It may be that the ink is not the issue, but rather the type of paper you are writing on.

The contrasting colors (i.e. pink, blue, green etc.) will only show up if the Shadow pen is used on a porous or fibrous paper.

The silver ink may "blend" with the other color IF the pen is used on a slick or glossy paper.

So before giving up, please test the pen again. This time try binder paper or even toilet paper to see if there are two ink colors in the pen. The silver ink should remain in a fairly narrow area, and the colored ink should spread out and be noticeable.

Whether or not the Gelly Roll Shadow is acid-free or not is not the issue. We could tell you "Yes, they are acid-free," but then we would also say that we do not recommend using Gelly Roll Shadow pens when the user wants to make an archival mark.

­ Why? Because Gelly Roll Shadow is only partially waterproof. The colors of Shadow are derived from what we call dyestuff ink. The metallic portion of the Shadow ink is resistant to water, but the colored inks use simple dyes (which are not waterproof). Dyes are also not fade-resistant, so there is a possibility (through time) that the colors will fade away.

However, we are told that there are still many users who simply do not care about the long-term permanence of Gelly Roll Shadow. They use the pens in their scrapbooks because they like the colors and effects they provide. To these individuals we say, "Have Fun!".

We receive many inquiries about the nature of Pigma® ink in Sakura pens, including Pigma Micron, Pigma Brush and Gelly Roll pens. We will try to cover the most common questions (so that you can get back to journaling, scrapbooking, quilting and crafting!) --

1. Pigma® is the brand name of the pigmented ink used in Sakura products. The formula for Pigma ink was developed specifically for museum archivists and conservators after extensive research and testing.
2. You may have noticed that Sakura memory products are labeled "archival.".
   
   "Archival" suggests that these products are permanent, durable and chemically stable. They can be safely used for writing you care about saving such as legal documents, family albums or journals. This is a non-technical term, since there are no industry standards for how long "archival" or "archivally sound" materials must last. Sakura uses this term to describe the high overall quality of our Pigma® ink products along with the qualities described below.


3. Acid-Free is a deceptive term used in connection with many products in the memory market. This is also mistakenly used as a synonym for alkaline or buffered. Do not be fooled by pens or writing materials labeled "acid free" because this does not guarantee that a product is truly suitable for memory projects. There are no industry standards applicable for ensuring that a product is, indeed, acid-free.
4. Chemical stability refers to the ability to resist chemical degradation. Sakura uses one or two pigments to color its inks, to enhance their chemical stability, and to eliminate the possibility of pigment separation due to age or exposure to outside elements. Many other inks do not have the same qualities as Sakura Pigma inks!
5. Lightfastness refers to the ability to retain color over time and/or when exposed to light, heat, or other adverse conditions. Sakura Pigma® inks are light fast due to the high quality pigments that compose them.
6. Neutral pH refers to a material with a pH of 7, that is, one that is neither acid nor alkaline. Sakura's Pigma® inks dry to a neutral pH and, therefore, will not adversely effect the materials on which they are applied.
7. Permanent/permanence refers to the ability of a substance to resist change over long periods of time without significant deterioration under normal use and storage conditions. Permanence may be effected by temperature, humidity, light, and acidic or alkaline chemicals. Sakura Pigma® inks are permanent, waterproof, chemical resistant and temperature-resistant on paper and on many fabrics.

Pigma Microns are considered disposable pens. The product specifications and design use are for paper and not for rough surfaces such as wood or nubby fabrics.

However, the Pigma Micron is the pen of choice for many tole painters. Here are a few helpful hints from tole painters sent to us over the years. (Note: We do not necessarily endorse these practices, and suggest each individual conduct their own tests before undertaking any project.)

1. Hold your Pigma Micron pen in a 90° degree position while writing. This will prevent uneven wear to the tip of the nib.
2. Use a 05 or 08 point size when marking against hard, rough surfaces such as wood or nubby fabrics.
3. Use more than one pen, and rotate your pen use. This allows pens to rejuvenate the ink flow overnight and this extends the life of the pen.
4. Do not press down hard on the nib while you write. The excessive pressure wears down the plastic nib faster, especially on rough surfaces.
5. Do not make long uninterrupted lines against rough paper surfaces or wood with the pen. Make shorter line strokes and the pen nib will last longer.
6. When writing on paint, make sure that the paint is fully dried, not just surfaced cured. Acrylic paints may feel dry to the touch but just below the surface, may not be. The nib picks up bits of the wet paint and will clog easily. One needs to experiment to be sure the paint is completely dry due to differences in weather conditions. Remember, the paint drying time will differ depending upon the brand of paint you use.
7. If you have one Micron pen which is out of ink (and the nib is not clogged), you can exchange its nib with another Micron pen which is not out of ink, but has a clogged nib. Here's how -- With a needle nose pliers, firmly grasp the metal sleeve and gently pull the nib straight out. A long ink wick will be attached to the back of the nib holder. This ink wick is what brings the ink to the nib. Do the same for the bad nib / ink-full pen. Now gently insert the good nib into the pen with ink. Make sure the nib assembly is seated snugly into the pen barrel. Put the cap back on the pen. Then you must wait for about 3 hours for the ink to gradually pull itself through the ink wick into the nib. Do not try to rush the process by shaking the pen - you'll only create a mess by making the ink go around the ink wick and flood the pen cap. (Note: This process does not always work, but it is worth a try. Also, do not mix ink colors. Do not take a red pen nib and insert it into a green ink pen!)
8. Do not try to put any other brand ink refill into the Pigma Microns pens. They will not work.

Check out our new Pigma Micron Color and Size Chart.

The best way to see if a Gelly Roll pen can be revived is to start scribbling in circles. The motion makes the tip (ball) roll and causes the gel ink to be pulled into the ball tip chamber. It might take a few tries, but this might work. There is no guarantee though that this will start it again.

It is very important to put the cap on the pen between uses because unlike regular ballpoint pen ink, gel inks need to be kept sealed away from air. Prolonged exposure to air will cause the gel ink to dry-out in the tip/ball chamber. There is a tiny silicone ball in the cap that "closes" or touches the tip and prevents any air from drying out the gel in the ball chamber when the cap is on.

1. It is not advisable to use any product on tableware that may come in direct contact with food that has not been tested and cleared specifically for that use.
2. Pigma Microns are not permanent on glass. You would have to test the effect of putting glaze over them on a practice piece to see if that seals them satisfactorily for non-tableware;
3. Our inks have not been tested for use on tableware that comes into contact with food. We do not recommend that they be used in that manner.

Regardless what product you use for hand tinting, we recommend you try it on some similar photos that are not one of a kind to see how you like the results, colors, effect, etc. You might even want to wait a few weeks to check for surface degradation. If everything works out to your liking, you could then feel more confident about using that product on non-replaceable photos. Since there are so many types of photographic paper, Sakura cannot guarantee that Pigma inks will produce the hand tinting results you desire. Many photographers have told us they get the best results using non-RC (resin coated) papers.

You could find this out by looking at our online Product Color Chart in the Products area.

Remember, new Gelly Roll colors are available every year, so keep checking back on this web site for the newest colors!

Outside of the United States and Canada --

There are Sakura offices in Japan and Europe that may help you. Please note the contact information below for commercial inquiries:

Refer to our Affiliate Map for worldwide locations.

Sakura Europe
Bruynzeel-Sakura BV
email: info@bruynzeel-sakura.com
Tel: +31-(0)164-214400
Fax: +31-(0)164-214444

Sakura Color Products Corp.
International Operations - 6th Floor
Mr. Hajimu Yoshimoto, Director Sales Section 1

1-6-20, Morinomiya Chuo, Chuo-ku
Osaka 540, Japan
Tel: 06-6910-8824
Fax: 06-6910-8834
e-mail: yoshimoto@craypas.co.jp

We appreciate your interest in Sakura products.

1. Do tests:
   Make a small TEST sample of the same medium with the fixative. Do not apply directly on the original piece as a test. The formulation of art fixatives have changed drastically in the past 8 years due to various federal, state, local, and city regulations. (flammability, toxicity, VOC, CFC, etc.) You can actually buy the same brand of fixative today with a totally different formulation than three years ago. The difference in fixative performance between brands is like night and day!
   
   
2. Wait 2-3 weeks after testing:
   Why wait? Because the fixative's final results may not appear immediately. When you perform your tests, also make a "control sample" (one that is not treated). Depending upon the fixative's formula, you may or may not notice the following:
    
   1. color hue change (Sometime not noticeable until a few days after treating. You might like the change results.)
    
   2. color separation (The fixative will start breaking down individual pigments.)
    
   3. color blending (The fixative will start to blend colors.)
    
   4. loss of definition (Small lines and contrast will be lost.)
    
   5. Yellowing of medium (Some fixatives will turn yellow when exposed to sunlight, thus causing the entire piece to have a yellow cast.)
    
   6. Whitening of the medium (Same as "e" but instead causing a dull white shadow on the  artwork.)
    
   7. If you "brush apply rather than spraying":

Be very, very careful. Some fixatives can actually dissolve the medium prior to setting it. The technique and method of applying the fixative is also critical in getting the desired results.

We have no recommendations on acrylic based vs. oil-based fixatives. Each fixative manufacturer makes general statements for their products, but they may not test all art media and the variety of brands within the media. Sakura does not recommend any particular brand because the formulas change so frequently.

So again, our recommendation is TEST, TEST, TEST! Then once you obtain the results you want (for that particular medium), buy a supply of the successful fixative to ensure that the formula is the same for future use. Keep test notes and retain your test samples for future reference.

Sakura tests the performance of their products BEFORE making any standards or performance claims. When testing lightfastness, Sakura uses large light chambers to accelerate the aging/ exposure of Pigma ink writing test samples as on a typical bright summer's day. From our tests results we estimate that our Pigma inks will not have any noticeable ink hue change for up to 100 years. Beyond this many years, the papers they are tested on become a problem and there is a question of whether the paper color is changing or the ink color is changing. Accelerated light tests such as theses are the only practical way of estimating light-fastness results.

Pigma® ink is the highest quality, archival ink that Sakura manufactures. You may want to find out if other manufacturers actually test their inks, or just make marketing claims of lightfastness.

Besides light exposure, inks can also be effected by other environmental exposures such as humidity, temperature, and airborne chemicals, and liquids. Each of these factors should be individually considered as well.

Simple answer - because they are loved and used so frequently!

The average write out length of the Pigma Microns 01 (.25 mm line) is 800 meters. The wider the line width, the lower the write-out length. So here are some general (approximate) length write-outs for the black ink:

Gelly Roll pens are made specifically for use on paper. We have received numerous testimonials describing the use of Gelly Rolls on fabric. Due to the wide variation in fabrics, fabric finishes and cleaning methods, we strongly recommend you try ANY pen or marker (ours or our competitors' ) on a small swatch of the fabric(s) you will be using, allow it to dry completely, then clean the swatches as you will the finished piece.

Given the hours and hours of time that go into those beautiful quilts, this should be a basic precaution for all quilters and appliquers. For safe use, please refer to the following (below). By the way, there is no "chemical" added to make the inks glide. A big reason our pens glide better is because the tiny little ball in the tip is itself smoother than our competitor's. This superior engineering enhances the "delivery" of the gel ink. Obviously, the smoother the fabric or paper, the more this will be evident.

We are always glad to hear consumers are having fun doodling, drawing and journaling with our pens. However, even though the Gelly Roll pen is certified through the ACMI program and "AP" seal approved to be "non-toxic," it has not been tested for use on skin.

Therefore, we do not recommend the use of Gelly Roll for any other purpose.

The primary purpose of the Gelly Roll pen is for writing on paper surfaces. Any other use is the sole responsibility of the individual.

For further information on the Arts and Creative Materials Institute contact:

ACMI (Arts and Creative Materials Institute) 1280 Main Street, 2nd floor, Hanson, MA 02341

Tel- 781-293-4100
Fax - 781-294-0808