Why Is Red Ink Not Allowed In Official Documents? Who can use Green, Blue, or Black ink Pens? 

Why are we not allowed to write with red ink in official documents? Who can use Green, Blue, or Black ink Pens? Who is not allowed to use a red, and who cannot use a green pen? Who is not allowed to use a blue pen, and who can use a black pen? All these may be million-dollar questions to most of us.

Why should we not use red ink in official documents? Who can use Green, Blue, or Black ink Pens?

Suppose you need to fill an application form or deposit a withdrawal slip or a cheque in a bank. If unknowingly, you fill the same with red ink or if that gets a spot with red ink, the office bearers send you back and ask you to use only blue ink, saying that red or green ink is not allowed to use in this form. You are left in a fix as you have made an offense and rectify it. You are forced to refill it. All your exercise goes to waste.

Is there any such statutory law or rule that we must use only blue ink to fill forms or use red ink when blue ink is unavailable or urgent? So, this is our topic today.

Dear readers, when I was a schoolboy, my teachers used only red ink to check notebooks. They used only red ink to mark an error or correction in notebooks, but we, students, were told to use blue ink only. When those notebooks were sent to the Principal for rechecking or verification, his markings and noting were always in green ink. I always wondered why!

One day, it was an Inspection Day. The Education Officer turned up for inspection. Whatever he marked in our notebooks was in black ink. I was curious again, and at the same time, amazed.

I inquired my teacher —

“Sir, The Principal uses only green ink. You use only red. The education Officer used a black one. You compel us to use only blue ink. Why is there such a specific difference?”

He told me that it was a rule that students use only blue ink; teachers use red, principals use green, and upper-level officers officially use black ink.

I researched the issue before preparing this content. I talked with some Govt. officials and employees. I came to know that most of them had no specific knowledge about the issue. They are just following a procedure. They are unaware if there is any statutory guideline or not about using specific color ink.

There is no specific rule or legal obligation for government officials to use only red, black, or green ink. Or not so much obliged to use blue ink for those filling forms. Then, why are we forced to use only blue ink? Why can’t we use red ink?

Friends, this is so as filling forms, when reaching to clerks or upper-level officials for verification, they need to correct or mark the same. When a form filled in blue ink reaches the next level, will mark it with red ink. It will be easy to differentiate between filled details and corrections. To maintain this differentiation, we are told to use blue ink while office bearers use red ones.

Now, who can use green ink pens? As a regular practice, not because of any statutory obligation, Gazetted officers, just out of practice or senior level officers, use green ink. Only Tamil Nadu Govt. Doctors Association is the only organization that has issued a notification directing their office bearers that Class one officers can use green ink to mark minor notings or attest documents. In contrast, class B officers can use green ink for documents attestation only.

Why Is Red Ink Not Allowed In Official Documents?

To effectively make my point clear, I have an example. Such a case appeared before Vajpayee Govt. A file reached Ministry was passed to junior level officers for review. They marked their notings in green ink. The cabinet Secretary questioned the reviewers why they had used green ink. In response, the reviewers crossed questioned to show them any written rule that they cannot use green ink. Then the same file reached the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Archive responded.

Any color ink can be used but should be permanent. That should not fade with time. However, nothing is permanent, yet some durable colors; I can show you some practical examples to clarify the point.

I have written something on paper in four different colors commonly used for writing. Red, blue, black and green. I have used the same brand of pens, ball pens, and half of the ink already used here. It has been done just to make classification and observation clear. There might not be any ifs and buts.

Now, it is clear that blue and black appear darker while green and red appear lighter. On comparing red and green, which appears fainter is green color.

What happens when this page is photocopied? Let’s see. It is the scanned copy. It is visible that what was written in red in green ink appears fainter than written in black and blue ink. Thus, something is written in green or red ink when photocopied or scanned appears lighter while black and blue appear darker after photocopy.

This is what I am trying for you to be clear about. So this experiment makes it clear that red and green ink gets fainter over time, and photocopy also appears lighter. At the same time, the photocopy of blue and black appears darker. So, you are asked to write with blue or black ink so that when the document is photocopied or scanned, it can be of darker visibility and permanent nature. That is why Govt. officials follow it as a rule as color variation makes notings and markings distinguished.

A form filled in blue ink, later marked or reviewed with red ink, makes differentiation clear and easy.

Another reason why it is preferred that lower lever officials use blue ink is that a document was written in black ink when photocopied outcome in black could be distinguished easily. It makes it easy to distinguish between original and duplicate.

However, red ink is also considered a symbol of negativity in some countries. that is why some schools have made it a practice not to check notebooks of students in red ink. They believe that red ink, which symbolizes negativity, leaves an adverse impression on kids’ minds.

Manual of office procedure also states that whatever color ink office bearers use should be permanent.

Generally, we use blue, black, red, or green ink gel or ball pens for writing. Ball or gel pens are available in these colors. More other colors we also use for drawing etc., but not for writing purposes.

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