Kolorlan gel pens are renowned for their depth of colour and smooth finish. So, how do you get perfect colours every time? And how do you ensure your pens can enjoy their maximum useable lifespan? Well, I'm here to offer you some top tips for Kolorlan gel pens.
Get perfect colours every time!
Gel pens are basically a form of water-colour paint in a tube, with a nib designed to control the flow. So, this allows you to both cover large areas with colour, and make narrow lines or small shapes. But... this can only happen perfectly if the flow of ink is working well.
Why might it stop working well, or flowing properly? Well that comes down to the way in which you use and store your Kolorlan gel pens.
Top tips for storing Kolorlan gel pens
Tip Number 1: Keep your gel pens somewhere that is an even room temperature: you don't want them to get too hot or too cold.
For example, I have underfloor heating in my craft studio. So, the cupboards that sit directly on the floor tend to get very warm whenever the heating is turned on. I would never store my Kolorlan gel pens in those cupboards! I keep them higher up where the temperature matches the ambient temperature of the room.
The same would apply if you keep the pens in a room that gets very cold: perhaps it's a space that you don't heat all the time, only when you use it. Well, over time, the ink is not going to appreciate living in cold conditions!
Tip Number 2: Store the pens horizontally: i.e., in the packet lying down on a flat surface. If you try storing your pens vertically (either nib-up or nib-down), gravity is shifting the ink. If you're storing them nib-down, this is pushing the ink towards th nib where it can end up blocking the nib if you're not using pens regularly.
If you're storing them nib-up, this is encouraging the ink to flow away from the nib and you may end up with air bubbles. So, when you come to use your gel pens, you're not going to get perfect colours because the ink won't flow freely due to the trapped air.
Tip Number 3: Use your Kolorlan gel pens regularly! The ink will continue to flow best if it is used often. That helps to combat any danger of ink drying out in the nib and causing a blockage that way, or bubbles of air gathering in the tube and blocking the smooth flow of ink.
Tips for creating perfect colour while using Kolorlan Gel Pens
Occasionally, you may notice the flow of ink in one of your gel pens becomes a little stuck. When this happens, instead of getting perfect colour, you will end up with an uneven coverage. So, what do you do?
First, try putting the lid back on the pen and giving it a little shake. Sometimes a tiny air bubble is just preventing the flow. So, shaking the pen can move that bubble out and return to a good flow.
Second, if that isn't working, grab a piece of scrap paper and just colour a block on that. Larger air bubbles won't always shift through shaking: you need to actually allow the ink to push them out. So, by colouring, the gravity is pushing the ink down and you're moving out the air. In other words, you're colouring with an air bubble instead of a flow of ink, for a short time! Once the air is shifted, the even flow of ink will return.
Third, notice how you are colouring. Sometimes, if you're pushing too hard on the nib, you're preventing the natural easy flow. So, some of your pen strokes will end up cutting through the ink, causing the appearance of white lines, instead of allowing the ink to flow naturally. So, experiment: if you press gently, does this free the flow?
Fourth: this is obvious, but we all forget it sometimes... Check that your Kolorlan gel pen still contains some ink! Sometimes, the ink can run out and we don't even notice. So, just look at the level of ink in the barrel. Sometimes, you may think you can still see a little in the tip, but unfortunately, this is stuck on the side and probably won't flow out. So, then it's time to pop over here and grab a new pen.
Now, armed with those top tips for Kolorlan gel pens, you will get perfect colours every time you create with the Kolorlan System. And I wish you much joy in that process.
