Ink Bleed

Ink Bleed writes with a fountain pen on absorbent paper. Behind the pen the ink soaks into the fibres and feathers outward, a lighter dye separates into a coloured fringe, and as it dries a darker rim gathers at the edges.

How it works

The wet front grows quickly at first and then slows as the paper fills, following the fibres, so the edge is ragged and some fibres carry ink further out. The paper itself is a fixed network of fibres. The ink is coloured like real dye, so thin ink looks lighter in the same hue. Iron-gall ink starts pale blue-grey and darkens over a few seconds, and over time the ink slowly browns the paper around the lines. The default erase, Burn, sets the whole sheet on fire, with the inked letters charring first.

Settings

• Bleed sets how far the ink feathers, Fibre how strongly the paper guides it.
• Ink and Fringe dye set the dark core and the lighter halo colour.
• Pen weight, Pooling and Drying time set line thickness, the dark rim and how long the ink keeps spreading.
• Oxidation sets how long the ink takes to darken; Ink burn browns the paper.
• Paper shows or hides the sheet behind the text.
• Char and Spread shape the Burn erase.

Use it for

• Letters, journals and stationery brands
• Calligraphy and artisanal product titles
• Literary and historical storytelling