#30inks30days - April 2020
Looking for a fun writing challenge that will keep your nibs busy while social distancing? April is our next #30inks30days fountain pen ink challenge and giveaway!
The goal of #30inks30days is to expand the horizons of fountain pen ink usage. Some fountain pen enthusiasts have so much ink that they will never use in a lifetime. For those who are in the sample game (like our Ink Flight subscribers), this means dozens, if not hundreds, of vials sit forgotten, collecting dust.
For every day in April, the challenge is to use a different ink with only one pen per day.
At the end of each day, clean out the pen and change it up. Ink a different one with a different color. If you do it "write," you'll use 30 unique ink colors in 30 days.
To accomplish this challenge, you will need at least 30 ink colors. Most fountain pen enthusiasts have no problem finding 30 inks in their collection. However, if you're short on variety, expand your collection by grabbing samples instead of costly full bottles.
To join others in this challenge, post your daily pen and ink combinations on Instagram or Twitter. Mention @inkjournal and use the #30inks30days hashtag on your post and to find others who are posting about the same challenge.
Some FAQ's about the challenge answered:
Do I have to use the same pen throughout the 30 days?
No, but extra kudos if you do. To make it easier on yourself, rotate out the pens each day, cleaning one and inking another. That way, you always have at least one pen that is clean and ready to be inked.
Will there be a prize if I finish the challenge?
If you finish all 30 days in April, tag us on Instagram, using the #30inks30days hashtag, you will be entered for a chance to win great items from Rickshaw Bagworks and InkJournal. There are a limited number of prizes, so we will randomly pick from those that completed the challenge.
Do I have to start the challenge on April 1st?
It's a 30-day challenge, so you can technically start at any time and end up 30 days later. If you want to play along with everyone else - yes, you should start on April 1st. To qualify for the giveaway, you need to start April 1st.
Do I have to write them all down like the calendar layout you show here?
You can record each day's pen and ink combination in any way you prefer. Past challenge winners swatched Col-O-Ring cards, filled in bullet journal monthly layouts, drawings on entire pages of a notebook, and so on. Catalog them in your own unique way. Check out the #30inks30days hashtag on Instagram (over 10,000 posts!) to find inspiration and examples.
Which fountain pens are best for doing this challenge?
Pens that are easy to clean out, like cartridge/converter filling pens, tend to be the easiest to clean out routinely. Stay away from lever fillers, vacuum fillers, eyedropper fillers, and other high-capacity filling mechanisms.
What if all I have are piston-filling pens? How can I prevent wasting ink?
Only partially fill your converters and piston-fills with a tiny bit of ink to last you through the day. You'll be amazed at how much ink a pen actually needs in a day - it's not much!
Looking forward to seeing the awesome colors you all are going to write with!