Are you ready for a blast from the Colorverse past? This week’s ink review and giveaway features Colorverse Vortex Motion ink, one of 8 colors included in the Colorverse Astrophysics ink series. After seeing the recently released Retro 51 Pen Chalet Exclusive Hubble rollerball pen fly off the shelves as soon as it was released, we were inspired to pull out a space-themed ink for review! Here come all the details! 

All About the Ink Maker: Colorverse

Colorverse’s wide array of ink colors are both high quality and vivid. Since Colorverse inks are made using natural pigments and dyes, they are a popular (and smart) choice for fountain pen users. These Korean inks are both clean and safe with the makers at Colorverse intentionally going out of their way to make the world a more colorful place for us all. Colorverse has a reputation for producing fantastic colors, but that’s not all they’re know for…they’re also known for introducing fun themed ink series (like their Astrophysics ink series).

As an Authorized Dealer of Colorverse fountain pen inks, Pen Chalet has a wide variety of inks for those looking to add a new Colorverse ink to their fountain pen ink collection. Look for your next favorite Colorverse fountain pen ink at PenChalet.com. 

All About the Ink Series: Colorverse Astrophysics Ink Series

The 2nd ink series Colorverse released, Astrophysics ink series included eight different colors: Andromeda, Black Hole, Dark Energy, Gravity Wage, Quasar, Red Shift, Supernova, and Vortex Motion. In 2020, Colorverse released their Mini ink series that includes all eight of the original Astrophysics inks. This week, we’ll review Colorverse Vortex Motion fountain pen ink, originally a part of the Astrophysics ink series, and more recently included in the Mini series. 

In the original release, Vortex Motion ink was only available in two bottle sets with the same color in both the 65 ml and the 15 ml ink bottle. The ink bottle we’re using for this week’s ink review is the 15 ml bottle from the Astrophysics paired ink set. If you’re interested in the ink, but you aren’t positive that you want to purchase 80 ml all at once, you’re probably excited about the new Colorverse Mini ink series that means you can now purchase 64 different previously released Colorverse ink colors in small, sample size bottles (5 ml). Purchasing a 65 ml + 15 ml paired set is a big commitment to one ink color, so we highly encourage considering the Colorverse Minis if you aren’t sure. 

This Week’s Featured Ink: Colorverse Vortex Motion Ink

Colorverse Vortex Motion ink is a dark purple-grey color – a nice, dark grey color with a purple hue and medium saturation. We found that this ink applies with more purple then dries a darker grey. 

***Are you just here for the giveaway? Don’t worry – we got you. You can skip straight to the giveaway by scrolling to the bottom of the ink review. We’re not hiding it in the midst of all the words. It’s glaringly obvious right at the bottom of the page. So if you don’t have time to read the full ink review today, but want to enter to win – we’ll allow it! Just come back later and catch up on what you missed.

It’s Time: Colorverse Vortex Motion Ink Review

This week we put Colorverse Vortex Motion fountain pen ink through our standard ink review tests. And we’ll share all the details right here! 

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

We used a French-made J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen (with a tip comparable to a medium-fine fountain pen nib) and Rhodia dot pad paper.

Let’s Talk About the Colorverse Ink Bottle:

Colorverse Vortex Motion ink originally came as a pair of inks (65 ml and 15 ml) in the Colorverse Astrophysics ink series (with both bottles featuring the same ink color). However, the new Colorverse Mini series makes this ink color (and many other popular Colorverse ink colors) available in a sample-size 5 ml ink bottle. The 5 ml ink bottles are even in the same beloved shape as the larger Colorverse ink bottles fans are already accustomed to using (the protruding nub is a highly praised feature of the Colorverse ink bottle, so they made sure to replicate it in their new “mini” size). The only negative with the new mini ink bottles is the small mouth opening, but Colorverse didn’t ignore the issue. Each Colorverse Mini ink purchase comes with a small, plastic squeeze ink filler. The Mini Collection also features the standard Colorverse box, labels and presentation, just on a smaller scale for the smaller ink bottle size. 

How Much Does Colorverse Fountain Pen Ink Cost?

Colorverse Vortex Motion fountain pen ink is a reasonably priced ink for the 5 ml. sample size. Check for the latest discounted price at PenChalet.com. 

How Did This Week’s Ink Fair in the 1-Dip Test?

We conducted a 1-dip test with Colorverse Vortex Motion ink using a J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen and Rhodia dot pad paper. (For the 1-Dip Test, we dip the pen in ink once for each of three different writing samples. The three writing samples include: “S,” “X,” and scribble lines. The test looks for how well the ink performs on paper by showing if the pen runs out of ink before completing a full line). Vortex Motion ink very easily wrote across the paper on all three writing samples with ink to spare. 

How Fast Does the Vortex Motion Ink Dry?

Colorverse’s Vortex Motion fountain pen ink showed a dry time of approximately 6-7 seconds with medium saturation. The ink’s dry time was nice and quick for a medium saturation ink. We’d recommend it for everyday use. 

Does Colorverse Vortex Motion Ink Bleed Through?

We saw no bleeding during normal use on Rhodia paper. We didn’t even see any bleeding during the heavy saturated cotton swab test, so this ink is a solid choice if you’re worried about bleeding. 

Was There Any Feathering While Using Vortex Motion Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use on Rhodia dot pad paper. We did see some light additional feathering during the water test, but since this isn’t a waterproof ink, that’s expected. 

How Does the Ink Stand Up to Water?

For the water test, we let an ink sample dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample. Colorverse ink isn’t waterproof, and we saw heavy purple color smearing. However, the lines were still legible with some slight distortion and fading. 

Does the Fountain Pen Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

Colorverse Vortex Motion ink showed some nice shading traits, depending on penmanship, the type of nib, and ink application. 

Final Conclusion on this Week’s Featured Colorverse Ink:

Vortex Motion is a reasonably priced ink for the mini sample size. The ink maker, Colorverse, is a well regarded and prolific Korean ink company known for a vast array of vivid, colorful fountain pen inks. Vortex Motion’s nice, dark purple-grey color is very unique, while also offering a very reasonable dry time (6-7 seconds). We’d recommend it for everyday use or for almost any type of project from notes to cards and letters and ink projects. The small 5 ml sample size bottle is available along with the 65 ml and 15 ml paired set. Colorverse has great packaging and we always enjoy their presentation. Happy writing from Korea! 

Enter to Win a Colorverse Fountain Pen Ink:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Colorverse Vortex Motion fountain pen ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

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