The first "pen color" was naturally black, derived from soot (carbon) mixed with gum or glue in ancient Egypt and China around 2500 BC, as carbon provided the most accessible and permanent dark pigment for early writing. While other natural pigments like cochineal (red) or indigo (blue) existed, black ink from charcoal was the standard for millennia before synthetic colors emerged much later.
Ink is typically colored, but the very first inks used charcoal or soot from the fire as the main pigment, hence why most of the early written works found were written in black ink.
The first pen shape occurred in 3000BC in ancient Egypt. They used Reeds with a sharp point (like that of a nib) to write with. They used hard grasses, like Sea Rushes, sturdy enough to carve things out with, drying them out for days to get it right.
The Reed Pen
The earliest known form of writing using a 'pen' began in Ancient Egypt where reed pens were created to write on papyrus. Ancient Egyptians first used reed styluses to carve hieroglyphs into tablets made from clay similar to the Sumerians.
Grey ink is a comparatively rare option but we still have a good range of fineliners, art pens, markers and fountain pen ink with a broad spectrum of greys. For the ultimate grey range check out Copic Sketch Markers - dozens of Cool Greys, Warm Greys, Toner Greys, Blue-Greys and more.
While blue ink might reduce the risk of mistaking a copy for an original, it's not a legal requirement. Deeds: Recording a deed often necessitates an original document, emphasizing the importance of clear and authentic signatures. However, blue ink is not required.
Dye-based black ink
Dye-based black inks use colorants that are fully dissolved into a liquid (like water or oil). Most black dye-based inks include a combination of black dye and additional cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMYK.
Top 10 Pen Brands in the World: The Best Pen Brands to Watch in 2025
The lifespan of your pen will depend on its type, quality, and how often you use it, in addition to proper storage and environmental factors. While some pens last just a few months, others can last for years.
Lewis Waterman of New York patented the first practical fountain pen in 1884 and in 1931, Hungarian Laszlo Biro invented the ballpoint pen — the writing implement of choice for most people today because of their neatness and reliability. The idea for the pencil came much later in human history and quite by accident.
You wouldn't know it but The Seven Year Pen hides a jumbo ink cartridge inside. Rather than join the 100 million pens discarded every day, The Seven Year Pen can write 1.7 meters a day for seven years. It's got a long-life tip and high quality parts. Made in the eco-friendly country of Switzerland.
In 1795 Frenchman Nicolas-Jaques Conté was granted a patent for his new formula of mixing clay with graphite, and varying the proportion of clay to graphite leading to pencil leads of different but uniform degrees of blackness and hardness, which remains the basis for pencil-making today.
The earliest historical record of a pen with a reservoir dates back to the 10th century AD. In 953, Ma'ād al-Mu'izz, the Fatimid Caliph of Egypt, demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes, and was provided with a pen which held ink in a reservoir and delivered it to the nib.
While ink does not have an expiration date, it will eventually become unusable.
One method (“syringe”) used a syringe to collect ink from the duct end of the ink sac of freshly-killed squid and, thus, tried to simulate natural release with as little manipulation of and damage to the ink sac as possible.
One of the most common issues ballpoint pens face when it comes to ink drying out is exposure to air. When air gets inside the cartridge, it makes the ink dry up and for ballpoint ink, which is already quite thick, this will typically clog it completely.
Smell, mostly. Also, hairy / fuzzy blobs; or stringy / slimy stuff that comes up on a stick dragged through the ink (just make sure the stick is not really a stick, but something like a stick, and that it's clean and not something that will contaminate the ink itself).
Apart from nibs, the materials used to make the pen body can also be expensive. Premium fountain pens can be made with some of the highest quality resins and even precious materials such as urushi lacquer.
1911 is one of their most renowned series and was named in honor of the company's foundation year. King of Pen is Sailor's largest fountain pen size and denotes the instrument as top of the range.
Answer: Brands like Montblanc, Cartier, and LAMY are renowned for their luxurious pens.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals which are known carcinogens, was found in a fifth of the samples tested and in 83% of the black inks tested by NICNAS. Other hazardous components included barium, copper, mercury, amines and various colourants.
Most drawing inks, including india ink, cannot be considered vegan because they contain shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug. There are a couple of ranges that are not shellac-based: Daniel Smith Walnut Ink. PH Martin Radiant Watercolour Dye (non-waterproof)
The Reason Why Dark Clothing Fades
Here are some of the key reasons why dark and black clothes fade: Exposure to Sunlight: Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can cause fading. Over time, exposure to sunlight can break down the chemical bonds in dyes and pigments, leading to colour loss.