Posted by BrendaTX on 1/5/05 9:52am
Msg #15486

Gel Pens - Permanent Ink

I love gel pens and recently discovered that I might be using a pen that is inferior as far as holding its color on documents. I use the retractable Pilot G-2 Q7 in blue.

So, I wrote the Pilot Pen people and got an answer. Just not real sure what it says yet. but I think it says that my favorite pen will hold its own. Correct me if I am reading this wrong.

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Thank you for your recent E-mail message. We appreciate your interest in our products and take pride in bringing you the finest products available at fair prices that meet your writing needs.

There is a lot of misinformation circulating about the need for "acid-free" inks for use in memory albums for example. "Acid-free" is a term not normally associated with ink quality. This term is most commonly used to describe paper or substrate material on which photos are mounted. Materials that have a pH of 7.0 or higher are said to be acid-free.

A better way to measure the quality of ink relative to use in a memory album is to weigh the chemical stability, light fastness, and permanence. Chemical stability refers to an inks ability to resist decomposing or otherwise being modified by reacting to paper or substrates, or by coming in contact with other chemicals. Light fastness is a measure of an inks resistance to the action of light, acids, and alkalis. In other words, the color does not change from aging or from exposure to light, heat, or other adverse conditions. Permanence is the ability of the coloration to resist change over long periods of time under conditions of storage. Pilot inks rate very highly in all the above areas.

The following products are ACID FREE, water based: Precise Deluxe; Precise V5/V7; LB-5/LB-7 VBall; V Ball Grip; Varsity Disposable Fountain pen; Explorer Retractable Rolling Ball; Bravo Marker pen; Fineliner Marker pen; and Razor Point Marker pen.

The following products have the distinction of being ACID FREE AND ARCHIVAL SAFE which makes them especially suitable for scrapbook applications: G25/G27 Retractable Gel Ink Rolling Ball pens and G2 Gel Ink refills; G2 Metallic; G-1 Metallic; G-1 Pastel; P500/P700 Precise Gel Ink Rolling Ball pens, Neo-Gel, Precise Gel, G6 and Q7 Needle Nose Retractable Rolling Ball pen, ExecuGel, Permaball, Silver and Gold Creative Markers.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Brenda Keller - Consumer Services

Reply by kmnotary_CA on 1/5/05 10:19am
Msg #15489

Yep,
It sounds like your "favorite pen" will keep on Notorizin" and stay notorized for years to come!

Reply by PAW Notary Services on 1/5/05 11:49am
Msg #15500

As the response indicated, acid-free is fairly meaningless to the ink but very important when dealing with paper. Pilot did address two measures: chemical stability and permanence, however they didn't address permeability. In particular, the permeability of the ink to be quickly absorbed by normal copy paper. This is the property that inhibits the lifting or washing of the ink from the paper. Sanford supposedly exceeds Pilot in the chemical stability and permeability properties with the Uniball 207 Gel Pen.

Reply by BrendaTX on 1/5/05 3:00pm
Msg #15524

I think I'll write them back and ask them about this. I think it's important to get all the information we can about making sure our signatures and notarizations are done in the best way possible.

It's not about defending my current choice of Pilot Pens in blue ink. It's about getting some straight answers on whether or not certain pens will do the job.

The reason for the original discussion on another forum was reference to VRing's newsletter wherein she published a notary's letter to her regarding blue/black ink (good) vs. light blue ink (bad).

Reply by colorless/AZ on 1/5/05 3:23pm
Msg #15526

Found this:
Chemical deterioration can be caused interaction between the paper and the ink, iron gall ink is acidic in nature and can burn through the paper it is written on.


For more info. The National Archives is probably a good source:

http://www.archives.gov/

Go to the very beginning and read all the documentation before you ask anymore questions.

Just kidding

Reply by colorless/AZ on 1/5/05 4:05pm
Msg #15532

More stuff



Check these two sites:

http://www.clearfile.com/online/A-SafeStorage.html
The American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) defines archival storage as "the preservation of records having permanent historic value".

The archival label on a product suggests that it is permanent, durable, or chemically-stable, and can be used for long-term preservation purposes. However, it needs to be understood that the term archival does not in itself guarantee a specific standard or length of time that a material will be safe. The American National Standards Institute is the industry's definitive source for recommended and proven guidelines for photographic film and print storage. All photographic enclosures should pass the photographic activity test to determine the materials' level of inertness. This test is specific in ANSI NAPM IT 9.16-1993, and consumers should contact suppliers to see if their products comply.


http://www.scrapjazz.com/community/jazzclub/archive/topic/27457-1.html
The standards for "archival" are very strict and there are currently no governmental regulations on advertising with the term "archival". So, some things may say they are when they are not.

Archival Safe Storage

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) defines archival storage as "the preservation of records having permanent historic value". The archival label on a product suggests that it is permanent, durable, or chemically-stable, and can be used for long-term preservation purposes. However, it needs to be understood that the term archival does not in itself guarantee a specific standard or length of time that a material will be safe.

Reply by Susie/OH on 1/5/05 5:06pm
Msg #15538

I will stick to using crayons. (NM)

Reply by Julie-MI on 1/5/05 5:27pm
Msg #15541

Re: I will stick to using crayons. (NM)

Sorry, I just don't share the concern about fading or disappearing ink.

If it's a 30 year mortgage, the mortgagors' signatures will be there along with mine at the recorder's office.

I love the 1 mm ink gels and I just don't think the color will go "poof" in the next 100 years.

Especially since the junk docs along with the non-junk docs are stuffed into a file folder, which goes in a file cabinet, is probably not exposed to great sunlight--nah! I'm just not going to give this a second thought.

Reply by BrendaTX on 1/5/05 5:34pm
Msg #15543

Re: I will stick to using crayons. (NM)

JulieMI: "Sorry, I just don't share the concern about fading or disappearing ink."

That's it for you Julie. Poof to you! You are banished from this board for refusal to provide long boring exchanges with others who obvisiously have no life, and who live to parse points of notary minutia...well...notaries like me for instance....

Reply by sue on 1/6/05 11:05am
Msg #15600

Re: I will stick to using crayons

ah, another who has conquered her fear of ink. perhaps that should be a chapter in a book!!

Reply by BrendaTX on 1/5/05 5:30pm
Msg #15542

Re: I will stick to using crayons. (NM)

What brand?

If you do not use Binney & Smith Crayola Crayon, I believe the head monkey in the top clerk's office in Ohio specifically advises that no other crayon (I.e., blue/black knock-offs in dollar store brands) will be acceptable.

This is the head Texas monkey's directive, anyhow.

Reply by Susie/OH on 1/5/05 5:53pm
Msg #15545

Re: I will stick to using crayons. (NM)

We are allowed to use the big red ones to make whatever corrections we need to make.

Reply by colorless/AZ on 1/5/05 6:11pm
Msg #15547

Oh, by the way, I'm selling crayons! (NM)

Reply by colorless/AZ on 1/5/05 6:17pm
Msg #15548

And! They are archival safe!! (NM)

Reply by PAW Notary Services on 1/5/05 10:33pm
Msg #15565

Re: And! They are archival safe!! (NM)

The issue wasn't so much the archival feature as it is the counterfeit and anti-fraud feature of the ink. Crayon marks last forever and never can be removed from walls, doors and counter tops, but can be removed from paper. I guess there's a lot to be said about stone tablets.