Fibre swelling and cold-press tooth
· Notes drafted beside humidifiers monitored during Winnipeg winters.
Humidity first, pigment second
Fibre swelling lifts microscopic fibrils that scratch ink sideways across cold-press grain. When humidity climbs inside Montréal loft studios without ventilation balance, lines widen slightly even though nib geometry stays unchanged. Record humidity readings beside ink blends rather than relying on memory alone.
Ink chemistry reminders
Carbon lampblack behaves differently than tannin-heavy blends stored in amber jars; tannin creeps along cellulose faster once gelatin size thins. Bench notebooks dated April and November demonstrate predictable creep timing independent of brand naming conventions.
Parallel nib reading
Return to the broad and pointed nib file for split-width effects that show up more clearly on hot-press boards than on hairy cold-press stock.
Schedules in urban halls
Letterwriting evenings occasionally coincide with dry furnace months; cross-reference Ontario meetup listings when comparing traveller notebooks.
Retention checklist for oversized sheets
- Interleave buffered sleeves after pigment dries overnight.
- Keep silica packs distant from active desks — uneven packs warp stacks stored vertically.
- Photograph deckle edges before trimming reference strips.
Privacy guidance covering correspondence scans resides under Rustic Quill privacy language.