Kaimei Lettering Pen Ink - 30 ml Bottle

Updated review from Voltv/Gstrikedragon

Kaimei Lettering Sol. Don't let the name fool you haha, it's not just an ink to do calligraphy with, this is a really good ink to outline and beta your manga in! This ink is all around very good, and why is it the case? Let's find out.

Fresh out of the bottle, the ink dries to a matte finish, but after a few uses, I noticed that it dries to a semi matte, partial glossy finish. However, what makes this ink great is the fact that it is waterproof. Yes! You read it! WATERPROOF!!! A few brush strokes over a line will not cause it to fade or runaway(but excessive and hard brushstroking will cause it to run a little and damage the paper). However b/c of it's very strong waterproof property, it is suitable for watercolor/colored ink drawings(goes well with Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay India Inks!). However, b/c it is strongly waterproof, where one property exceeds, another property also has to suffer and that is it's resistance to alcohol. DO NOT USE COPICS WITH THIS INK!!! Otherwise scan your image done with this ink and color that copy with Copics(^__^). Also as a final note, unlike IC Comic Ink and Kuretake Manga Black-both which are also waterproof and seem to have a stronger property than this ink, this ink keeps a longer flow compared to those inks. However, despite having a flow that's a little longer than those inks, it also dries at a satisfying, quick pace-and not at a super fast pace that would cause the ink to dry faster on the nib than on the paper! I highly recommend this ink for anyone who wants a waterproof outline/beta as as well as an ink that works well with watercolors/colored inks, but NEVER USE this ink with Copics! In closing, this is one of the best inks out there available for manga use!!!

Trivia: Takehiko Inoue of Slam Dunk and Vagabond fame uses this as his ink of choice.

I was skeptical that the Kaimei Lettering Pen Ink wouldn't be any different than some of the other Manga and shellac based india inks out there which are too thick to flow correctly from nibs and are a pain to clean. Not the case with this ink. It has great flow, produces crisp, dark thick and thin lines without much stalling and it cleans like a charm. One tip to improve the flow is to add a bit (10-15 drops) of some distilled water to the bottle, to make it perform even better and without losing hardly any darkness. I hope JetPens continues to supply this ink.

Kaimei Lettering Sol

Pros: Fluid ink, Waterproof!!! (Strongly waterproof), Matte finish, can hold a longer flow compared to Kuretake Manga ink. Spreads well and dries fast(not as fast as Kuretake's but this ink has an advantage for keeping a longer flow.) My ink of choice(1st in my book, then Kuretake manga black)!
Cons: Aside from being my ink of choice, it does come in a very small bottle, which Kuretake takes 1st place in this category.

Other than that, this is a great ink for those who want to work with a waterproof ink that flows very well and doesn't dry too fast!

Strongly recommend using this ink(and Kuretake's) for colored ink drawings!!!

I've used many types of comic/manga ink, and this is one of the best-performing. It flows like a dream, dries quickly, and doesn't smear ONCE DRY (I just dragged my hand across my latest drawing, REALLY TRYING to smear it-- not a mark! And if you're fast and working on smooth bristol board, you can wipe away smudges before they dry with a carefully applied wet tissue.). Alcohol-based markers go over it without any smearing too. I've used both my brush and nib with it, and am so pleased with its performance. Will be ordering this one again.

This is the first manga ink I've bought, and it was great! It dries really fast, is smooth and doesn't smudge at all after. Absolutely reccomended!