The secret sauce is prepping the paper with a spray fixative, otherwise the ink will bleed on the paper. Yes, good ol' hairspray is the perfect solution!

"I use the basic Pantene hairspray, but a workable spray fixative would also do. I will usually prep papers a few days in advance so they have time to air out, the smell does subside!" says Laura.

Another helpful tip according to Laura is, "To add a few drops of gum arabic to thicken the ink or gouache until it’s as thick as heavy cream."

Nikko G Nibs are high quality, hand-cut, chrome-plated Japanese pens which give very fine hairlines. They're extremely smooth and long lasting.

The nib will have an invisible protective film on it to keep it from rusting. Please remove this before use by dipping the nib in warm water and wiping with a clean paper towel. Your fingers will leave oils on the nib that will prevent ink flow.

Our place cards, menu cards, buffet tags, gift tags, etc. are printed on a textured cold-press watercolor paper. The paper is a bit heavier, and therefore more durable for products that are larger, like a menu card. As you can see with Laura's test, without spraying the paper first, the sumi ink will bleed. But after spraying, the nib will make perfect lines.