Ink on Cheap Paper Test #4, Pilot Red

 Pilot Red is a regular ink found in either a bottle or in Pilot Varsity pens. A 2017 fountain pen network review gives a more detailed look. This test was done with a Pilot Varsity pen which has a medium nib.

AMPAD Legal Pad - Front

 

AMPAD Legal Pad - Reverse

 

 Post-It-Note - Front

  

Post-It-Note - Reverse

 

AMPAD Scratchpad - Front

 

AMPAD Scratchpad - Reverse

 

Staples Copy Paper 20 lb - Front

 

Staples Copy Paper 20 lb - Reverse

 

AMPAD Steno Pad - Front

 

AMPAD Steno Pad - Reverse

 

 AMPAD Small Legal Pad - Front

AMPAD Small Legal Pad - Reverse

 

pen & GEAR Notebook, Front & Back and Overlapping Lines - Front

 

pen & GEAR Notebook, Front & Back and Overlapping Lines - Reverse

 

 

Summary: The medium nib caused a lot of bleeding and ghosting on the first three papers, the Legal Pad, Post-It-Note, and Scratchpad, but those papers are meant to only use one side so it wouldn't be too noticeable. The ink performed very well on copy paper, the steno pad, the small legal pad and the pen & Gear Notebook with only ghosting being apparent and a minimal bleed on the small legal pad. Since these papers are the most likely to be used for double sided writing, it performed well. A fine or an extra-fine nib might not see any bleeding from the other papers. Drying time was longer on pen & GEAR and copy paper, so you'd have to be careful if you're writing or editing a lot on those papers. The Steno and Legal pads have between 5 to 10 second dry times, which are okay as long as you're not smearing your hand across your writing. The Post-It-Note had a 15 second dry time, so being aware of that after writing one and sticking it somewhere would be best to avoid red fingers. The scratchpad boasted an instant dry time, which makes sense because it's the most absorbent and quickly accepts the ink into the paper fibers. 

 

Overall, Pilot Red performs well on cheap papers even though it can take a bit to dry on the papers it performs the best on, i.e. pen & GEAR Notebook and Staples Copy Paper. With finer nibs, this ink may be an even better performer.

 

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and is not sponsored in any way. This ink came from my own collection.