Page 923 - Proceedings Collega2023

- The ink was too watery
and did not flow out well
from pen.
Ex2aR1
- Uneven ink contour.

- The freshly prepared ink
flew well out of pen.
Ex2bR1
- Thin ink, dense black and
glossy.

Likewise, the ink drying time was also influenced by its composition. By modifying the ink
formulation, the drying time was reduced from 30 minutes (T1R1) to 15 minutes or less. With increasing
cashew gum content, the ink drying time was prolonged - 5 minutes for Ex2R1 (2 g), 10 minutes for Ex1R1
(4 g) and 15 minutes for Ex3R1 (8 g). As anticipated, the drying time decreases with increasing black pepper
content - 5 minutes for Ex2R1 (1 g), 4 minutes for Ex2aR1 (2 g) and 3 minutes for Ex2bR1 (3 g).
Feedback From Professional Calligraphers

Yayasan Restu is a well-known institution in Malaysia. It was established since 1987 and was the
first institution that produced a fully handwritten and illuminated Qur’an or mushaf. Calligraphy and Jawi
Division is one of the important departments that is responsible in handling the writing task. There are 6
professional calligraphers in the division. Therefore, a survey was conducted with the aim of getting expert
views on the performance of the formulated ink. Their feedback is important to further improve the ink
product. Sample Ex2bR1 has been selected to be tested by the calligraphers due to its favourable
characteristics.
There were five calligraphers participated in this survey (see Fig. 4), out of which only one female.
Average age of the respondents is between 23 to 35 years old with calligraphy experience between five to
fifteen years, either formal or informally. All of them learned basic calligraphy from a formal institution
such as Restu College. The formulated ink was tested on two different substrates; European handmade
paper and Art paper with glossy surface (commonly used by calligrapher).

International Conference on Local Wisdom of the Malay Archipelago (COLLEGA 2023) Page - 910 -