This page features a list of products I personally use and recommend for their purpose.
Please note Amazon links may include my affiliate link; this will earn me a small commission at no cost to you.
Swatching Gear
I get a lot of questions about how I do my ink swatches; these are some of the items I use!
Glass Dip Pens
Wearingeul Modular Glass Pen
Buy from Wearingeul or Soe & Soe. This is is a new addition to my swatching lineup as of May 2026 and I’m very happy with it; it writes very well, with a little bit of feedback, and has a broader line than most glass dip pens. You can also buy a set of three refill nibs, and the pen itself comes with some fine sandpaper to facilitate customising your writing experience.
Majohn Sakura Snow Glass Dip Pen
Aliexpress link – This is the other main glass dip pens I use; it’s a lovely smooth writer at a very affordable price, and writes with a consistent fine line.
Majohn Crystal Glass Dip Pen Set
Amazon link – This is very similar to the Sakura Snow pen, although not identical; I’m including it here as an alternative in case you’re not able to purchase from AliExpress.
“Vintage-Style” Glass Dip Pen
Aliexpress link – This is the other glass dip pen I used regularly before I got the Wearingeul pen. This has a broader tip than the Majohn pen, and I used it for some of the bolder lettering you see in my swatches. The pen I have is the Type 2 pen from this listing.
A caveat: this is a very cheap pen with no identified brand and thus I have no idea about their quality control. My pen has a lovely broad nib, but I can’t guarantee any other pens from this listing would have the same kind of writing experience.
Glass Swizzle Sticks
6pc Glass Stirring Spoon set (Amazon link) – These swizzle sticks are a glass rod with a small ball on the end; the ball tip is ideal for dipping in ink and then drawing swatch shapes on the page. I use these for almost all my standard ink swatching.
Lettering Nibs
Speedball 10 Pen Nib Assorted Set (Amazon link) – This set includes a range of Speedball A-series (square) and B-series (round) nibs in various sizes, which are excellent both for drawing swatch zig-zags and swooshes, and for large header lettering.
Brause Ornament nibs (Soe & Soe link) – These are Brause Ornament nibs, which are similar to Speedball B nibs, in various sizes. These also fit in standard nib holders. (Don’t forget to check my Affiliate & Discount Codes page for my Soe & Soe discount code if you’re shopping here!)
Plastic Pipettes
Amazon link – (20 pack) These plastic pipettes have graduated volume markings, are easily washable, and are excellent for measuring out samples, dripping inks for ink swatches, mixing in ink additives, and decanting ink without shimmer.
Bottles and Vials for Ink
These are useful for storing ink samples, decanting ink to share with friends, rescuing ink from a broken or leaky bottle, storing custom mixes and samples of diluted ink, and for filling pens where the original ink bottle is impractical.
38pc set of Bottles/Vials, mixed sizes
Amazon link – This set includes a range of small bottles in sizes from 5mL up to 30mL with accessories for filling them.
12x 20mL glass bottles
Amazon link – These are particularly good bottles as they have a cone seal in the lid, preventing evaporation and great protection against leaks when posting.
Sample vials
25pc and 50pc batches of vials – AliExpress link
Sets of vials in a storage box – AliExpress link
The top link has 25pc and 50pc batches of vials, while the bottom link has sets of vials in a convenient storage box. Each listing includes several different options, so make sure you’re choosing an option which has:
- 5mL vials,
- Screw cap,
- Rubber o-ring in cap (important to prevent leaks if you’re posting vials of ink, also good for mitigating evaporation)
Other Useful Items
Multi bottle opener
Jokari Beverage Opener (Amazon link)
I own and swear by one of these; it’s fantastic for opening lids on ink bottles, whether they’re stuck with dried ink or just tightened too far.
Silicone tape
Self-Fusing Silicone Tape, 3m roll (Amazon link)
Cut a length of this and wrap it tightly around the neck of a sample vial or bottle if you want extra safety vs. leaks when you’re posting ink. It’s also great for patching broken lids, and sealing bottles where you’re concerned about evaporation.
Plastic palettes
30pcs White Plastic Palettes – 6 Wells (Amazon link)
These are very useful for ink-mixing experiments; you can use the wells to add drops of different inks together in different ratios. The linked palettes are six-well palettes but you can also get them in a range of other sizes and shapes.
Lighting unit
ULANZI VL49 RGB LED Video Light (Amazon link)
If you want to take photos of your ink swatches, good lighting is a must. I use this handy Ulanzi portable light, which includes an attachment to mount it on a clamp or tripod, and it’s especially useful when I’m taking swatch photos at night. One nice feature: the controls let you adjust the temperature of the light, so you can balance out strong warm or cool tones from your lighting to create the most colour-accurate swatches possible.