Hand written letters

[Gill]

I want to write some hand written letters that can be read in 20/30 years time. The trouble is I cannot find what to write with. From what I understand a pencil won't be eligible after 10 years so will a Biro be illegible after that time too? I don't own a fountain pen.

Can some help here please? Rest assured, these letters will not be typed and printed!

Thank you.

[maxfli65]

I have many postcards for sale here and elsewhere and some are from the Trenches in WW1 written in pencil and are still very legible also many cards from the 60’s and 70’s written in biro which are very readable in fact there is one for sale from 1955 on Ebid which you can read, so I am surprised at your times for legibility.

[rocks2dust]

There are 2 parts to producing an archival document.

First, the ink (rather than the type of pen) should be permanent and non-acidic. You want your biro to contain an ink (or accept a refill cartridge) that is "ISO 12757-2" compliant. Searching the Internet on that term should give you various options. Graphite pencil will last, but is vulnerable to smudging when handling, due to the softness of the graphite-clay mix.

The second factor is the paper on which you will be writing. You want an acid-free paper or card that contains no wood pulp or other ingredients which will cause the paper to yellow, become brittle and/or affect the ink. An acid-free 100% cotton rag stock is usually a good choice.

Physicians, solicitors and others who must retain long-term records use both the ISO 12757-2 compliant pens and acid-free rag paper stock, so most office supply shops usually carry both of these - though you may need to ask a knowledgeable sales person. Archival-quality pens/inks and paper stock are also available online.

[Gill]

Thank you rocks2dust this is much appreciated information and hopefully max will understand why I asked the question.

Now I have the info needed, hopefully, I can move forward.