I was recently contacted by Sarah Beth at Pen Chalet who asked me to swatch test a small batch of Tono & Lims fountain pen inks.
Tono & Lims is a Japanese fountain pen ink brand founded in 2018 through Takashi Ono’s passion for fountain pens and his creative direction, and Tae-kyun Lim’s expertise in ink production and manufacturing. They are known for their high-quality inks, which come in a variety of types including standard, shimmer, sheen, pigmented, and fluorescent. They offer a remarkable diversity of colors and often release limited edition inks, making them popular among fountain pen enthusiasts.
Each series tells a story – whether inspired by music, literature, or cultural motifs – resulting in inks with poetic names and unique personalities. Known for their well-balanced formulations, Tono & Lims inks provide excellent performance, from subtle shading to dynamic sheen, without compromising pen safety.
The unique square glass 30ml bottles and choice of 2 boxes (one white, one black featuring a line illustration of an ink lab) sum up the brand’s minimalist yet elegant packaging and reflects its dedication to aesthetics and functionality. A favourite among ink aficionados, Tono & Lims continually innovate, offering inks that are as expressive as they are reliable. Amazon Japan currently offer circa 820 inks across 27 ink lines.
Also known for their Space Walk events – Tono & Lims offer a unique opportunity for fountain pen enthusiasts to experience bespoke ink creation and community engagement. These events are held in numerous stationery shops in cities, including Japan and the United States, and feature custom ink-making appointments, shimmer bars, and the creation of exclusive ink collections. The events are designed to foster a shared community experience and showcase their creativity and craftsmanship.
I have swatched ten of their inks, and will say this, the fact that they are an ink lab project will give rise to both successes as well as failures. Not every one of their inks is a winner for me.
Alexandrite Green is a dull bottle green with grey and purple chromatography and a neon reaction to bleach. The purple shimmer is very fine and visible in a strong(ish) light.
Alexandrite Purple is a deep flat purple with grey and blue chromatography and a neon reaction to bleach. The green shimmer is very fine and only really visible in a strong light.
June Gloom is a dark warm grey with dark brown and purple chromatography with a neon gold reaction to bleach. The blue purple shimmer is very fine and only really visible as a blot in a strong light.
Silver Lining is another dark warm grey with dark brown, sand and turquoise chromatography with a neon gold reaction to bleach. The silver shimmer is quite pronounced.
Summer Surf is deep green/blue sheening ink with a neon reaction to bleach where the ink isn’t too concentrated and pronounced red sheen.
Mali Garnet is a flat grass green ink with a yellow undertone. There is a dull gold reaction to bleach and pronounced silver shimmer.
Opal is strange yellow ochre with a subtle olive green, canary yellow and purple grey chromatography. A cool reaction to bleach and a gold shimmer that is very fine and only really visible as a blot in a strong light.
8 Immortal Flowers is a very light lilac grey with a silver lilac shimmer. The chromatography is a joy with very feint greys and yellows visible. The bleach could probably have done with diluting further but a dramatic neon glow non-the-less.
The other 2 inks I swatched were Baby Green and Futsugyou both of which I tried to make something of but could do nothing with them. The Futsugyoy was supposed to be a shimmer but try as I might I could get nothing from it.
These inks that In have swatched are subtle and I mean subtle. I have really done my best get something out of these. As a comparison, when you look at something like the Sailor Ink Studio line which also started their incarnations as experimental mix creations, the 100 swatch cards I got from them are still works of art and so easy to creatively swatch. BUT, there are hundreds of Tomo & Lims inks to experience, so I’m sure that there must be a least a couple of hundred that are visually stunning!
Of note – the 30ml bottles of Tono & Lims retail at circa £17 (GBP). I was sent ink sample vials and these are available from Pen Chalet and available at circa £2 a vial and my advice would be to get as many of these different Tono & Lims inks as vials first and discover your favourites in a more cost effective way. If it’s any help Sarah Beth sent me a 10% discount link if you want to save more money: https://www.penchalet.com/media.aspx?src=nick
And HEY! If you’re interested to know more about how to use fountain pen inks in more creative ways – whether it’s simply to observe their chromatic behaviours, or, to recreate one of my swatch cards, or, to learn how to use them in watercolour painting, illustration and calligraphy, why not check out my online course or, even better, sign up for a workshop?
FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART 