In case you haven’t heard, Pelikan is once again allowing its fans to help design an Edelstein ink, this time the 2018 Ink of the Year edition.  This is a promotion similar to the one that ultimately gave birth to Ink of the Year 2015, Amethyst.  I’m sure that on occasion pen & ink lovers have vocalized their ideas for products that they would like to see companies such as Pelikan bring to market.  That said, I’m not sure that I know of many companies that actually empower their fans to design an upcoming mass-market release.  Pelikan is not only allowing its fans a shot at designing an upcoming Ink of the Year, they are also giving away prizes and, best of all, the process itself couldn’t be simpler.  A color mixer has been made available online that allows you to mix and match hues until you achieve that perfect color which you then upload to a gallery.  The process itself is very straight forward and can be done quickly depending on just how much of a perfectionist you are.  The only requirements are that you do not duplicate an existing color and that you name your creation after a gemstone (all in keeping with the line’s theme).  Designs will be judged by a jury of 10 people, 5 from Pelikan and 5 chosen from Pelikan’s fan base.  If being a jury member sounds appealing, you can throw your name in the hat when you register your color.  Of course this contest is not open to Pelikan’s employees.

The timeline for the contest is as follows;

May 2 through 17:  Create and post your favorite color.
May 20:   The top 15 colors and 5 non-Pelikan based jury members will be chosen.
May 25th:  At 2PM (Europe/Berlin time), the jury will meet and discuss the top 15 colors from which they will choose 3 finalist.
May 26 through June 16:  Pelikan will evaluate the feasibility of the 3 final colors and will then select one of the 3 finalist as the Edelstein Ink of the Year 2018.
June 18:  Pelikan will announce the new color to the public.

*All dates are for the 2016 calendar year

There are many prizes up for grabs and these include;

• The top 15 winners will each get one Edelstein Ink color of their choice
• The three finalists will each get a set of the 3 latest Edelstein Ink colors of the year (most likely Garnet, Amethyst, and Aquamarine)
• The grand prize winner will get a green striped M400 fountain pen with a nib of their choosing
• The 5 members of the jury will each get one Edelstein Ink color of their choice with their name printed on the glass bottle

In my experience, the process was quick and easy and I’m sure that many will jump on this opportunity.  You can get started on your entry by visiting Pelikan’s contest page.  In case you need some inspiration, check out my entry;

Spessartine Garnet – Edelstein Ink of the Year 2018 Candidate (Click the photo to link to the gallery for voting)

Timeline of Edelstein Ink of the Year

• 2012 – Turmaline
• 2013 – Amber
• 2014 – Garnet
• 2015 – Amethyst
• 2016 – Aquamarine
• 2017 – ???
• 2018 – To Be Announced June 18, 2016