Diamine Appletini Ink Review: A Bright Apple Green Ink

Some fountain pen inks whisper. Others make a grand entrance. And then there’s Appletini, which looks ready to crash the party wearing neon green and carrying a cocktail umbrella.

In this Diamine Appletini ink review, we’re exploring a cheerful, apple-inspired green fountain pen ink from Diamine’s Green Edition collection. With its bright yellow-green undertones and surprisingly dramatic swab results, Appletini certainly knows how to get noticed.

But there’s a twist. While this ink produces vibrant, saturated color when applied generously, it’s much lighter during everyday writing. Is that a dealbreaker, or simply part of its charm?

We put this Diamine Green Edition 50ml fountain pen ink through our usual Pen Chalet ink tests to find out.

Meet the Ink Maker: Diamine

When it comes to fountain pen ink, Diamine has been part of the conversation for a very long time. Founded in 1864, this historic British ink manufacturer has earned a devoted following among fountain pen enthusiasts for its extensive color selection, creative specialty inks, and accessible approach to bottled ink.

From sophisticated everyday writing colors to shimmering, sheening, and delightfully unusual releases, Diamine has a remarkable talent for giving ink collectors another reason to expand their collections.

Not that most of us need much encouragement.

The company’s Inkvent collections have become particularly popular among fountain pen enthusiasts, turning the traditional Advent calendar into a daily celebration of color. And fortunately, some of those delightful discoveries eventually become available in larger bottles.

Which brings us to Appletini.

Get to Know the Diamine Green Edition Ink Series

Diamine Appletini originally appeared in the 2022 Diamine Inkvent Green Edition Advent Calendar, a collection featuring 25 different fountain pen inks.

The Green Edition included standard inks alongside more adventurous formulations featuring shimmer, sheen, scent, and chameleon effects.

After the calendar’s release, Diamine introduced the individual Green Edition colors in distinctive 50ml glass bottles, letting fountain pen enthusiasts buy their favorites without committing to another full Advent calendar.

Appletini belongs to the Standard ink category. That means no added shimmer particles, no specialty chameleon effects, and no dramatic metallic sheen competing for attention.

Instead, its personality comes entirely from the color.

And what a color it is.

This Week’s Featured Ink: Diamine Appletini

If the name Appletini brings to mind something bright, tart, and unapologetically green, you’re already on the right track.

Diamine Appletini is a lively yellow-green fountain pen ink with the unmistakable character of a fresh green apple. Its undertones lean toward yellow, giving it a slightly citrusy appearance rather than the deeper, cooler tones associated with emerald or forest green inks.

However, Appletini has two very different personalities depending on how it’s applied.

During our cotton-swab tests, the ink produced an impressively vibrant green, particularly where multiple layers of ink accumulated. The darker areas appeared closer to a lively grassy green, while thinner applications revealed much lighter yellow-green tones.

In our fountain pen writing sample, though, Appletini was considerably more delicate.

Even with a medium nib, the ink produced relatively pale lettering that could be difficult to read against white paper.

It’s an interesting contrast: bold in a swatch, subtle in a sentence.

For collectors who enjoy expressive colors, this difference could make Appletini especially appealing for creative projects. Writers searching for a strongly saturated everyday green may find it a little too light.

Diamine Appletini Ink Review: Ink Test Results

For this week’s review, we tested Appletini using a LAMY AL-Star fountain pen with a medium nib and Rhodia lined paper.

Our testing included writing samples, timed drying tests, water exposure, and cotton-swab applications to examine color saturation and overall behavior on paper.

Here’s how Appletini performed.

Diamine Appletini Ink Test Results at a Glance

Important: These results reflect our testing with the specific pen, nib, and paper combination listed above. Performance may vary with different writing instruments and paper types.

Ink Bottle and Packaging: A Little Green Luxury

One of the pleasant surprises in this Diamine Appletini ink review is the packaging.

Appletini arrives in a substantial 50ml glass bottle with matching Green Edition Inkvent packaging.

Appletini arrives in a sturdy, cube-shaped green box decorated with the distinctive Inkvent Green Edition artwork. The design gives the bottle a little extra presentation value while keeping it securely positioned during storage and transport.

Inside, you’ll find Diamine’s substantial 50ml glass bottle.

And substantial is definitely the word.

The clear glass feels heavy and well-made, giving the bottle a more premium presence than you might expect from such an approachable ink collection.

Its broad base provides stability on a desk, while the generously sized bottle opening makes accessing the ink relatively convenient when filling a fountain pen.

Another advantage of the clear glass design is that you can see the ink color inside the bottle, although Appletini appears considerably darker in volume than it does in ordinary writing.

The bottle’s decorative shape also adds a little flair without sacrificing practicality.

Overall, this is attractive, functional packaging that feels right at home in a fountain pen enthusiast’s ink collection.

Other Products Used During Our Diamine Appletini Ink Review

We used the following writing supplies during testing:

• LAMY AL-Star Fountain Pen (Medium Nib): Our primary writing instrument for evaluating color and writing behavior.
• Rhodia Lined Paper: Used for writing samples, dry-time observations, feathering, bleed-through, and water resistance.
• Cotton Swabs: Used to examine saturation, tonal variation, and how the ink appears when applied in heavier concentrations.

The medium nib provided a useful view of Appletini’s everyday writing appearance while the cotton swabs allowed us to explore its more saturated side.

The 1-Dip Test: How Far Can Appletini Go?

Our traditional ink reviews often include a one-dip writing test using a glass dip pen.

For this particular review, we did not use the glass dip pen. Instead, we completed the writing exercise using our inked LAMY AL-Star fountain pen.

The writing test reveals a much softer green than Appletini’s saturated swatches suggest.

The results offered a clear demonstration of Appletini’s relatively light writing saturation.

While the ink remained visibly green on the paper, it lacked the deeper color intensity seen in the cotton-swab applications. Even with the medium nib, the writing appeared pale enough that readability could become an issue during longer writing sessions.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you enjoy lighter fountain pen inks.

But if you prefer bold, highly legible writing, Appletini might be better suited to occasional accents than pages of handwritten notes.

Diamine Appletini Ink Review: How Fast Did It Dry?

Appletini delivered a respectable dry time during our tests, reaching approximately 10 seconds on Rhodia lined paper.

Our Appletini ink test showed an approximate drying time of 10 seconds on Rhodia paper.

We checked the ink at several intervals, including 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 seconds.

By approximately the 10-second mark, the writing was dry enough to pass our test without noticeable smearing.

That’s a useful result for an ink with such a playful color palette.

Of course, drying time depends on several factors, including nib size, ink flow, paper coating, and how heavily the ink is applied.

A broader or wetter-writing nib may produce more saturated writing, but it could also change drying behavior.

For our LAMY AL-Star medium nib and Rhodia paper combination, however, Appletini performed well in this category.

Water Test: Is Diamine Appletini Water Resistant?

Here’s where Appletini’s performance takes a less impressive turn.

After allowing our writing sample to dry for approximately three minutes, we exposed the ink to water to evaluate how well the written lines would survive.

Unfortunately, the results were not encouraging.

Water exposure caused Appletini’s written lines to fade dramatically.

The ink faded dramatically after water exposure, with the original writing becoming extremely light and difficult to distinguish from the paper.

In some areas, the lines nearly disappeared altogether.

Interestingly, we didn’t observe significant feathering or uncontrolled spreading around the remaining lines during the test. The biggest issue wasn’t messy movement across the page; it was the disappearance of the color itself.

The result? Diamine Appletini demonstrated very little water resistance in our test.

If you’re using Appletini for decorative lettering, journal accents, or creative projects where water exposure isn’t a concern, this may not be particularly important.

However, we wouldn’t recommend it for important documents, archival writing, or anything that absolutely needs to remain legible after an accidental spill.

Appletini might be ready for a cocktail party, but it definitely doesn’t want to be caught in the rain.

Special Properties: Shading, Sheen, and Shimmer

Appletini may not have shimmer or sheen, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely without interesting visual characteristics.

Layered swabs bring out Appletini’s deeper grassy greens and lighter yellow-green highlights.

Shading: Where Appletini Gets Interesting

The most noticeable variation appeared during our cotton-swab tests.

Where the ink accumulated in heavier concentrations, it developed a richer grassy-green appearance. In thinner applications, the color shifted noticeably toward a pale, yellow-leaning green.

These differences created attractive tonal variation across the swatches, particularly along darker pooled edges and lighter interior areas.

Our fountain pen writing sample displayed a more restrained appearance, with considerably less dramatic contrast than the swabs.

So while Appletini can demonstrate shading and tonal variation, we wouldn’t classify it as a particularly dramatic shading ink based on our writing test.

Sheen: None Observed

We didn’t observe any distinctive metallic or contrasting sheen during testing.

Shimmer: None

Appletini is classified as a standard ink and contains no added shimmer particles.

Its visual appeal comes from its fresh color and the differences between heavily saturated and lightly applied areas.

Feathering or Bleeding: How Did Appletini Behave on Paper?

Appletini performed very well in both categories during our testing.

On Rhodia lined paper, we observed no noticeable feathering along the written lines.

The lettering maintained clean edges without the fuzzy spreading that can sometimes occur when fountain pen ink interacts poorly with paper fibers.

We also observed no ink bleed-through on the test paper.

That’s encouraging for writers who enjoy using high-quality notebooks, especially when writing on both sides of a page.

Keep in mind that Rhodia paper is particularly fountain pen friendly. More absorbent paper may produce different results, so additional testing would be worthwhile before using Appletini extensively on ordinary office paper.

Perfect Pen Pairings for Diamine Appletini Ink

Appletini may be light on the page, but it certainly isn’t short on personality.

We selected four fountain pens that complement its distinctive green color in very different ways, from collector-worthy drama to understated elegance.

These recommendations focus on visual compatibility and overall pairing appeal. We did not physically test Appletini in each suggested pen.

1. Leonardo Zombie MZ Grande 2.0: A Monstrously Good Match

Sometimes the most entertaining pairings are the ones that lean completely into the drama.

The Leonardo Officina Italiana Zombie Momento Zero Grande 2.0 fountain pen, part of Pen Chalet’s exclusive Monsters of the Full Moon Collection, features custom Jonathon Brooks resin with swirling greens and darker tones.

One of Leonardo’s Monsters of the Full Moon trilogy released Oct. 2026, a Pen Chalet Exclusive.

Against that atmospheric backdrop, Appletini looks practically radioactive.

Its vibrant yellow-green personality provides a lively contrast to the Zombie’s deeper, more mysterious resin.

The combination feels wonderfully theatrical without becoming visually disconnected.

The pen’s distinctive material makes this a particularly appealing pairing for collectors who enjoy unusual writing instruments.

Why it works: Appletini’s electric green provides a playful counterpoint to the Zombie’s dramatic, darker green resin.

Explore the Leonardo Zombie MZ Grande 2.0 Fountain Pen at Pen Chalet.

If you’re looking for more perfect ink pairings for Pen Chalet exclusive pens, we have you covered.

2. Conklin 1898 Solaris Green: Green With a Little Extra Glamour

For an equally colorful but more refined combination, consider the Conklin 1898 Solaris fountain pen in Green.

The pen features luminous green resin scattered with shimmering gold-colored flecks, creating visual depth and movement throughout the barrel and cap.

Conklin 1898 Solaris fountain pen + Diamine Appletini ink = perfect pen and ink pairing

Appletini provides an energetic contrast to the richer appearance of the pen.

Together, the combination celebrates two very different interpretations of green: one bright and fresh, the other deeper and more luxurious.

It’s the kind of pairing that feels coordinated without looking overly predictable.

Why it works: The Solaris brings depth and golden sparkle to Appletini’s lively apple-green color.

Explore the Conklin 1898 Solaris Green Fountain Pen at Pen Chalet.

3. Sheaffer VFM Matcha: A Refreshing Combination

Appletini and Matcha?

We’ll admit, that sounds like a questionable beverage order. But visually, it’s a delightful pairing.

The Sheaffer VFM Matcha fountain pen features a soft green ombré finish inspired by the recognizable tones of matcha tea.

The Sheaffer Matcha fountain pen is lovely paired with Diamine Appletini ink.

Its creamy, muted greens create a beautiful contrast against Appletini’s brighter yellow-green color.

Rather than competing for attention, the two shades balance one another.

The Sheaffer’s understated finish also makes the pairing approachable for writers who prefer a little color without committing to an especially dramatic pen design.

Why it works: The soft matcha-green finish provides a calming counterpart to Appletini’s energetic color.

Explore the Sheaffer VFM Matcha Fountain Pen at Pen Chalet.

4. Nahvalur Original Spring: A Fresh Start

If you’re looking for a pairing that feels almost tailor-made for Appletini, the Nahvalur Original in Spring deserves your attention.

The pen’s transparent body and bright yellow-green accents echo the lighter tones visible in Appletini’s writing samples.

The Navhalur Original Spring fountain pen’s green nib is impatient to take a dip in Diamine’s Appletini.

It’s cheerful, modern, and unmistakably spring-inspired.

The Original’s piston-filling system also makes it a practical choice for fountain pen enthusiasts who regularly enjoy bottled inks.

We particularly like how this pairing connects the visual appearance of the pen with the color of the ink without relying on an exact shade match.

Why it works: The Spring colorway picks up Appletini’s fresh yellow-green undertones for a coordinated, lighthearted combination.

Explore the Nahvalur Original Spring Fountain Pen at Pen Chalet.

Diamine Appletini Ink Review: Frequently Asked Questions

Appletini’s bright yellow-green color looks especially vibrant in larger swatches.

What color is Diamine Appletini fountain pen ink?

Diamine Appletini is a bright apple-green fountain pen ink with noticeable yellow undertones. It appears considerably darker and more saturated in cotton-swab applications than in ordinary handwriting.

Does Diamine Appletini ink have shimmer or sheen?

No. Appletini is classified as a standard fountain pen ink. We did not observe shimmer or distinctive sheen during our testing.

How long does Diamine Appletini take to dry?

During our testing with a LAMY AL-Star medium nib and Rhodia lined paper, Appletini dried in approximately 10 seconds. Actual drying times may vary with different pens and paper.

Is Diamine Appletini waterproof?

No. Appletini demonstrated very poor water resistance in our test. After water exposure, the written lines faded dramatically and became extremely difficult to read.

Is Diamine Appletini a good ink for everyday writing?

That depends on your preferences. Appletini behaved cleanly on Rhodia paper, with no noticeable feathering or bleed-through. However, its relatively light writing color may make extended writing sessions difficult to read. It may be better suited to decorative writing, accents, and creative projects.

Which Diamine collection includes Appletini?

Appletini originally appeared in the 2022 Diamine Inkvent Green Edition Advent Calendar and was later released individually as part of the Diamine Green Edition 50ml bottled ink collection.

Final Thoughts: Is Diamine Appletini Worth Trying?

If your ink collection could use a little more fresh, energetic color, Appletini certainly delivers.

Its vibrant apple-green swatches are undeniably attractive, and the combination of bright yellow-green undertones and deeper green pooling creates some lovely visual variation when the ink is applied generously.

The 50ml glass bottle is another highlight, offering an attractive, stable, and practical home for the ink.

Performance-wise, we appreciated Appletini’s approximately 10-second dry time and its clean behavior on Rhodia lined paper.

But there are two important considerations.

First, Appletini is significantly lighter when used for ordinary fountain pen writing than its dramatic swatches might suggest. Writers who prefer saturated, highly legible colors may find it challenging for everyday use.

Second, its poor water resistance makes it a less suitable choice for important writing that needs to survive accidental moisture exposure.

So who should give Appletini a try?

We think it’s a particularly fun option for fountain pen enthusiasts who enjoy collecting unusual greens, experimenting with color swatches, creating decorative lettering, or adding bright accents to journals and creative projects.

And for anyone who’s ever wished their fountain pen ink looked a little more like a freshly sliced Granny Smith apple, Appletini might be exactly what you’ve been searching for.

Our final verdict: A cheerful, visually interesting yellow-green ink that performs best when you embrace its lighter personality and reserve it for writing and creative projects where color matters more than water resistance.

Ready to add a fresh splash of color to your writing collection? Shop inks at PenChalet.com.