Vinta - Emerald Carlos

Vinta Inks - Emerald Carlos - Ink Drop

Today’s ink, Emerald (Carlos 1960), is from Vinta Inks’ Original series. The name Carlos 1960 comes from the 8th President of the Philippines, Carlos P. Garcia. He’s famous for initiating “The Austerity Program” in 1960. This popular program was aimed at boosting the country’s economic independence, nationalist interests, and Filipino cultural arts.

Emerald Carlos is a deep, woodsy, forest green. It’s the green that fills a lush, dense jungle bursting with life and energy. I wish it shaded more readily than it does, as you get a lovely blend that starts from the light green of a fresh sprout or a first leaf. Across my five test papers, there was some shading (with best results on Kokuyo), but I always wanted more.

Vinta Inks - Emerald Carlos - Ink Swatch Card

As a writing ink, Emerald Carlos performed extremely well. Rhodia, Mnemosyne, and Kokuyo were stand outs, but Apica was good, and office copy paper proved far better than simply usable. Feathering was minimal on all five, but Rhodia, Mnemosyne, and Kokuyo were outstanding. Sheen is visible in the splatter, but none showed in writing, nor was there a strong halo. Drying times ranged from 25-40 seconds, although on copy paper it was under 5 seconds.

Emerald Carlos is a lovely ink, if you want something consistent and reliable in a deep forest green. If you can coax some shading, you’re in for a real treat. I’d recommend trying broader nibs, or stubs to get the most variation in shade.