Dominant Industry Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea — Warm Burnt Orange, Medium Shading Fountain Pen Ink (25ml)

Dominant Industry Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea — Warm Burnt Orange, Medium Shading Fountain Pen Ink (25ml)

Dominant Industry Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea is a 25ml fountain pen ink from Dominant Industry's Standard Series — a line of richly formulated, non-shimmer inks built for writers who prioritise colour depth, ink quality, and expressive character. Despite its name — which suggests the grey-blue of a classic tea blend — Earl Grey Tea delivers a vivid, warm burnt orange: a richly saturated medium red-orange that reads as energetic, warm, and unmistakably autumnal on the page. It is the colour of strongly brewed black tea in a clear glass, or of deep amber in afternoon light — not the tea leaf itself, but the warm, glowing liquid it produces, at once familiar and unexpected.

Part of Dominant Industry's Standard Series — and one of the series' most pleasantly surprising entries — Earl Grey Tea combines a fully saturated warm orange-red base with medium shading that reveals a natural, well-controlled gradient from lighter orange in thin strokes to a deeper, richer red-orange at pooling points. There is no shimmer and no significant sheen — the colour and shading carry the full visual complexity of the ink with a warm, restrained elegance. The bottle is 25ml glass.

Available at Shosai (shosai.ca) in Gatineau / Ottawa — with in-store pickup (J9J 0K6) and Canada-wide shipping.

What Makes Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea Different

Earl Grey Tea is one of the Standard Series' most characterful misdirections: the name promises grey and delivers orange, and the surprise is entirely pleasant. The warm burnt orange base occupies a specific position in the fountain pen orange palette — more red and deeper than a standard amber or tangerine, with a saturated, glowing warmth that recalls the specific colour of brewed black tea rather than citrus fruit or pumpkin. Writers who expect grey will find vivid orange; writers who seek vivid orange will find a colour with more depth, warmth, and red character than most.

The medium shading is the ink's most technically expressive characteristic. It is not extreme — reviewers describe it as restrained rather than dramatic, a shading that adds tonal depth and visual interest without dominating the ink's warm character. The gradient from lighter orange in fine strokes to deeper red-orange at heavier deposits is natural and well-controlled, producing a shading effect that rewards attention on the written page without demanding it. For writers who find Standard 108 Maple's terracotta slightly too earthy, Earl Grey Tea's cleaner, brighter orange-red sits in a complementary but distinct position within the autumn ink palette.

Colour Profile

Colour

Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea is a warm, saturated burnt orange — a medium red-orange with clear energy and warmth that reads as vivid and alive on the page. In the bottle, it presents as a deep, rich orange with a red tilt and clear saturation. On the page, it dries to a confident, legible warm orange-red that holds its colour energy well across nib sizes: richly saturated and fully expressive at medium to broad nib sizes, and still clearly readable as a warm orange at fine sizes. Writers describe the base as burnt orange, warm orange, medium red-orange, or a deep amber-red — a colour that is warm, saturated, and entirely consistent with the specific visual quality of brewed black tea held up to warm light.

Shading

Medium, restrained and natural. Earl Grey Tea exhibits a clearly visible but well-controlled tonal gradient between lighter and denser areas of each stroke — a natural transition from a lighter, warmer orange in hairline strokes to a deeper, richer red-orange at pooling points and stroke edges. The shading is described by reviewers as restrained — more controlled and less dramatic than some orange inks — but genuinely present and rewarding on premium papers with broader nibs. At broader nib sizes and in swab applications, the shading range from lighter orange to deeper red-orange is most apparent. The shading adds tonal depth and visual interest to the warm base without producing strong colour separation or distracting from the ink's overall warm character.

Sheen

None to negligible. Earl Grey Tea does not develop a significant traditional metallic sheen on smooth papers. Some descriptions suggest faint red or orange sheen may appear on certain papers under directional light, but it is not a defining characteristic of the ink and is not noted by the majority of reviewers. The visual complexity of the ink comes from the warm orange base and the medium shading.

Ink Properties at a Glance

Flow

Good, well-lubricated. Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea flows at a smooth, reliable rate — well-balanced and consistent across a range of pen and nib combinations. pH neutral and safe for all pen materials.

Dry Time

Approximately 40 seconds on quality paper under normal conditions (medium nib on Rhodia) — a practical dry time for everyday use, consistent with other Standard Series inks at similar saturation levels.

Water Resistance

Low. Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea is a water-based dye ink with no meaningful water resistance. It will run or fade when exposed to moisture and is not suitable for documents requiring archival longevity.

Feathering and Bleed-Through

Minimal on quality papers (Rhodia, Tomoe River, Clairefontaine, Midori MD, Leuchtturm1917). Well-behaved and clean on fountain-pen-friendly papers. Some feathering may occur on standard absorbent papers.

How to Get the Most Out of Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea

Recommended Paper

Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea rewards smooth, slow-absorbing papers that allow the warm orange saturation and shading gradient to develop fully:

• Tomoe River (52gsm or 68gsm) — the best paper for showcasing Earl Grey Tea's full shading range; slow absorption allows the full tonal gradient from pale warm orange to deep red-orange to develop on the surface; shading most expressive here; the warm burnt orange base reads at maximum chromatic depth
• Rhodia / Clairefontaine — consistent, reliable results; warm orange saturation clearly expressed; shading clearly visible at broader nib sizes; a practical everyday option with the 40-second dry time
• Leuchtturm1917 — good overall performance; full orange saturation; shading visible; the warm colour reads particularly well on cream-toned pages
• Midori MD Paper — smooth surface supports good colour development and shading expression; a reliable everyday pairing that brings out the ink's warm, autumnal character

Avoid highly absorbent papers (standard copy paper). Feathering may occur and the shading gradient will be suppressed on fast-absorbing surfaces.

Recommended Nibs

• Medium to Broad nibs — the primary recommendation; more ink on the page allows the full shading range to develop; the warm burnt orange reads with full chromatic depth at broader sizes; the medium shading is most visible and most expressive
• Stub or Italic nibs — the variation between thick and thin strokes showcases the shading gradient naturally and gives the warm orange a lively, dimensional character; particularly effective for seasonal calligraphic and artistic work
• Fine nibs — the warm burnt orange reads with excellent clarity and legibility at fine sizes; a practical everyday pairing for correspondence, note-taking, and professional writing; shading less visible but ink performs cleanly
• Extra-fine nibs — fully functional; the warm orange base remains legible and precise; shading largely absent; a reliable choice for fine annotation work
• Eyedropper pens — an excellent pairing; high ink volume ensures consistent shading expression and full colour saturation throughout long writing sessions
• Dip pens — well-suited to Earl Grey Tea's warm, expressive character; the shading gradient develops most naturally in dip pen applications; particularly effective for warm-toned artistic work and autumn-inspired calligraphy

Pen Maintenance

Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea is pH neutral and safe for resin and celluloid pens. As a non-shimmer ink, it does not carry particle clogging risk and is low-maintenance. Flush every 4–6 weeks under normal use.

Recommended Uses

• Everyday writing and correspondence — the warm, saturated burnt orange makes Earl Grey Tea a distinctive and characterful everyday ink; vivid enough to stand apart from generic orange inks, warm enough to suit a wide range of writing contexts
• Autumn and seasonal writing — the warm orange-red is a natural choice for autumn journaling, seasonal correspondence, and any writing context where a warm, vivid orange adds seasonal richness; pairs naturally with Standard 108 Maple and Pearl 024 October Leaves within the Dominant Industry range for a warm autumn ink collection
• Tea and food writing — the tea-inspired name and warm amber-orange colour make Earl Grey Tea a distinctive choice for tea journals, food writing, recipe annotation, and any context where the colour and warmth of brewed tea is directly evocative
• Calligraphy and expressive lettering — the medium shading and warm saturation create a natural, dimensional page quality; stub and italic nibs bring out the ink's tonal range; particularly effective for warm-toned seasonal and occasion-specific calligraphic work
• Journaling and personal writing — the warm, distinctive orange suits expressive personal writing where a vivid, warm colour adds energy and seasonal resonance to the page
• Fountain pen photography and swatching — the warm burnt orange photographs richly under natural light; the shading gradient is most visible on Tomoe River with broader nibs; the red-orange character is most apparent in macro photography

About the Standard Series

The Standard Series is Dominant Industry's non-shimmer ink line — a range of richly formulated dye-based inks focused on colour depth, expressive character, and ink quality without metallic particle suspension. Standard 109 Earl Grey Tea is one of the series' most characterful and pleasantly surprising entries — a warm burnt orange with medium shading whose colour entirely belies its name, in the best possible way.

About Dominant Industry

Dominant Industry is a South Korean fountain pen ink brand known for its Pearl Collection shimmer inks and a broad catalogue of richly formulated colours. Founded on a commitment to high-quality ink production, Dominant Industry has built a strong international following among fountain pen enthusiasts, calligraphers, and stationery collectors. Their inks are manufactured in South Korea and distributed through curated stationery retailers worldwide.

Product Specifications

Available at Shosai — Ottawa–Gatineau

Shosai (shosai.ca) is a fine stationery boutique serving the Ottawa–Gatineau National Capital Region. We carry a curated selection of premium fountain pen inks, papers, and writing instruments from the world's most respected stationery brands.

• 📍 In-store pickup: Gatineau, QC — J9J 0K6
• 🛵 Local delivery: Available in the Ottawa–Gatineau area
• 🚚 Canada-wide shipping available
• 🇫🇷 Service bilingue — français et anglais

Whether you are new to fountain pens or a seasoned collector, Shosai is your local destination for inks that go beyond the ordinary.