- Fountain Pen Ink No. 60 Pigment Black

- Platinum Carbon Ink (waterproof pigment ink)

- Sailor Kiwa-Guro Ink (waterproof pigment ink)

As with any highlighter, please allow your ink to dry fully before highlighting to avoid smudging.

Yes, Permanent Ink works well with our Fibre Tips (the Bullet, Chisel, Brush and Detail Brush Tips).

However, we do not recommend using it with Writing or Fineliner Tips, as the ink can clog them and affect performance.

No, we do not recommend using it with the Wren, as the ink can clog them and affect performance.

Yes! Once the ink has fully dried, you can paint over it with watercolour without smudging or lifting the ink.

If left uncapped for more than 10 minutes, the ink may begin to dry at the tip. In most cases, it can be brought back to flow by dipping the tip in water.

If the pen is left uncapped for over an hour, you may need to replace the tip and reservoir. The good news is these parts are inexpensive and easy to replace, and can be found here.

Yes, our Permanent Ink is water-based and vegan

If ink gets on surfaces, we recommend using Amodex Ink & Stain Remover for removal. Always test on an inconspicuous area first.

As with all pigments, the sooner you treat the stain, the easier it will be to remove.

No. Our Permanent Ink does not have the harsh fumes typically associated with permanent markers, making it more pleasant to use day to day.

On paper and metal, the ink is fully permanent and water-resistant.

On plastic, it is durable and water-resistant, though it can be scratched off with effort.

On glass and ceramic, it becomes smudge-proof once dry, but can be removed with water and a little scrubbing.

The permanent ink also works well on tapes!

This ink is water-based and therefore requires a slightly longer drying time than a standard permanent marker before it is smudge-proof, typically around 1 to 2 minutes depending on the surface.

Drying time may vary depending on how heavily the ink is applied and the absorbency of the material.

Our Permanent Ink is designed to stay put on paper, card, wood, ceramic, metal and more, which means it is much less forgiving than standard fountain pen ink if spilled. It will not usually wash out of clothing, so we recommend keeping it away from delicate fabrics and unfinished surfaces.

Because of its permanent nature, it is not designed to wash out once it has bonded with fabric.

We have tested this and the ink has strong staying power and is permanent on fabric after a 40°C wash without heat setting.

No, the permanent ink is pigmented and has good light fastness so will not fade.

Our Permanent Inks are water-based, meaning you can swap tips or reservoirs in exactly the same way as our other fountain pen inks.

A quick note when changing colours: because Permanent Inks contain dyes that bond more readily to surfaces, they may stain the reservoir and nib slightly over time. This is purely cosmetic and will not affect the performance of your pen. When switching to a new ink colour, the first few fills may also be slightly tinted by the previous colour until the new ink has fully flushed through the reservoir and feed.

No. Our inks are not designed for food use and should not be used in or around food or drink preparation.