PW32.5_Digital Website_David

how to
...make an ink swab.
Anderson Pens has a reputation for extensive ink sales and for its collection of organized, standardized ink swabs
(sometimes called “ink swatches”) for every color in the shop’s inventory. Here, Lisa Anderson explains how she and
her team create the perfect ink swab collection.
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1. Get your swab cards ready! For the ink books you've seen at pen shows and in our stores, we use specialty cardstock. For social media and
promotional use, we also use Skylab Letterpress Col-o-Ring and Col-o-Dex cards. For a professional-looking ink catalog, we like to create several
copies of each swab and choose the one that turns out best.
2. Gather any additional supplies, including a dip pen or glass-nibbed pen for the writing sample, Q-tips for the ink swab itself, scrap paper to keep
your desk or table clean, a glass of water, and a towel.
3. Dip the Q-tip into the bottle or sample of ink. Be sure to fully saturate the cotton tip!
4. Swab the ink onto the cardstock or Col-o-Ring. Go slowly to make sure that the ink flow is consistent. If you swab too quickly, the color will be
patchy and lighter than it will be in real life usage.
5. Use the dip pen for a writing sample, such as our preferred zig-zags and loops. For our ink books and online ink tool, we prefer to print out the
brand and color name for ease of reading.
6. For your own ink swabs, writing the ink’s information out by hand will give you both a writing sample and a label for your swab. Some people also
prefer to write the same phrase on every swab for comparison. For consistency, use the same nib and stock paper for all your swatches. Be creative,
and make it your own!
Sailor Jentle Kin-Mokusei ink shown on this page. Visit andersonpens.com to shop its line of inks and to try its online “Ink Comparison Tool” of virtual
ink swabs.
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