Herbin - Bouton d’Or

Herbin - Bouton d’Or - ink drop

Making inks for over 350 years, Herbin (this line used to be branded as “J. Herbin”, and the company is probably most known for the shimmery Jacques Herbin lines) produce a wide variety of high-quality products and offer inks at a nice range of price points. Today’s ink, Bouton D’or is from their well-priced standard collection and is the only true yellow of the 35-ink line.

Herbin - Bouton d’Or - a very sunny yellow!

Bouton d’Or is a beautiful, bold yellow that subtly hints of orange in the edges of saturated areas. Named for the buttercup flower, it’s a lovey, rich yellow that feels cold or warm depending on the paper. There isn’t a lot of shading, but that’s probably a good thing. Yellows are rarely as pronounced as they need to be, but that isn’t a problem here. I recommend bolder nibs to really maximize the readability. At its best, it stands out with a clear, well-defined profile, and there’s no feather or bleed at all.

Herbin - Bouton d’Or - sharp edge

This is a nice writing ink. It’s wet and flows very comfortably. I especially like it on coated papers, but on higher quality uncoated papers it performs beautifully, as well. Drying time is around average, but for such a wet, yellow ink that’s quick!

Herbin - Bouton d’Or - ink swatch card

It’s possible to use Herbin’s Bouton d’Or as a writing ink, but that’s really a lot of yellow. I think it’s better suited as an accent ink in headings or titles, and it’s perfect for artistic projects. If you’re up for a yellow ink, this is a great one to try! Enjoy!

Herbin - Bouton d’Or - ink bottle and packaging

Herbin - Bouton d’Or - a beautiful ink!