TannieSpace

geekery, drawing and then some

A database for my pens and ink

I have too many pens. And I have too many inks. I couldn't keep track of which ink I tried in which pen and if I liked it. Sure, I made notes in my analogue ink-journal but that didn't work quite as well as I'd like.

And suddenly I remembered I had purchased a copy of Tap Forms (a long long time ago for a project that never happened) and I decided to go for it.

It took some time but I've come up with a system I like a lot. It consists of 9 forms that link to eachother (a lot).

Forms) I needed forms for at least the pens and inks, and figured, why not paper as well. I have separated that into specific paper and notebooks/pads. The notebooks/pads links to the paper type.

I constructed the forms as follows:

Brands

  • Name
  • Website
  • Contact (links to Contacts.app)
  • Location
  • Phone
  • E-mail
  • Note
  • Link to Ink form (One To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to Pens form (One To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to Pads/Notebooks form (One To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to Paper Type form (One To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)

Ink

  • Name
  • Link from Brand form
  • Special, pick list (special properties, such as waterproof, prone to feathering, fluorescent, irongall)
  • Fav, rating with 1 star (to show favourite)
  • Bottle, pick list (type: glass, plastic, sample)
  • ml, number
  • Colourgroup, pick list (red, green, yellow, etc. Especially fun combined with the 'Record Color Field')
  • Photo (jar, or swab, or both)
  • Date (purchased)
  • Website (manufacturer or purchased from or anything else)
  • Link from Retailers form
  • price, number (currency)
  • flow, rating (5 star)
  • Link to Inked log form (One To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Note

Ink)

Ink)

Inked log

(which pen has what ink and when did I ink it up etc)

  • Combination name (shows up in the link to form sections, looks better with a 'nickname')
  • Date
  • Link from Ink form
  • Rating (5 star)
  • Properties, pick list (drywriting, wet, etc)
  • Link from Pen form
  • Nibsize (for interchangeable nibs, and looks better in the linked forms sections)
  • Link to form Write log (One To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to form Letter log (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Photo (writing sample)
  • Note

Inked Log)

Letter log

(to keep track of what letters I've written with what pen, ink, paper)

  • Date
  • Contact (links to Contacts.app)
  • Note
  • Link from Inked log form
  • Link from Pads & Notebooks form

Pads & Notebooks

  • Name
  • Link from Brand form
  • Size, pick list (A5, A6, etc)
  • Type, pick list (lined, graph, blank, etc)
  • Sheets, number
  • Link from Paper type
  • Photo
  • Link from Retailers form
  • Number, price
  • Link to Write log form (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to Letter log form (Letter To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Note

Notebooks)

Notebooks)

Paper type

  • Name
  • Link from Brand form
  • gsm, number
  • Properties, pick list (smooth, rough, ultrathin, etc)
  • Smoothness, rating (5 star)
  • Link to Pads & Notebooks form (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Note

Pens

  • Name
  • Link from Brand form
  • Nibsize, pick list (EF, M, BB, flex, interchangeable, etc)
  • Nib material, pick list (gold, platinum, steel, etc)
  • Fill system, pick list (c/c, piston, eyedropper, etc)
  • Photo
  • Colour, pick list (red, green, yellow, etc)
  • Trim, pick list (silver, gold, bronze, etc)
  • Material, pick list (resin, metal, etc)
  • Cap type, pick list (snap cap, screw cap, etc)
  • Note
  • Link to Inked log form (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Purchase date
  • Price
  • Link from Retailers form
  • optional: website, note
  • Sold checkbox
  • Sell date
  • Selling price

Pens)

Pens)

Retailers

  • Name
  • Website
  • Contact (links to Contacts.app)
  • Location
  • Phone
  • E-mail
  • Note
  • Link to Ink form (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to Pens form (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)
  • Link to Pads & Notebooks form (Many To Many, Show Inverse Relationship)

Write log

  • Date
  • Rating, 5 star
  • Paper, pick list (looks better in linked form, optional)
  • Poperties, pick list (slowdrying, shading, etc)
  • Link from Inked log form
  • Link from Pads & Notebooks form
  • Photo, writing sample
  • Note

Write log)


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