Platinum - Citrus Black
Platinum Citrus Black - Ink drop
Platinum’s Classic series includes six iron gall inks. This is a wild series, and while several other companies regularly make iron gall inks, Platinum’s Classic series is quite unique.
Platinum Citrus Black fountain pen ink color range
This is Citrus Black, and I think it’s the most unusual of the series. In the bottle (and for a second or two on paper), it’s a very deep, over-ripe lemon yellow. As you can see in the images, that quickly changes. Strokes darken, slowly developing more olive greens and dark green charcoal colors that approach black. The transformation varies in intensity based on paper and nib choices, but in all but the finest nib-widths, it is dramatic.
Ink Swatches on Cosmo Air Light and Tomoe River
This is iron gall in action. The iron components in the ink oxidize in contact with oxygen and darken. This also makes it a very water-resistant ink. The yellow disappears, but the darker impression will remain (much like historical documents). This also means that you need to use caution with iron gall inks to avoid damaging most metals. I never leave an iron gall ink in a pen for more than a week or so, but most recommendations limit it to a month or two. I’ve never had any problems, but I like to be careful.
Color Changes on Tomoe River and HP Brightwhite 24 Papers
In writing, this is a wet ink in flow, but it has a somewhat dry feel in use. It performs very well on all types of paper, with no feathering or spread. Drying is fast on uncoated papers, but slower at around 40-50 seconds on coated papers.
Platinum Citrus Black writing samples
Citrus Black is a really interesting ink, but it won’t be to everyone’s taste. In Platinum’s Classic ink series, there are a couple of other, more standard-colored “blacks”, so take a look. I plan on picking up one or two of them myself, but I wanted to try this more extreme combination first. They all come in 60 ml bottles but shop around for good prices, as they do vary.
Platinum Citrus Black ink swatch card
Platinum Citrus Black - Comparisons
Platinum Citrus Black - 60 ml Bottle