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Product Help
Instructions and helpful hints for using our calligraphic and bookbinding supplies.
Please check back here periodically, we will be adding to this page as frequently as practical.
Help Topics
Addressing Invitations
Antique Penholder
Blackwell Holders
Blue Line Grid Pads
Bookbinding Thread
Calligraphy Ink
Calligraphy Markers
Copic Multiliner SP Pen
Copperplate and Spencerian
Crystal Lacquer
Dr. Martin's Spectralite Ink
Fine Papers
Fountain Pen Ink
Gouache
Gum Ammoniac
Hunt Pointed Nibs
India Ink
Ink on Shiny/Slick Surfaces
Instacoll
Logan Light Pad
Manuscript Cartridge Pen Nibs
McCaffery's Penman's Ink
Miniatum
Pointed Pens
Ruling Pens
Sepia
Speedball Calligraphy Nibs
Thread - Needle Comparison
Vintage Nibs vs. Current Nibs
Walnut Ink Crystals
Addressing Invitations
I'm addressing invitations, but these envelopes are hard to work with. Help!
Difficult Envelopes #1
For difficult envelopes: too thick to use a light table with guidelines inserted in the envelope…
(You did put on your price list that lined envelopes, dark envelopes, metallic envelopes would cost more…)
For lined white or light colored envelopes, you can draw guidelines with pencil and then erase with a white plastic eraser. Test to make sure that the erasing is not noticeable, that it is not affecting the envelope or your letters.
When you don’t want to or can’t use penciled guidelines:
--Disappearing ink pens for fabric can be used. The lines don’t always disappear, so test out a sample first. Use the fine point for paper. The medium point for fabric.
--A soapstone pencil can be used for dark paper. Sharpen the pencil in a good hand pencil sharpener to a fine point. The lines can be brushed off after writing.
--A Phantom Liner (Reflections) is a good tool if you have one. They are no longer made. Some people like them a lot and use them often. Others bought them and found them useless, so you might ask around in your guild.
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Antique Penholder
I have an antique penholder. It is very slim and would need a tiny nib. What nibs might work?
The Brause 66EF and the Brause 513 have the smallest bases (the part that fits into the holder). The arc is only 1/8” across from one end of the arc to the other. Hunt 103, 100; Gillott 290, 291; and Hiro 700 are approximately 3/8”. measuring from one end of the arc to the other.
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Blackwell Holders
My Blackwell holder won’t hold the smallest nibs tightly such as Brause 66EF or crowqills (tubular nibs). The screw does not keep them in place.
If the holder works fine for larger nibs such as the Gillott 304 or 404, then you most likely just need a longer screw. Initially these holders used a short screw that did not work well with these smallest of nibs. Holders now are supposed to come with a longer screw. So you may have an older holder or your newer one came with a too-short screw by mistake. Request a longer screw and we will mail one to you. There is no charge.
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Blue Line Grid Pads
I have been using one of your excellent practice pads (P21, P01) and have some lettering that I would like to reproduce. How can I get rid of the light blue grid lines?
The low tech solution is to use a copier. Make a copy on the machine and see how much of the grid is visible. If the grid is visible, lighten the exposure a few percent and make another copy. Repeat until the grid is no longer visible.
The high tech solution uses Photoshop to remove the lines. See the entire procedure in this PDF file:http://www.johnnealbooks.com/downloads/removing-grids.pdf
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Bookbinding Thread
Is your bookbinding thread 100% Flax?
Our LINEN bookbinding thread is 100% Linen / 100% Flax. Linen and Flax are two words for the same item, thread or fabric made from the flax plat.
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Calligraphy Ink
All of these answers refer to calligraphy ink for dip pens.
What is the best calligraphy ink for beginners?
The best dip pen calligraphy ink for copperplate and broad-edged calligraphy for beginners is Higgins Eternal. It is non-waterproof and easy to clean out of your pen.
What is the best calligraphy ink for classes?
The best calligraphy ink for beginner’s copperplate and italic calligraphy classes is Higgins Eternal. It is inexpensive. It is non-waterproof and easy for students to clean out of their pens. It does not build up on their pens like Sumi Ink, so they do not have to clean their pen as osdften while they are practicing and they can concentrate on their letterforms.
What is the best ink for copperplate and Spencerian script?
Many professional calligraphers/penmen continue to use Higgins Eternal. Our three most popular inks for pointed pen alphabets are Moon Palace Sumi, McCaffrey's Penmans Ink, and Higgins Eternal. Moon Palace Sumi is densely black and water-resistant and gives good hairlines. McCaffrey's is a traditional gall ink and gives very fine hairlines and is available in a variety of colors.
What is the most popular ink for Spencerian?
McCaffrey's Penman Ink
What is the most popular ink for Copperplate?
Moon Place Sumi
What is the best gold ink for calligraphy?
Dr. Martin's Iridescent Copperplate Gold is our most popular metallic gold ink for broad-edged calligraphy (Italic, blackletter, etc.) or copperplate/Spencerian script. It is an acrylic ink and dries waterproof.
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Calligraphy Markers
I see so many calligraphy markers, how do I choose the one that's best for my project?
We have prepared this chart to make picking a marker easy. The chart is sorted by Product Number, Waterproof/Non-waterproof, lightfast/non-lightfast, nib size.
Marker Comparison Chart
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Copic Multiliner SP Pen
How do I replace the cartridge in a Copic Multiliner SP?
First, make sure that you are working with the Multiliner SP. It has an aluminum barrel.
Next, be certain that you have the correct refill for your pen:
---Type A refills are only for the ultra fine line pens: .03 mm, .05 mm, and 0.1 mm.
---Type B refills are for all other Multiliner SP pens: 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, or Brush nibs.
Then follow the instructions on this sheet to correctly replace the cartridge.
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Copperplate and Spencerian
What is the best ink for Copperplate?
Betty Gilpin of Nashville likes Best Bottle Sumi (I43). She can use it straight out of the bottle without having to dilute it. She gets a better contrast between the thicks and thins than with other Sumi inks. With Best Bottle her thin strokes are fine and stay fine. (She finds that if the thin strokes start thickening up during a job it often means that the ink has dried on her pen and she needs to rinse it off.) She finds that Moon Palace (I70) builds up on the pen quicker and requires more pen rinsing. She uses a Gillott 303.
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Crystal Lacquer
How do I use Crystal Lacquer in my lettering?
Use the instruction sheets for Crystal Lacquer.
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Dr. Martin's Spectralite Ink
How can I use Dr. Martin's Spectralite Ink to finally get the gold or copper color that I need? All of the various inks and gouaches are different shades and I am having trouble finding the exact shade I need.
Because the entire line of Dr. Martin's Spectralite are pigmented metallic colors, you can mix different shades in the line to produce a wider range of colors than is available in the bottle. Here are a couple of hints from Cyberscribes about using Spectralite:
"I love Spectralite...the whole rainbow of them. Just have not been able to come up the with the 'right' copper color with them." --Nan, NYC
"Try the 53K copper with either one drop of Brass or one drop of Gold... that will give you either slightly brighter copper, or slightly warmer copper." --Collene, Australia
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Fine Papers
I'm confused about the metric weighting system of your papers. How do I find the weight I'm looking for?
Use the Paper Comparison Chart to get a rough weight comparison between papers.
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Fountain Pen Ink
What is the best fountain pen ink? Pelikan 4001 is our recommendation for the best fountain pen ink. Herbin Ink is a fountain pen ink in a delightful array of colors. You can often match the ink color of the return address on wedding invitations with Herbin Ink.
Is there waterproof fountain pen ink?
Calli Ink is a pigmented, acrylic based waterproof fountain pen ink. You should rinse out your pen before filling it with Calli ink. Do not store Calli Ink in your pen if you do not use your pen frequently. We at John Neal, Bookseller do not recommend Calli Ink for expensive or vintage fountain pens. While Calli works very well in fountain pens, it dries waterproof and can potentially ruin a pen.
Is there pigmented fountain pen ink?
Winsor Newton Calligraphy Inks are non-waterproof, pigmented inks for fountain pens. (Only the blue capped bottles are for fountain pens. Use the metallic gold & silver and the matte black with the red cap for dip pen and brush only.) Calli Ink is a pigmented, acrylic based waterproof fountain pen ink. You should rinse out your pen before filling it with Calli ink. Do not store Calli Ink in your pen if you do not use your pen frequently. We at John Neal, Bookseller do not recommend Calli Ink for expensive or vintage fountain pens. While Calli works very well in fountain pens, it dries waterproof and can potentially ruin a pen.
Is there an archival ink for my fountain pen?
If the piece is going on the wall, you need a light-fast ink which generally means a pigmented ink. Pigmented black ink is lightfast. Most fountain pen inks such as Pelikan 4001 and Herbin are dye based inks and are not light-fast and are not suitable for work that is meant to last on display for decades.
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Gouache
Winsor & Newton has discontinued some of their gouache colors and added some new colors. How can I find out which colors have changed, which have been discontinued, and which are new?
Consult the charts in this three-page pdf file: http://www.johnnealbooks.com/downloads/WNDesignersGouache.pdf
Do you have a color chart for Winsor & Newton gouache?
Yes.Winsor & Newton Gouache Color Chart
Which Winsor & Newton white gouache do I need?
- Permanent White is the strongest and most opaque white. Use it for writing in White or tints of white. (Winsor & Newton says their Permanent White has been modified so that it can be used for mixing other colors. )
- Zinc White has always been recommended for color mixing. It has a lower tinting strength.
Which Winsor & Newton black gouache do I need?
All the blacks are a dense black for calligraphy. Ivory Black and Jet Black are generally recommended.
- Ivory Black is less opaque with lower tinting strength and makes brown (warm) greys and sepia tones when mixed with white.
- Jet Black is a rich, deep, opaque black which makes blue greys when mixed with white.
- Lamp Black is a less opaque black of lower tinting strength, giving paler, blue (cool) greys when mixed with white.
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Gum Ammoniac
What is the best way to prepare gum ammoniac?
See Jerry Tresser's helpful hints of how to prepare and use gum ammoniac:
Preparing & Using Gum Ammoniac
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Hunt Pointed Pens
Do you have any information about Hunt pointed pen nibs?
This chart of Hunt pointed pen nibs gives illustrations and descriptions for all of the Hunt pointed nibs that we carry.
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India Ink
I would like an India ink that I can use in my fountain pen; what do you recommend?
Traditional India Ink has shellac as a binder and is NOT suitable for fountain pens. There are now black pigmented inks for fountain pens. Winsor & Newton Calligraphy Ink (Blue Cap, NOT the matte black with the red cap) is pigmented and works in Fountain Pens. Calli Ink is also designed for fountain pens. It works well. You should not store your pen with this ink as it dries waterproof and could ruin your pen. If you use your pen every day, there should be no problem. (Store your pen flat when not in use.) I don’t recommend Calli for use in expensive, fancy fountain pens. Use it in your utilitarian models. These inks are designed for Calligraphy Fountain Pens. They might not work with fine tipped fountain pens and most likely won’t work in regular fountain pens that regular (dye-based) ink does not flow out well.
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Ink on Shiny/Slick Surfaces
How do I write on shiny surfaces? My ink sits on the surface and beads up.
For flat paper try writing with Sumi Ink. It is less likely to bead.
Where adhesion is a concern try writing with Acrylic inks such as FW Acrylic Artists Ink or Ziller Inks. Acrylic inks will adhere better to slick, non-absorbant surfaces better than other inks. They also bead less.
If the ink still beads up, add a wetting agent to your ink: (I don't have any direct experiece with either of the two products that are sill available. Test with a small amount of ink, not a large bottle.) These wetting agents should work. (Dish detergent may work in a pinch. You need VERY little! ) All decrease the surface tension causing the ink to flatten out. You may have problems getting thin thins when using a wetting agent.
- Dr Martin's Flex-o-paque (but is no longer available from the manufacturer)
- Photo-flow
- Oxgall
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Instacoll
How do I use instacoll?
First, lay the Instacoll. Because Instacoll is an acrylic base, it has a high surface tension which means it is somewhat “slimy” and flows much better from a brush than a pen.
After you have laid the Instacoll, let it dry approx ½ hour. Please note that how long the base should dry before you gild on it, varies depending on two factors: how thick you laid the base and how humid the room is. The loose rule of thumb is that you can lay the gold as soon as the base is tacky. It does not have to “set up” hard or dry completely. If you wait too long, the gold does not adhere.
Now you are ready to lay your patent gold leaf. Use your finger as a burnisher and put two layers of gold on the base.
Use a cotton ball or silk cloth to burnish the gold and then remove the excess.
Instacoll is also commonly used in architectural applications of leafing. When used for a large area the “base” must be reactivated in order for the leaf to adhere (because the “base” will dry completely before the leaf is adhered). Because our customers use it for small applications there is no need to reactivate the “base”. Therefore you should ignore the label directly on the bottle that states this is “component 1 of 2”.
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Logan Light Pad
How do I replace the lamp in my Logan Light Pad?
- Locate six small phillips screws in the back of the housing. Remove the screws and set aside.
- Locate six tabs along the edge of the rear of the housing to remove the outer, front frame. Using a small, blunt object, push the tabs toward the center of the housing to release them.
- The front frame can now be removed. The bulbs are located under silver tape along two of the edges of the housing. Gently pry up the silver tape that covers the bulbs.
- Locate a grey cap on each end of the bulb. This is the end of the bulb. Remove the grey caps from the housing.
- Locate two white plugs, one for each bulb. Gently pry the bulb’s plug from the plug on the board. The bulb can now be removed.
- Install the new bulb and reassemble the housing.
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Manuscript Cartridge Pen Nibs
I would like to see a picture of the nibs available in the Manuscript Cartridge Pen sets.
We have a pdf file which shows the available nibs.
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McCaffery's Penman's Ink
I have some question about using and caring for McCaffery's ink. Can you give me any more information?
Consult this pdf file (http://www.johnnealbooks.com/downloads/mccafferysink.pdf) to discover Michael Sull's suggestions and information on using McCaffery's Penman's Ink.
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Miniatum
How do I use Kolner Miniatum?
Patent gold is recommended.
Apply Miniatum directly to smooth paper (or vellum) with brush or pen. The smoother your paper, the more mirror-like the finish to the gilding. (If you work on textured paper, the texture of the paper may follow into the gilding.) Miniatum will provide the best results when the size forms a slightly elevated bead on the surface. The minimum drying time is 3-5 hours depending on the thickness of the layer of Miniatum, the temperature, and the humidity. (Composition Metals require a shorter drying time.) The material remains open for gilding for the next 20 hours. You may find that you get a better finish with overnight drying. Apply patent leaf by simply laying the leaf on the surface and rubbing the paper backing with a cotton ball. After you have finished applying the gold, press over the surface of the gold with a cotton ball to make sure you have good contact. Burnish with a new cotton ball, one direction only. Loose leaf gold can also be used. Use the tissue from the books to protect the gold leaf when rubbing onto the Miniatum.
Once the Miniatum has passed its open window, gold will not adhere to it.
You can also reference Reggie’s instructions for Instacoll, a similar product by the same manufacturer. He recommends a much shorter drying time for that product.
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Pointed Pens
Read this helpful and informative article about pointed nibs: http://www.iampeth.com/lessons/tips_on_nibs/fine_and_flexible.pdf
How do I know which pointed pens will work with my holder?
Consult the charts below to see which holders and nibs work well together.
H23. Hunt (Speedball) Plastic Oblique Pen Holder. Black, hourglass shape.
These pointed nibs will work with this holder:
| Hunt 22 | Gillott 170 | Hiro 700* |
| Hunt 56 | Gillott 303 | |
| Hunt 99 | Gillott 404 | Esterbrook 354* |
| Hunt 100* | Gillott 1950 | |
| Hunt 101 | ||
| Hunt 103* | ||
| Hunt 104* |
Others fit in the holder, but extend too far so you can’t line up the point of the nib with the center of the holder. (e.g. Nikko G, Hiro 40, Brause Rose)
Other nibs are the wrong shape and won’t fit in the holder such as the tubular crow quills (Gillott 659, Hunt 108, Hunt 102, Brause 515) or ones with the wrong curve such as the EF Principal. Others fit in but are too loose in the holder and slip out.
H69. Hunt (Speedball) Straight Plastic Pen Holder. Black, hourglass shape.
These pointed nibs will work with this holder:
| Hunt 22 | Gillott 170 | Hiro 40 (Blue Pumpkin) |
| Hunt 56 | Gillott 303 | Hiro 41 (Crown) |
| Hunt 99 | Gillott 404 | Hiro 700* |
| Hunt 100* | Gillott 1290* | |
| Hunt 101 | Gillott 1950 | Brause Rose |
| Hunt 103* | ||
| Hunt 104* | Esterbrook 354* |
H75. Gillott Mapping Penholder (#51)
These pointed nibs will work with this holder:
| Gillott 659 (tubular crowquill) | Brause 66EF | Brause 511 |
The Hunt 108 and 102 tubular crowquill nibs are too loose in this holder.
Why do I have to keep dipping my pointed nib in the ink?
All pointed nibs (pen points) come with a protective coating to keep them from rusting. This coating repels the ink so you don’t get a full load when you dip the point in the ink. You need to remove the coating. The easiest method is to put some saliva on your finger and rub it on the pen point and wipe it dry. (Some points need to be handled with care – they may be easily damaged or have a sharp point.) See if this doesn’t allow you to write a few more strokes before you have to dip again.
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Ruling Pens
What instruction do you recommend for using a ruling pen for lettering/calligraphy?
Unfortunately I don’t know of a printed manual on using the ruling pen. There is information out there, but it usually does not include a lot of explicit how-to instruction. Here are three sources for info:
If you already own Annie Cicale’s excellent book The Art & Craft of Hand Lettering, there are color photos of a variety of ruling pens and folded pens that can be used for lettering along with some examples lettering done with a ruling pen on page 96. There is not enough info to warrant purchasing the book just for the ruling pen page, but the book as a whole would make a fine addition to any calligrapher’s library. (B2811, $17.95 Paper)
Letter Arts Review 13.2 (LR13-2, $12.50) has an extensive article by Paul Shaw, “Demystifying the Ruling Pen,” on the history of the use of the ruling pen for lettering, the types of ruling pens used, and a presentation of the work of master scribes work using the tool. Other articles are on manuscript books by William Morris, a 13th century Book of Hours, Brick Carving by Richard Kindersley, and Sheila Waters on Uncial and Half Uncial.
Bound & Lettered 5.2 (BL5.2, $8.50) has a five-page article Using Pens with contributions by Glen Epstein, Jim Chin and Kate McKulla which includes examples and an exemplar alphabet with ductus.
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Sepia
What is sepia?
Sepia is both a color (hue) and a name of a pigment. The color is a brown. The pigment is prepared from the ink, or black secretion, of the sepia, or cuttlefish. It is treated with caustic potash for a rich brown color (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary via dictionary.com). Modern Sepia paints and inks do not use the sepia pigment. For example, Winsor Newton gouache uses Synthetic iron oxide and Calcined natural iron oxide.
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Speedball Pen Points
I'm not sure if I want Speedball B or Speedball C nibs. Do you have any information about those nibs, and the different sizes of each nib?
We have an informational chart for each kind of nib with illustrations and size information. Please see the charts below:
Speedball B Nibs
Speedball C Nibs
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Thread - Needle Comparison
Is there a chart or table that shows the actual diameter of the various bookbinding thread sizes?
We have an informational chart comparing our thread sizes to our needle sizes, plus a helpful picture showing the sizes.
Thread - Needle Comparison Chart
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Vintage Nibs vs. Current Nibs
What is the difference between one of your current nibs and a vintage nib?
For some of our current nibs, there is stock of vintage nibs available. The vintage nibs will have several advantages.
1. The quality control on the vintage nibs will much better. You nibs will be more precisely made and you won’t get defective nibs, or not nearly as many.
2. Vintage nibs can be sharper, but write smoother, can be more responsive, can flex better. Vintage nibs can be more expensive than currently made nibs, but they can a better value.
3. Simply put, vintage nibs are better made and out of superior materials. They are worth trying. You may or may not find that the difference between vintage and current nibs is important to you.
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Walnut Ink Crystals
How do I use walnut ink crystals to make walnut ink?
Recipe for Walnut Ink Crystals:
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of the crystals into ½ cup of distilled water. Wait for 25-35 minutes and this powder produces a lightfast walnut ink. Dilute as needed for lighter shades.
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