Calligraphy is one of the least appreciated of arts. The art of writing, the written word, letters, characters and runes, is considered a commonplace thing. Although as a vocation, calligraphy practitioners practice this art very seriously they have not been given due recognition.
Calligraphy for serious artists is a very technical endeavor. Some traditional artists still make their own brushes, pens and inks. Calligraphy inks have been made from various raw materials (including squid ink otherwise known as sepia). Nowadays, india ink is still a popularly choice.
Different pen manufacturers have their own recipes in making inks. The inks they make are designed for use with their own models of pens. Some fountain pen makers have been in existence since quills were used in writing. The evolution of the modern fountain has introduced some mechanisms to make writing a very smooth exercise. The inks that they make were created to take advantage of the pen mechanisms.
The importance of calligraphy inks to the calligrapher can only be realized with the fact that the calligraphic artwork i sink on paper and meant to last a lifetime, or longer.