Ink Swatch - Ban Mi - Fluorescent - Brilliant Red

The next Ban Mi fluorescent ink is Brilliant Red. Unlike the previous two in the series, this one doesn’t quite live up to its name.

The packaging on these inks was not clear if they are safe for fountain pens, but I have used them in Jinhao 82 pens and had no trouble using the ink or cleaning it after. I have not tested its water-resistance, but it does look similar to pigment inks in other ways, so take care with their use.

Scans

My scanner, like many others, does not do well with fluorescent colors, so these are mostly for consistency and to show how badly it handles them.

Swatch Card Scans. Click to enlarge.

The scans are very pale pink, not exactly red or brilliant.

Photos

It’s still not exactly red, but at least it’s much more vibrant in photos as it is to the eye.

Swatch Card Photos. Click to enlarge.

Under UV it behaved in a confusing manner just like Bright Pink did: Col-o-ring writing is blue(‽) while the swatch is pink. Iroful looks like more of a salmon-y color in both. MD is fully orange. A little bit of everything!

Microscope

Under magnification it’s very shiny. I’ve seen that before with pigment inks where it has a gloss over everything. It’s still not really red.

Ink under Magnification. Click to enlarge.

It gets darker around the edges, but there isn’t any sheen other than the gloss that covers everything.

Microscope UV

With UV under magnification it’s about the same as the photos. MD has the best contrast by far, but it’s orange. Col-o-ring and Iroful are closer to red, but aren’t as easy to read.

Microscope Photos under visible and UV light. Click to enlarge.

Chromatography

Chromatography strip scan

As with the swatches, the scan of the chromatography strip doesn’t show much.

Chromatography strip photo

A photo of the strip shows mostly a faint light reddish line and a little bit spread from there. Also similar to behaviors I’ve seen from pigment inks.

Chromatography strip photo under UV light

Under UV, the reddish area glows very brightly, but orange, and there is a faint blue halo way beyond that area.

Verdict

It’s somewhat difficult to read in visible light, but like the others, it would probably work OK as a highlighter/accent ink. Under UV, it’s great on MD, even though it’s orange.

I mentioned earlier I haven’t had any trouble with it in a fountain pen, but treat it like a pigment ink to be safe.