The following article looks to inform you about the best tattoo inks for purchase. We’ve chosen eight products that stand out for your consideration that are available at Amazon.
Before purchasing a bottle of tattoo ink or kit of colors and shades, make sure you choose the right one for your needs, not just the highest rated or least expensive product.
The list below contains tattoo ink products that are made in the USA from organic and vegan friendly products. They range from single bottles of black tattoo ink, through to color and shading kits and blacklight UV ink.
Best Tattoo Inks
1. Dynamic Black Ink – Best value black ink
Dynamic tattoo ink boasts a stellar tattoo industry reputation for quality and variety in its black ink and color products.
The 8oz Dynamic Black Tattoo Ink is a best seller offering the best value for money in black ink. It’s popular with artists who create their own greywash tattoo ink from a base black, and held in high regard for quality lining, and shading saturation black ink.
Dynamic is the all steak no sizzle brand of tattoo ink, made in the USA since 1990 and fully Vegan friendly, don’t miss it’s quality because of the plain packaging!
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly
- Available in: 1oz and 8oz Black, Color 1oz and 4oz
- Also available in single color
- Price: $
2. Kuro Sumi Tattoo Ink, Double Sumi Tribal Black – Best all-round black ink
Kuro Sumi ink is formulated in the USA after originally being manufactured in Japan.
Kuro Sumi tattoo ink is popular with artists for the consistency of its black ink and the ability to hold up over a long period while offering organic pigment, vegan-friendly inks that use no animal byproducts (bone char has been a common ingredient in black ink).
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly
- Available: 4oz Black, 2oz-6oz color
- Also available in Color Sets
- Price: $$
3. Bloodline All Around Black 4oz bottle
Formerly known as Skin Candy Tattoo Ink, Bloodline began production in 1995. Skin Candy Tattoo Ink was featured on hit TV show Miami Ink, but in 2010 the premium Bloodline product was released, and the company re-branded.
Bloodline manufactures high quality vegan water-based inks in California, where regulations for top quality production are the most stringent in the world.
Bloodline ink uses distilled water to carry the pigment, meaning tattoos heal more quickly. Their black in and color products boast a shelf life of over two years and offer a range of sizes.
The all-around black is perfect for tribal and traditional tattoo or stick and poke straight out of the bottle, while some mixing is required for other methods.
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly
- Available: 1oz, 2oz, 4oz, 8oz
- Water pigment carrier
- Price: $$$
4. Millennium Moms Tattoo Ink 1/2 Ounce 7 Bottle Set – Best all-round color and UV ink
More commonly known as Moms Ink, this is one of the most enduring and popular tattoo color ink brand kits available.
While color ink can be purchased individually, a popular method for Mom’s Ink is to bundle into ½ ounce bottle sets (they also have a red, white, and blue set available for the Patriotic ink lover and a 14-ink exotic shade set, for example.)
Millennium Mom’s tattoo ink has a great reputation for top quality vibrant color ink that holds well and flows easily. They also have the Nuclear range of UV and blacklight sensitive ink.
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly, no animal testing
- Available: ½ oz, 7 Bottle Set
- Other Sets also Available
- 120+ color shades
- Price: $$
5. Intenze Color Tattoo Ink Sets 1 oz (19 Color Tattoo Ink Set)
Created by tattoo artist Mario Barth in 2002 Intenze Tattoo Ink is a product leader for bright colored, vibrant ink.
This 1oz 19 bottle set offers tremendous value for the tattoo artist looking for top quality colored ink at a good price that can be used straight out of the bottle.
Intenze ink also offers other cool product sets such as pastel colors for use in watercolor tattoo and new wave designs.
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly, no animal testing
- Available: 1 oz, 19 Bottle Set
- Other Sets also available
- Intenze Tattoo Ink offers 30-day money back guarantee
- Price: $
6. Starbrite Colors Sterilized Tattoo Ink – Red Green Blue Yellow 1 oz
The Starbrite Tattoo Ink primary colors set is aimed at those tattoo artists looking for a base color to use in mixing their own inks.
The Starbrite Pro Team features a roster of amazing tattoo artist and designers, whose focus is on standout color ink application and design.
Starbrite is popular with artists who look for vivid long-lasting color, and the company offers over 170 different shades
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly, no animal testing
- Available: 1 oz, 4 Bottle Primary Colors Set
- Other Sets also available
- Over 170 color shades produced
- Price: $$
7. World Famous Tattoo Ink – Charcoal Greywash Set
World Famous Tattoo Ink is one of the oldest established tattoo ink manufacturers having begun operations over 50 years ago by Lou Rubino Jnr.
They’ve built a colossal reputation in the tattoo industry by consistently delivering quality tattoo ink to the latest health and safety standards.
This World Famous Tattoo Ink set is ideal for the dedicated black and gray tattoo specialist looking for distinct differences in the starting points for their gray ink. It’s primarily geared towards darker style grays but can be diluted down for lighter tones.
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly, no animal testing
- Available: 4 oz, 3 bottle set
- Other Sets also available
- Ideal for black and gray artists
- Price: $$
8. Bloodline UV Tattoo Ink Nuclear Invisible
Bloodline (when they were still Skin Candy Tattoo Ink) were one of the very first ink producers to develop and market a successful tattoo ink for blacklight conditions.
Basically, with this tattoo ink, the tattoo will be unseen unless placed under UV blacklight, which is a cool tattoo design feature, and popular nice subgenre.
It’s not a type of tattoo ink for everyone, but for the tattoo artist and shop looking to stand out from the competition, being able to do eternal ink for blacklight enthusiasts is a cool point of difference.
Key Features and Specs
- Made in USA
- Vegan Friendly
- Available: 1oz
- Price: $$$
Tattoo Ink Glossary
In your research about different types of tattoo ink you may come across the following terminology:
Azo Pigment: A common family of organic compounds used as tattoo colorants. Azo pigment and compounds are primarily in vegan tattoo ink
Blacklight Tattoo: A blacklight tattoo is one which can’t be detected under natural, light it can only be seen when exposed under a UV blacklight globe.
Ink Carrier: Carriers are liquids that act as solvents and “carry” the ink into the skin. The most common carriers are ethyl alcohol and distilled water
Melanin: Melanin is the pigment that gives people their hair, skin tone, and eyes color. The more melanin you have means a darker skin color
Tattoo Color: The final formulation of a pigment which the tattooist is using which is primarily injected under the skin
Tattoo Pigment: The different materials providing color to a tattoo. Pigment powder and concentrates that create color are not readily available for the body to absorb
Vegan Tattoo Ink: Vegan ink uses an organic pigment such as azo pigment, carbon black or logwood to create a black tattoo ink, and a vegetable-based glycerin or witch hazel carrier.
How to Choose Tattoo Ink
Experienced professional tattoo artists are meticulous in choosing their inks for use straight out of the bottle for clients or mixed to create the desired shades and saturation. This process is less simple for inexperienced or apprentice tattoo artists.
Here are a five tips to choosing the right tattoo ink to purchase:
- Make sure the ink has the right value. Being cheap is not the be all and end all – in fact for something as important as a tattoo being cheap may be counterproductive. Is the ink versatile enough to be mixed, can it be used for a variety of styles, or as a base color in mixing? Is it going to be used often, or just occasionally in the tattoos you’ll be applying?
- Is it safe and ethical? To be considered on the right side of health and safety guidelines tattoo ink should be:
- Sterilized
- Vegan friendly/Organic
- Not tested on animals
- Up to EU and US standards
- Non-toxic
- What do the experts think? Read reviews from your peers on the strengths and weaknesses of each type of tattoo ink and do your research thoroughly. Visit the ink supplier’s site or see how the ink looks in action via their pro team or Instagram handle
- See what the customers think. Did the ink hold up over time? Does the shading still look free flowing and intricate? Are the colors still vivid? Is the linework still crisp and sharp? Anything less than yes, and you should be looking elsewhere
- Verify your supply. Make sure the ink is legit from the company it’s being sold from and alert the seller/supplier immediately if there are any problems.
Tattoo Ink FAQs
Can you mix tattoo ink?
Yes, tattoo inks can be mixed, diluted, and blended by the tattoo artist before being applied by tattoo machine or stick and poke single needle. They can be made darker or lighter to the artist’s design taste for both color and black and gray ink, however this method is usually done by experienced professional artists who like to experiment from their base color sets.
What are the best tattoo inks to use?
The ink companies reviewed above are popular with professionals for good reason. Here they are in brief:
- Dynamic Ink
- Kuro Sumi Tattoo Ink
- Millennium Moms, aka Mom’s Ink
- Bloodline Tattoo Ink
- World Famous Tattoo Ink
- Intenze Tattoo Ink
- Tommy’s Starbrite Colors
They make safe, vegan friendly organic ink that’s not tested on animals. The inks are made in the USA to the strictest standards, which mean they can be used by the tattoo industry worldwide.
Can heavy black ink tattoos be removed?
Yes. Laser tattoo removal has developed rapidly in recent years and even the heavily saturated black ink tattoo designs can be removed. They may take more time – and are therefore more expensive – but these days almost any tattoo mistake can be rectified by laser tattoo removal
Are tattoos dangerous?
Yes, you’re placing a needle filled with ink under your skin to create a wound. Make sure you are aware and understand the risks.
While there is very little anecdotal evidence of poisoning from tattoo ink, the fact remains that some of the materials used in colorants are not designed for human consumption.
Getting tattooed can cause infection, allergic reaction – red ink in particular can create issues – and other health/skin complications. That’s why there are improvements to health practice and legislation being developed all the time.
For more useful information articles regarding tattoo health and issues, click on the following links below:
- What is Tattoo Ink Made From?
- Why Is My Tattoo Raised?
- How Much Does Tattoo Removal Cost?
- Can You Use Coconut Oil on Tattoos?
- What Is Tattoo Blowout and Can it Be Fixed?
- Eyebrow Tattoos: A guide to microblading
