Inktend / Ink library / Black Elephant
Octopus Fluids
Black Elephant
Pigmented, waterproof German 'Write and Draw' inks named after animals, made in Dresden.
Specs
Paper & pairing
As a near-neutral tone, it reads as professional and safe for anything from journaling to signatures. This ink will behave predictably on most fountain-pen-friendly paper. Cheap, highly absorbent paper (standard copier paper) will dull any ink's saturation and can cause feathering or bleed-through with wetter nibs.
About Octopus Fluids
Octopus Fluids is a family-run ink manufacturer in Dresden, Germany, producing writing inks, calligraphy inks and specialty fluids in its own facility. Alongside classic bottled fountain pen inks, its flagship Write and Draw line comprises 38 pigmented, water- and smudge-resistant inks with playful colour-plus-animal names, many meeting document-proof standards.
Storing and using the bottle
Bottled fountain pen ink has an effectively long shelf life when kept capped and out of direct sunlight — most inks remain usable for years. The main risk isn't the ink spoiling, it's a pen sitting inked and unused for weeks: that's what causes clogs, not the ink's age.
Frequently asked questions
Similar shades By colour distance
Color shown is a close digital approximation of a typical swatch, not a calibrated color match.