Nowadays, many people like to use disposable ballpoint pens, but there are still people who prefer the elegance, meticulousness and personality of fountain pens. The nib of a fountain pen is pointed rather than rounded, so you can vary the strength, speed, and direction of the stroke to create lines of varying thickness. You can also replace the pen, which means a pen can last a lifetime. However, its usage is slightly different from that of a ballpoint pen. After learning, you can use the pen to write better.
Part 1 Writing with a pen
1 Correct pen holding posture.
Remove the pen cap and gently hold the pen with the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand. Press your middle finger against the barrel of the pen. Place your other fingers on the paper and steady your palm. It is important to hold the pen correctly as this prevents your hand from getting tired while writing and aids in writing. When writing, you can put the pen cap on the end of the pen. If you have smaller hands, you can also put the pen cap on the side.
2Place the pen tip on the paper.
This may sound simple enough, but due to the construction of the pen, it may be a little more difficult than using a ballpoint pen. The nib of a fountain pen is pointed, not round, so in order to write, you must land the nib at the correct point on the paper, which is called the "sweet spot." Tilt the pen at a 45-degree angle and place the tip of the pen on the paper. Make a few strokes, rotating the pen in your hand if necessary, until you find the point where your writing flows smoothly without the tip snagging the paper or breaking the ink.
3 The gestures remain unchanged when writing.
When writing, you can control your pen in two ways - with your finger or with your hand. When using a ballpoint pen, there is no problem with pointing the pen with your finger because the pen tip is round and can produce ink no matter how you write. But when using a pen, you have to use your hand to control the pen, otherwise you won't always be able to write with the best starting point. To do this, hold the pen with your hand, keeping your fingers and wrist still, while at the same time, move the pen with your arms and shoulders. Practice it a few times in the air, then start making a few strokes on paper until you get the feel of writing with your hands.
4 Apply gentle force.
You don’t have to press the pen hard, but you do have to press the tip of the pen against the paper a little harder to make it draw ink. Press the pen gently and start practicing writing with it. Be gentle when writing, as using too much force will damage the pen tip and affect ink production. Writing with your hand instead of your fingers also prevents you from using too much force.
Part 2 Replenishing Ink
1 Determine which type of pen you have.
The pens on the market today can be divided into three categories: ink cartridge pens, pressure cartridge pens and piston pens. The main difference between these types is the method of ink delivery, which in turn determines how you should refill the ink when it runs out. Ink cartridge fountain pens are the most common these days, and they are also the easiest to refill. When writing with this kind of pen, you only need to buy ink cartridges that are prefilled with ink, and when one cartridge is used up, just replace it with a new one. The duck egg is a reusable ink cartridge that is set in the pen barrel. They're great for people who prefer to refill their own ink and don't want to throw away the cartridges as soon as they run out. Piston pens are similar to cartridge pens, but they have their own built-in refill system, so you don't have to replace the reusable cartridge with a separately purchased cartridge.
2 Replace the ink cartridge of the cartridge pen.
Unscrew the cap from the pen and then unscrew the barrel from the nib. Take out the used ink cartridge. Take out the new ink cartridge: with the thinner end facing down, insert the nib. Push the ink cartridge onto the nozzle until it clicks. This indicates that the inside of the nib has pierced the cartridge and can absorb ink. If the pen doesn't pump ink immediately, place it upright and use gravity to let the ink flow to the nib. This takes about an hour.
3 Refill ink for the piston pen.
Remove the pen cap from the pen tip and, if necessary, unscrew the pen barrel that covers the knob at the end of the pen. Turn the knob to extend the piston toward the front of the pen. The direction of rotation is usually counterclockwise. When finished: Dip the entire nib into the ink bottle, making sure the ink covers the hole in the back of the nib. Turn the piston knob clockwise to allow ink to enter the ink reservoir.
When the ink tank is full, remove the pen from the ink. Turn the plunger counterclockwise again and add a few drops of ink into the ink bottle. This helps remove air bubbles. Clean the nib with a cloth to remove excess ink.
4. Refill ink for the pressure-filled fountain pen.
There are two ways to press the bladder, one is to use a piston device, and the other is to use an air bag device. The latter is also called a squeeze ink bag. When refilling a gas-filled fountain pen, dip the nib into the ink bottle and: slowly press the bladder at the end of the pen and wait for bubbles to appear in the ink. Slowly release the bladder and wait for the ink to be sucked into the ink reservoir. Repeat this step until the ink reservoir is full.
Part 3 Using Fountain Pen Nibs
1 Choose the right nib for everyday writing.
There are many different types of pen nibs, which are suitable for different situations and have different writing effects. For daily writing, you can choose: a round nib, which is very suitable for writing fonts with uniform thickness; a thin nib, which produces thinner handwriting; and a hard nib, which does not have much elasticity between its two forks, so it will not Separated by pressure, causing the handwriting to become thicker.
2Select a nib for decorative text.
When writing in cursive, italics, or practicing calligraphy, do not use the nib you use for everyday writing. You can use: [13] Flat nibs and italic nibs, which are wider and flatter than round nibs, and the written characters can be thick or thin, because vertical strokes will be as thick as the nib width, and horizontal strokes will be as thin as the nib thickness . With broad nibs, they write thicker. Pen nibs usually come in 5 sizes: extra fine, fine, medium, wide and extra wide. Flexible or semi-flexible nibs. When using this type of nib, you can control the thickness of your handwriting by adjusting the amount of force applied.
3 Understand the different materials of pen tips.
Fountain pen nibs can also be made from a variety of different metals, each with its own unique properties. The most commonly used metals for pen tips are: gold, which is very flexible and allows you to control the thickness of the strokes. Steel, which is tougher, means you can press harder without causing the two prongs to separate, so your writing won't get thicker when you press harder.
4 Rinse and clean the pen tip.
To keep your pen performing at its best, you should rinse your pen and nib every six weeks or so; in addition, you should wash your pen when you change ink types or colors. To rinse the pen: Unscrew the cap and unscrew the nib from the pen. Take out the ink cartridge. If there is still ink left in the cartridge, seal the opening with tape to prevent the ink from drying out. Open the faucet, put in tap water at room temperature, put the pen tip under it and rinse it to wash away the ink. Then put the pen tip down into a bowl of water. After the water becomes ink-colored, replace it with a bowl of clear water. Repeat this step until the water is no longer cloudy. Wrap a microfiber cloth or other soft, lint-free cloth around the nib. Insert the pen tip down into a cup and wait 12 to 24 hours for it to dry. Once dry, assemble the pen.
5 Maintain the pen tip.
To prevent the pen tip from clogging, be sure to place the pen tip upward when not in use. To avoid nib damage and pen body scratches, you should store your pen in a protective sleeve.