Writing is an ancient communication technique dating back at least 30,000
years. While even sophisticated contemporary writing techniques hinge on solid
surfaces for engraving or the deposition of ink, writing within a liquid medium
requires a fundamentally different approach. We here demonstrate writing of
lines, letters and complex patterns in water by assembling lines of colloidal
particles. Exploiting gravity, we roll an ion-exchange bead (pen) across a
layer of sedimented colloidal particles (ink). The pen evokes a hydrodynamic
flow collecting ink-particles into a durable, high-contrast line along its
trajectory. Deliberate substrate-tilting sequences facilitate pen-steering and
thus to draw and write. We complement our experiments with a minimal model that
quantitatively predicts the observed parameter dependence for writing in fluids
and highlights the generic character of writing by line-assembly. Overall, our
approach opens a versatile route for writing, drawing and patterning fluids,
even at the micro-scale.Comment: Article 23 p, 5 figs, 53 refs, Supl. Info with 13 fig