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The Best Gray Fountain Pen Inks

The Best Gray Fountain Pen Inks

November 15, 2016 - Posted by Ryan to Guides, Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Inks

Gray Fountain Pen Ink Comparison

The color gray has a serious PR problem. According to Wikipedia, people see it as the color of boredom, conformity, and indifference. While it’s easy to overlook gray inks in a world full of vibrant blues, greens, and oranges, doing so would be a mistake. Gray ink can imbue your words with refinement, subtlety, and depth. For artists, gray inks can be more versatile for drawing and sketching than black inks, allowing the creation of lighter or darker effects by layering or varying the intensity of their pen strokes.

With the gray season of winter coming, now is a perfect time to take a look at some of our top gray ink recommendations, then dive into an in-depth comparison of all our gray fountain pen inks.

Recommendations
Top Choice: Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same
If we had to live with just one gray ink, it would be Iroshizuku Kiri-same. It hits the perfect balance of being dark enough to read easily yet light enough to show off its subtle undertones and shading. A warm gray, Kiri-same imbues writing and drawings with an alluring energy. It is very well-behaved with most pens and papers, and though it isn’t waterproof it does have enough water resistance that most of your writing will remain salvageable if it gets wet.
Also Consider: Kaweco Smokey Grey
Also Consider: Kaweco Smokey Grey
If you want a more middle-of-the-road gray, check out Kaweco Smokey Grey. Cooler and lighter than Kiri-same, its subtle shading resembles the rolling clouds of an overcast sky or a pale stone lightly wetted with morning dew. Like Kiri-same, it is well-behaved and has above-average water resistance.
Most Permanent: Noodler's Lexington Gray
Most Permanent: Noodler's Lexington Gray
If you want to guarantee that your writing or drawings will last the test of time, go with Noodler's Lexington Gray. One of Noodler’s “bulletproof” inks, it uses a special formula that binds directly and permanently with the cellulose fibers in paper, making it impervious to water, solvents, and fading. Lexington Gray also happens to be the closest match for standard #2 or HB pencil lead, for those who want to imitate the look of pencil art.
Artist's Choice: Diamine Grey
Artist's Choice: Diamine Grey
After extensive testing, our resident artist picked Diamine Grey as her favorite gray ink for art. A neutral, medium-dark gray with minimal water resistance, it can be easily blended and diluted to achieve the exact level of intensity you want. Unlike some gray inks, it maintains a consistent hue without separating into component colors when diluted.
Fun Choice: J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey
It’s hard not to smile when writing with JJ. Herbin Stormy Grey. A dark gray infused with shimmering gold particles, it evokes memories of smoky campfires and the fading glimmer of fireworks in the night sky. Check out this video to see it in action!
Shades of Gray
Caran d'Ache Infinite Grey
Diamine 150th Anniversary Silver Fox
Diamine Graphite
Diamine Grey
Diamine Shimmering Sparkling Shadows
J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey
J. Herbin Gris Nuage
Kaweco Smokey Grey
Noodler's Lexington Gray
Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun
Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same

As you can clearly see from the samples above, gray inks are far from being all the same. Unlike other colors, which can be divided into sub-colors, the best way to divide up gray inks is by tone and temperature.

Tone
Tone
Light, Medium, and Dark Gray Inks
Tone is simply how light or dark an ink is. Darker grays like Diamine Graphite provide a high contrast with the paper, making words and lines pop out from the from the page. Lighter grays like J. Herbin Gris Nuage can create a more subtle or playful effect, but they can also be harder to read for extended periods. Medium grays like Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same offer a nice balance of character and legibility.
Tone
Art using different tones to create a sense of depth.
Inks used: Caran d'Ache Infinite Grey, Diamine Graphite, J. Herbin Gris Nuage, and Kaweco Smokey Grey.
Tone is especially important to artists, who can use contrasting light and dark tones to great effect. Making an object darker or lighter than its surroundings instantly makes it the focal point of a drawing. Darker colors can also appear closer to the viewer than lighter colors, an effect artists can use to create atmospheric perspective (also known as aerial perspective).
Temperature
Temperature
Cool, Neutral, Warm, and Mixed-Temperature Gray Inks
In addition to being light or dark, grays can be warm, cool, or neutral. In general, cool grays have blue undertones while warm grays have red, orange, or yellow undertones. Warmer grays like Iroshizuku Kiri-same are lively and energizing, while cooler grays like Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun are calming and contemplative. Some grays like Caran d'Ache Infinite Grey and Diamine Silver Fox have both warm and cool components, giving them a complex and intriguing mix of undertones.
Temperature
Art using different color temperatures to direct focus.
Inks used: Caran d'Ache Infinite Grey, Diamine Grey, Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun, and Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same.
Like tone, temperature can also be used in artwork to direct focus and create a sense of depth. Warm colors are said to advance, or stand out from the page, while cool colors recede, or sink into the page.
Performance Comparisons
Drying Time
Fastest-Drying Gray Inks
Fastest-Drying Gray Inks
Fountain pen inks take longer to dry than gel or ballpoint inks, so choosing a fast-drying ink is especially important for lefties and students who need to take notes quickly. We've found the fastest-drying gray inks to be:

Water and Highlighter Resistance
Most Water and Highlighter Resistant Gray Inks
Most Water- and Highlighter-Resistant Gray Inks
Most fountain pen inks will smear if they get wet or highlighted. If you like to highlight your notes or want to make sure that an errant spill won’t eradicate your hard work, it’s important to choose an ink with good water resistance. Here are the gray inks we’ve found to have the best water resistance:

All of the five inks listed above also stand up well to highlighting, as do Caran d'Ache Infinite Grey and J. Herbin Gris Nuage.

Interestingly, many artists actually prefer low water-resistance gray inks like Diamine Grey because they can be used to create cool wash effects with a water brush:

Final Thoughts

It’s time to give gray the respect it deserves! If you’ve never tried using gray ink before, we hope we’ve given you reason to reconsider this too-often underutilized color. Do you have a favorite gray ink? Let us know in the comments below!

InkToneTemperatureDrying TimeWater ResistanceHighlighter Resistance
Caran d'Ache Infinite GreyMediumMixed GraySlowPoorExcellent
Diamine 150th Anniversary Silver FoxMediumMixed GrayAveragePoorGood
Diamine GraphiteDarkMixed GrayAveragePoorPoor
Diamine GreyMediumNeutral GrayAveragePoorPoor
Diamine Shimmering Sparkling ShadowsDarkNeutral GrayAveragePoorPoor
J. Herbin 1670 Stormy GreyDarkNeutral GrayAverageAverageGood
J. Herbin Gris NuageLightCool GrayAverageAverageExcellent
Kaweco Smokey GreyMediumCool GrayFastAverageExcellent
Noodler's Lexington GrayDarkWarm GrayFastExcellentExcellent
Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogunLightCool GrayFastGoodExcellent
Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-sameMediumWarm GrayFastGoodExcellent