Noodler's Southwest Sunset: Fountain Pen Ink Review

Bottle of Noodler's Southwest Sunset with swab and writing sample on white background

Noodler's Southwest Sunset is known for its shading properties but it's also a fantastic bright orange ink. What else does this unique yellowish-orange ink do? Feel free to enjoy the beautiful view and read more about Noodler's Southwest Sunset.

Bottle of Noodler's Southwest Sunset writing sample on white dot grid paper

Bottle of Noodler's Southwest Sunset writing sample on white blank paper

Bottle of Noodler's Southwest Sunset writing sample on cream colored dot grid paper

Ink Review

Supplies Used:

LAMY AL-star with medium steel nib
Rhodia No. 16 dot pad, 80g white paper
Tomoé River 52 gsm white paper
Leuchtturm1917 80g notebook

Smear Test (Dry Time):

30+ seconds – This ink took some time to dry, but it wasn't a deal breaker. Just be careful to note that it could smear if it isn't given adequate time to dry completely.

Drip Test (Water Resistance):

Low - If you want water-resistant ink, this ink is not one to go for. Since it's already so light in color, water practically makes the ink disappear. However, the ink is great for sketching and/or drawing because of the different shades it offers.

Saturation:

Medium- There's a slight change in color between swabs 1 and 3, as it goes down quite wet most of the time.

Ease of Cleaning:

Easy - No trouble cleaning this ink. It could be left inked up in a pen for a while and have little to no trouble cleaning right out.

Shading:

High - One of the best qualities of this ink is the incredible range of color! The shading is gorgeous, and you can see the yellowish-orange to orangey-red colors in almost every letter that's written.

Flow:

Moderate/Heavy - This ink is super easy to write with because the flow really keeps up. It works great with all the different nibs and pens that it's been tested with.

Packaging and Aesthetics:

3oz glass bottle with corresponding art on the label
Bottle comes in a cardboard box
Bottle is pretty easy to fill from since it has a large opening that'll fit any pen
It's also the perfect size to fit an Ink Miser Intra-Bottle inkwell

Bottle of Noodler's Southwest Sunset with swab on white background If you're interested in similar colors, check out our Swab Shop where you can compare colors side by side.

Summary:

This ink is known for its shading, and it's easy to see why. It may not be super practical for work, but it would be great for letter writing, sketching, painting, or note-taking. Try it with different nibs and paper to see the different colors and levels of shading so you can find your perfect combination!

Sunset drawing on white paper