Read today’s Taccia Ao ink review – you won’t regret it. The Taccia fountain pen inks are just a joy to write with, and we hadn’t featured one in an ink review in quite a while, so it was time. Read on for the full review!

Learn More About the Ink Maker: Taccia

Taccia, a distinguished name in the ink-making industry, first entered the scene with its Basic Inks collection in 2018, offering a palette of 13 primary colors. Since then, they have expanded their range with the Ukiyo-e Ink Series, divided into sub-series inspired by renowned Japanese artists like Hokusai and Sharaku, as well as a second volume featuring Horoshige and Usuzumi. Additionally, their Jeans Collection features seven hues reminiscent of trendy denim shades. This week, we’re diving into one of Taccia’s Basic Inks, known for their vibrant and expressive quality, perfect for any writing or artistic project.

The Ink Series: Taccia Basic Fountain Pen Inks

Taccia’s Basic fountain pen inks include 13 different ink colors:

• Aka Red
• Ao Blue
• Aoguro Blue-Black
• Cha Brown
• Daidai Orange
• Ebi Purple Red
• Kuro Black
• Midori Green
• Momo Pink
• Murasaki Purple
• Sora Sky Blue
• Tsuchi Golden Wheat
• Uguisu Olive Green

Today’s Featured Ink: Taccia Ao Ink

Taccia Ao ink is a nice, medium blue ink with excellent flow.

***Wondering where to find the giveaway for the inks in our weekly ink reviews? You’ll find the inks featured in our weekly ink reviews as prizes in 15 on the 15th: GIVEAWAY DAY with Pen Chalet. Once a month on the 15th we run a giveaway with 15 fun pen, and ink prizes. You’ll have to check it out.

Other Products and Items Used During Today’s Fountain Pen Ink Review:

• Pilot Iro-Utsushi dip pen, medium size
• Ferris Wheel Press dip pen (stub nib – not used for ink review tests, but we did use this one in a writing sample for some of the images)
• paint brushes (used for the color swatching in the ink archiving book, shown in images)
• Dominant Industry Ink Archiving Book (seen in some of the images to show off color swatches)
• Cotton swab
• water (nothing fancy, just normal tap water)

The Test Results: Taccia Ao Blue Ink Review

If you’re a visual person, you might like to see the actual ink review test results. Here’s a photo of the standard ink review tests we typically run to get a feel for an ink.

Taccia Ao Blue Ink Review Testing Factors:

For this week’s ink review, we used one of Pilot’s Iro-Utsushi dip pens with a medium-sized nib on Rhodia lined paper. If you use a different size nib or different paper or have a significantly different style of writing, you could see different results. But here’s how it went down for us during this week’s review.

How is Taccia Fountain Pen Ink Packaged?

Taccia Ao Blue ink comes in a 40ml heavy-weight, display-quality rounded glass ink bottle. The large twist-off cap makes it easy to access the ink for inking any size pen. The packaging of the Taccia basic series inks features a sturdy, white cardboard box with clear labeling.

How Did This Week’s Ink Fair in the Taccia Ao Blue Ink Review 1-Dip Test?

We use the 1-dip test to see how far one dip can write on paper (dipping the pen into the ink only once). Taccia Ao Blue ink could write all three lines on paper with plenty of ink left over on the dip pen. (Using only one dip per writing sample “S” “X” and scribble lines, see the image above).

How Fast Does Taccia Ao Ink Dry?

During our ink review, Taccia Ao fountain pen ink showed a dry time of approximately 5 seconds with heavy saturation. The ink’s quick dry time, color, and overall performance make it a great choice for professional or personal use; it’s a great everyday ink choice.

Does This Week’s Fountain Pen Ink Bleed Through?

We saw no bleeding during the normal use of Rhodia paper.

Was There Any Feathering During the Taccia Ao Blue Ink Review?

We saw no feathering during normal use on Rhodia paper.

How Does the Ink Stand Up to Water?

Taccia Ao Blue ink is not meant to be waterproof, but we like to be thorough, so we test inks even when they’re obviously not waterproof. During the water test, we put down some ink, usually in a standard writing sample – then let it dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample to observe the effect. Here are the results we saw during today’s review:

• Slight line distortion
• Slight fading of lines, but lines are still legible and present
• Slight feathering
• No bleed-through or running of the ink

Does Taccia Ao Blue Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

This ink isn’t one you’d pick up for shading properties. Instead, you’d turn to Taccia Ao ink for its consistency. It has very little shading.

Does Taccia Ao Blue Ink Have Any Sheen or Shimmer?

Taccia Ao Blue ink offers a really nice strong, crimson sheen when the ink pools. It’s a great contrast to the medium blue ink color.

Final Conclusion: Taccia Ao Blue Ink Review

Taccia is a well-regarded Japanese pen company with a number of different ink series that have met with approval from writing enthusiasts. This week’s featured ink is one of their classics, Ao Blue. Taccia Ao Blue ink is a strong medium blue ink with a strong crimson sheen that adds a wow factor to what I would call a wonderful everyday blue ink. The fast dry time, consistent blue color, and great flow make Taccia Ao ink an easy choice for almost any project.