Est. 2026 · Price: FreeEditor-at-large: The Hedgehog

Stationery Times

Brand: Platinum

Platinum SPN-100A Ink Cartridges: 1.2 ml, 9 Colors

Compiled from 2 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research

Quick answer

The Platinum SPN-100A is Platinum's standard water-based dye ink cartridge for its fountain pens. Platinum Japan lists a pack of two 1.2 ml cartridges at ¥165 (about US$1.00) with tax, in nine colors from black to brown. It labels the blue-black acidic, the light blue neutral and the other seven alkaline.

On this page11 sections
Nine Platinum SPN-100A two-cartridge packs drawn to scale at 38 by 115 mm, one for each of the nine ink colors
Nine packs at Platinum Japan's 38 × 115 mm (1 mm = 2.4 px); the cartridge shapes and tints are representative. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Product facts

Product
Platinum SPN-100A fountain pen ink cartridges, pack of 2
Brand
Platinum
Brand origin
Japan
Made in
Not stated*
Material
Water-based dye ink (Platinum Japan)
Price range
$under $5 per item
Ink colors

#1 Black

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Notes on these facts
  • Made by Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. (Japan). Country of manufacture not stated: Platinum Japan's product page gives capacity, size, weight, price and color codes but no country of manufacture, and Yoseka's page doesn't state one either. Source. Price: example listing.
  • Colors: names per Platinum Japan, checked November 2, 2026. Color numbers and names as Platinum Japan lists them, in English as Yoseka spells them. We have no color chips, so each swatch is a representative tint picked to match the name, not sampled from a photo. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
  • How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
  • Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

  • Platinum Japan lists SPN-100A as 2 cartridges per pack, 1.2 ml each, at ¥165 (about US$1.00) with tax.
  • There are 9 colors: black, blue-black, red, pink, violet, yellow, green, light blue and brown, numbered #1 to #62.
  • Platinum calls the ink water-based dye ink: #3 blue-black is acidic, #57 light blue is neutral, and the other seven are alkaline.
  • The listed size is 38 × 7.5 × 115 mm (1.5 × 0.3 × 4.5 in) and a standard weight of 5.5 g.
  • Yoseka's US listing is in our $ band, and on November 2, 2026 it showed yellow and brown as unavailable.

What are Platinum SPN-100A cartridges?

They are Platinum’s standard short ink cartridges for its own fountain pens, sold two to a pack. Platinum Japan’s page files them under water-based dye ink for fountain pens, and lists the item code SPN-100A with a color number added.

Yoseka sells the same cartridges as “Platinum Ink Cartridges, pack of 2”, with the SPN-100A code in its stock numbers. We read both pages on November 2, 2026.

Platinum SPN-100A specs

Spec Value
Maker Platinum Pen Co., Ltd., Japan
Code SPN-100A plus a color number
Pack 2 cartridges
Capacity 1.2 ml each (0.04 fl oz)
Ink Water-based dye ink
Listed size 38 × 7.5 × 115 mm (1.5 × 0.3 × 4.5 in)
Standard weight 5.5 g (0.19 oz)
Japanese list price ¥165 (about US$1.00) with tax per pack
Price band $ (under $5); Yoseka’s US listing is inside it

Platinum doesn’t say whether the size is the pack or one cartridge. Its standard weight of 5.5 g fits a pack of two, so we read it as the pack.

What colors do they come in?

Nine: black, blue-black, red, pink, violet, yellow, green, light blue and brown. Platinum numbers them #1, #3, #11, #21, #28, #30, #41, #57 and #62, with a seven-digit item number for each. Yoseka lists the same nine names.

Platinum labels the ink alkaline, except #3 blue-black, which is acidic, and #57 light blue, which is neutral. Our swatches are tints picked to match the names, not sampled from photos.

Platinum SPN-100A pack drawn to scale: 38 mm wide and 115 mm tall from the front, 7.5 mm deep from the side
One pack, front and side, at Platinum Japan's listed size. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Which Platinum pens use SPN-100A?

Platinum’s own cartridge pens. Our guides to the Platinum Preppy, Plaisir, Curidas and #3776 Century each say they take Platinum cartridges. Platinum’s page labels the item for fountain pens and the CSIQ-150, a code we couldn’t match to a product.

If you want bottled ink, a converter holds 0.53 ml by Platinum’s figure, less than half a cartridge; see our Platinum converter guide. For a pigment cartridge, see Platinum Carbon Black.

How does a cartridge compare with Platinum’s other ways to fill?

Per milliliter the dye cartridges and the carbon pigment cartridges cost about the same in Japan, and a converter holds far less. The figures below are from Platinum Japan, as quoted in our guides, with tax.

Option Ink per fill Japanese list price
SPN-100A dye cartridges 2 × 1.2 ml ¥165 (about US$1.00)
SPC-200 carbon cartridges 4 × 1.2 ml ¥330 (about US$2.10)
Converter 800A 0.53 ml ¥990 (about US$6.30)

Both cartridge packs work out near ¥69 (about US$0.40) a milliliter. The converter lets you use bottled ink, so its price buys freedom rather than volume.

How acidic or alkaline is the ink?

Seven colors are alkaline, #3 blue-black is acidic and #57 light blue is neutral, per Platinum. Platinum doesn’t explain the labels on the page. We don’t know why the blue-black differs, and we haven’t tested the ink’s pH.

Are all nine colors still sold?

Platinum lists all nine, but Yoseka’s stock was short. On November 2, 2026, Yoseka showed yellow and brown as unavailable, and its stock code for brown carries a discontinued tag. Stock changes by shop, so check the shop you buy from.

Where are they made, and what does it cost?

Platinum doesn’t say where they are made. Its page gives no country and Yoseka’s doesn’t either, so we list it as not stated.

Platinum Japan lists ¥165 (about US$1.00) with tax for a pack of two, which is about ¥83 (about US$0.50) a cartridge. Yoseka’s US listing, read on November 2, 2026, was US$3.50 a pack. We haven’t compared shipping or fees.

Frequently asked questions

How much ink is in a Platinum SPN-100A cartridge?

Platinum Japan lists 1.2 ml per cartridge, with two cartridges in a pack.

What colors do Platinum SPN-100A cartridges come in?

Nine: #1 black, #3 blue-black, #11 red, #21 pink, #28 violet, #30 yellow, #41 green, #57 light blue and #62 brown.

Is Platinum SPN-100A ink acidic?

Platinum labels most colors alkaline. It lists #3 blue-black as acidic and #57 light blue as neutral.

Is the ink waterproof?

Platinum calls it water-based dye ink and doesn't claim waterproofing on the page we read. Its carbon pigment cartridges are the ones sold for permanence.

Which pens take SPN-100A cartridges?

Platinum labels it for fountain pens and the CSIQ-150, a model code we couldn't identify. Our guides say the Preppy, Plaisir, Curidas and #3776 Century take Platinum cartridges.

Is the yellow or brown cartridge still sold?

Platinum Japan lists both. Yoseka showed yellow and brown as unavailable on November 2, 2026, and its stock code for brown carries a discontinued tag.

Do these fit other brands' pens?

Not directly. Platinum pens take Platinum cartridges, and our Preppy guide notes that Platinum sells an adapter for standard international cartridges.

Sources (2)

  1. Platinum Japan: SPN-100A water-based dye ink cartridges (2 per pack; 1.2 ml; ¥165; 38 × 7.5 × 115 mm; 5.5 g; nine colors and codes; acidity; read November 2, 2026)
  2. Yoseka Stationery: Platinum Ink Cartridges, pack of 2 (nine colors with stock codes, yellow and brown unavailable; listed May 15, 2020; read November 2, 2026)

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