The 8 Best Tattoo Inks In 2022 And How To Choose the Right One

It’s never too late to pick up new skills, whether you’re just getting started in the tattoo industry or you are a seasoned pro. 

Every day is a school day, and today we’re going to teach you about the top tattoo inks available on the market in 2022.

You may already have a favorite brand that you always end up going back to, but there is no harm in checking out some other options.

If you’re new to the game, you will definitely want to check our list on the best tattoo ink sets available today.

The InkedWay editorial team have put together a list of the top tattoo inks on the market based on their 20+ years of combined expertise in the tattoo business.

In our quest to find the finest option overall that will work for all tattoo artists, we have tested and reviewed more than 40 brands.

So, let’s get started! Here are the best tattoo ink sets in 2022 (in our opinion).

This review is based on the following criteria:

• Ingredients: You will not find any inks in this list that contain chlorine, bromine, iodine, or heavy metals that contain lead, arsenic, etc. (which can cause skin irritations and/or malignancies); azo dyes, and aromatic amines (which are carcinogens).
• Quality of tattoos made with these inks (including tattoos that are several years old)

• Manufacturer’s reliability
• Maximum consistency of color in the manufacturer’s photo and the actual ink color
• Speed and easy healing
• Smooth inking under the skin

Please check before buying! How to avoid buying fakes?

Best Tattoo Ink Sets In 2022 Overview

Best tattoo ink	Brand
1. Best tattoo ink sets	Intenze Color Tattoo Ink
2. Best black tattoo ink	Dynamic Black
3. Best quality tattoo ink	Nocturnal Lining & Shading Black
4. Best color tattoo ink	Eternal Tattoo Ink Set
5. Best cheap tattoo ink	Millennium Moms
6. Best tattoo ink on the market	World Famous Tattoo Ink
7. Best Red Tattoo Ink	NBK Fire Red Set
8. Best professional tattoo ink sets	Kuro Sumi

Best Tattoo Ink Sets: Intenze Color Tattoo Ink

At the top of this ranking, the INTENZE brand is a dominant force to be reckoned with, paving the way for all other ink brands. 

It incorporates a wide variety of colors, and the highest standards and quality of all tattoo ink colors, for both black-and-white and colored tattoos. 

Originally founded in the early 1990s, this brand became the first to offer a comprehensive description of their ink composition. The business set out to create pigments that would be appropriate for everybody, regardless of circumstances. 

After lengthy evaluation, they were successful and became the very first business in the tattoo world to run an ISO 9001:2015 certified production facility.

The brand’s colors are created to adhere to the strictest requirements for safety and reliability, and the web ingredient disclosure is easily accessible to everyone. 

Aside from sealing and protective coatings to ensure that the packages haven’t been opened before you, INTENZE includes distinctive indications to differentiate the genuine product from imitations. 

All in all, the efficiency and security of their products are their top priorities.

User Experience

Tattoo inks from the INTENZE brand, specifically this ink set, come in all the hues you could possibly desire.

The 54, 1 oz (37.8 gram) bottles they offer give you access to a broad variety of hues, providing you the luxury of variation, and their vast color palette is unmatched.

Additionally, the inks flawlessly blend together, so even if the color you want is not on your palette, you will still obtain it.

However, there is a 90% chance that this ink set will contain the precise color you require, as there are 54 to pick from.

With more colors compared to any other manufacturer, INTENZE produces the safest tattoo ink on the market with the highest quality, and they are continuously increasing and adding to their product offerings.

Two separate laboratories conduct tests upon every supply of INTENZE ink to ensure its sanitation.

These inks are warranted to be completely devoid of spores, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Micrococcus, yeast, biological/fungal bioburdens, in addition to the mutagenic poisons known as amines. The company’s site has all pertinent supplementary information.

INTENZE colors are among the finest on the planet, and are perfect for both amateurs and experts. When dealing with INTENZE ink, you will never jeopardize the client’s safety, or your credibility, since you will be using high-quality products.

Pros

• Enormous color palette.
• Impressive color complexity.
• Suitable for all skin types.
• Vibrant hues.
• Thick consistency; easy to work with.
• Perfect for both beginners and professionals.
• 100% vegan friendly.
• 100% safe and sterile.
• Fast and easy healing.
• Less drying time.
• Slow consumption.

Cons 

• Short shelf life.

Best Black Tattoo Ink Brand: Dynamic Black

You will want to seek out the ‘perfect black’ pigment when it comes to black inks, so that your dotwork, blackwork, tribal art, and other, alternative styles turn out beautifully.

There are two brands that we recommend for black ink, and Dynamic Black is one of them. 

The best black tattoo ink to use, in our opinion, is Dynamic Black. This product’s solid black pigmentation will produce the most consistent and precise lines and strokes.

There are no drips or streaks left behind by this liquid ink. It truly has stood the test of time, and is suitable for both experts and novices.

In fact, newbies will learn much faster and easier if they start with a quality product like this one.

User Experience

Its durability, which many users appreciate, qualifies this product as a low-maintenance tattoo ink. 

The color is distributed evenly over through the dark parts to be covered. To acquire thick coverage, you don’t have to ‘circle’ in the same place for a very long time.

Finer details and outlines are also excellent since they are crisp, delicate, less hazy, and less thick over time.

Additionally, the recovery time is short, simple, and practically painless. There have been no reported negative responses to this ink.

The pigment also maintains its black hue as much as it can following the healing stages, without changing hue or becoming lighter.

This product is also beneficial for the gray wash process, according to the manufacturer. You may get a collection of these inks to make fantastic gray wash tattoos in addition, since Dynamic White is considered one of the greatest white tattoo inks. 

The ink is perfect for all tattooing approaches and fashions, but it is especially renowned as the top tattoo ink for tribal art.

Finally, one of the several benefits that this brand offers tattoo artists is low cost. You won’t have to worry about paying a lot of cash for this quality, as it is more than reasonably priced.

Pros

• Smudge-free.
• Maintains color and resists fading.
• Outstanding coverage.
• Delivers sharper lines.
• No adverse responses were observed.
• Well-balanced pigments.
• Outstanding ease of use. 
• Fast healing process.
• Slowly consuming.
• Reasonably priced.
• Available in a range of sizes.

Cons 

• It can be difficult to wash the ink from the body (stains easily).

Best Quality Tattoo Ink: Nocturnal Lining & Shading Black

In addition to Dynamic Black, we also heartily endorse the Nocturnal Lining & Shading Black ink as a black pigment, as well as it being our top-rated, best quality tattoo ink.

Franco Vescovi, the inventor of the Bishop tattoo machine, was one of the two tattoo artists that established this company. Nocturnal pigment provides a quick, easy application and a deep, rich hue.

Nocturnal tattoo ink’s formulation can be used as a model simply because it doesn’t possess any powerful chemical solvents.

User Experience

Nocturnal Lining & Shading offers the very same smoothness as other professional inks, as well as a considerably deepened black tone, and enables you to produce flawlessly seamless and precise shadows.

Any kind of line, solid-black shading, and gray wash methods can be accomplished using this pigment.

Utilizing this brand will yield a satisfying outcome, as it is so incredibly silky and dark against the skin.

The pigment that makes black and white tattoos the easiest to apply is Nocturnal Lining and Shading. On a cellular scale, it is also the ideal formula for black pigment.

After the mending, Nocturnal will exhibit itself so much more. Your clients will undoubtedly be pleased with how well this product performs.

Pros

• Quick and simple to heal.
• Maintains color.
• Does not drip.
• Effortlessly penetrates skin.
• No adverse skin reaction
• A uniform distribution while tattooing.
• All tattooing techniques are applicable (lining, shading, gray wash).
• Available in a range of sizes.

Cons 

• Not the most budget-friendly.
• Easily soiled.

Best Color Tattoo Inks: Eternal Tattoo Ink Set

Featuring some of the highest-quality colors obtainable today, Eternal has some of the finest tattoo inks available.

It is completely organic and suitable for use by the overwhelming bulk of tattoo artists due to the complete exclusion of acrylic, other chemical contaminants, and animal products in its formulation.

Upwards of 150 distinct tints and colors are produced by this company, which should come to the delight of each tattoo artist. 

By establishing rigorous criteria for product consistency, top-notch ingredients, and exceptional performance across the board for all tattoo inks, Eternal truly is paving the way.

User Experience

You will receive the largest selection of colors, the most varied package possibilities, and the greatest variety of bottle sizes per color thanks to the set’s inclusion of 60 various shades.

Due to the black pigments constantly being short in supply, ordering more would be advised. The other hues are identical to what you see in the bottle, precisely complementary, and universal.

When utilizing Eternal ink, you’ll see that it has a lot of pigmentation. As there are fewer passes over the skin, this saves both substance and time for the tattoo artist.

The customer suffers less trauma during the operation, which is yet another advantage.

Since the Eternal ink is noticeably thicker, using it is so much simpler compared to other inks. The world’s finest tattoo artists choose to utilize these pigments due to their exceptional color rendering.

Generally, this product is strongly suggested because of the high-quality pigments and good price.

Pros

• Vibrant hues.
• Completely Vegan Friendly
• Heals effectively.
• Reasonable price.
• Minimal consumption
• Exactly the same shade as the bottle.
• Hypoallergenic.
• Amazing color scheme.

Cons 

• It could take some time for you to adjust to the constancy.

Best Cheap Tattoo Ink: Millennium Moms

The world’s first uniform, mineral-based tattoo ink in the world was Millennium Mom’s Ink. To this day, this is a brand that you can trust and one that we definitely recommend when it comes to cheap tattoo ink.

The tattoo ink from Millennium Mom is the ideal choice due to its balanced composition, a homogenous smoothness, and it is reasonably priced.

These colors are said to be the best for capturing the beauty of both New School and Old School tattoos, allowing you to switch it up with these hues.

User Experience

There are more than 40 colors in the color palette, which is even sufficient for a seasoned tattoo artist. All of Millennium Mom’s tattoo inks are vegan-friendly and offer a variety of color options.

The ink is long-lasting, provides subtle shading and soft edges, and is comfortable on all skin types.

There is sufficient ink in each bottle to produce tattoo designs of various sizes. It is not necessary to continually refill your tattoo machine since the coverage is excellent.

Another intriguing benefit is that the colors don’t need to be shaken, stirred, or diluted beforehand; they are already mixed and ready to use when you are.

The colors are vivid and rich, and the ink is simple to use. It may be used to even the most sensitive skin because it is made entirely of non-toxic materials.

All the inks produced by Millennium Moms are sterilized and put through independent testing.

You shouldn’t worry about stocking up too quickly, since the storage time of every tattoo ink produced by Millennium Mom is approximately 4 years. You should definitely check out this vast selection of lovely, vibrant hues and give them all a try.

Pros

• The finest value for outstanding quality.
• Suitable for every type of skin.
• Uniform and free of residue.
• Rich outcomes are delivered following application.
• Vegan-friendly.
• Prolonged shelf life.
• A large selection of colors.
• Does not need to be shaken, stirred, or diluted.

Cons 

• Extended drying times.
• Containers are prone to leaking.

Best Tattoo Ink On The Market: World Famous Tattoo Ink

World Famous Tattoo Inks’ tattoo inks are used by world-renowned tattoo artists to produce their works.

By using this particular type of ink, you may raise the caliber of your work and make it more striking, forceful, bold, and colorful than ever before. World-class pigments from World Famous Ink are renowned for precisely this.

World Famous Tattoo Inks offer a very broad color spectrum and a variety of sets created by many well-known tattoo artists.

User Experience

With its premium tattoo inks, World Famous Ink is transforming the business. The ink comes in a neat container, which is a big benefit over other producers.

They provide handy canisters with caps that are simple to open and shut, and with a broad and varied color pallet, the colors are intense and vibrant.

The fact that this set is from the pro range, which only includes luscious and light color pigments and not the typical black, white, and gray pigments, should be taken into account.

Premium tattoo ink from World Famous Tattoo Ink has an exceptional flow rate and a very high pigment richness.

They use gamma radiation to sterilize their inks, which are vegan-friendly and packaged in crystal-flex vials with a tight twist cap, a tamper-evident label, and a watertight seal.

World Famous Ink penetrates the skin easily and heals very quickly. This ink can greatly simplify your work as an artist and make your tattoos shine with its vast color palette.

The tattoo is given life by the ink’s dense and opaque viscosity. The ink needs to be thoroughly shook prior to application to make it more homogenous.

The most sought-after creators support World Famous Inks since they boost their creations, transforming them into something larger, deeper, bolder, and brighter.

Additionally, no rashes or allergies have ever been reported through the use of these products, after many years of it being around.

Pros

• Several hues available.
• Comfortable consistency.
• Gamma radiation sterilization.
• Tamper-evident labeling
• Vegan-friendly.
• Bolder and more vibrant.
• Safe for skin.
• Commodious containers
• EU approved.

Cons 

• A little expensive.

Best Red Tattoo Ink: NBK Fire Red Set

This NBK Fire Red Set comes from a renowned brand. Four fire-red colors are included in the package for color tattooing. Both trash polka tattoos and other colorful designs look stunning with it.

The set includes four fundamental warm, crimson tones and a variety of red hues in various intensities and tints.

This assortment, which ranges from pale ruby red tones to darker scarlet hues, can aid in your pursuit of even better outcomes. The ideal combination for red patterns with shading variations.

User Experience

For a faultless piece of art, many of the most well-known tattoo artists in the world rely on World Famous’ bold, gorgeous tattoo ink, tattoo materials, and tattoo kits. The colors are stunningly vivid and of incredible quality.

As red ink is considered to be slightly hazardous to human skin, knowing that this professional tattoo ink is truly ultra-safe and pure will be vital to many consumers.

Every bottle of World Famous tattoo ink and materials is purified before being sealed in a crystal-flex bottle, which contains a scan code to confirm authenticity.

World Famous has worked tirelessly for over 50 years to provide the best tattoo ink and materials in the business, and they have succeeded in this endeavor.

As we mentioned in the previous section, professionals all over the world will vouch for the authenticity, quality, and vibrancy of these products.

If you are looking for the ideal red ink to use on your clients, we definitely recommend trying out the NBK Fire Red Set.

Pros

• Excellent consistency.
• Post-healing, tattoos appear more crisp.
• Vegan-friendly.
• Simple under-skin flow
• Optimal brightness
• Harmless to skin.
• Commodious bottles
• EU approved.

Cons 

• A little expensive.

Best Professional Tattoo Ink Sets: Kuro Sumi

Finally, this package from the Japanese company Kuro Sumi is among the best basic tattoo ink sets available for the money. There are seven basic colors in this tattoo ink set, including black, white, and other hues.

Given that this firm makes one of the best black pigments on the market, it is reasonable to expect that the black pigment in this package will be of high quality.

The kit also includes the hues blue, green, yellow, red, and orange in addition to black and white.

User Experience

One of the most well-known brands in the tattooing industry is Kuro Sumi. It is certain that the tattoo ink from this brand will achieve the desired outcomes no matter what sort of tattoo you desire. 

Although one single set is not likely to be adequate for color tattooing, it is the foundational set from which more colors can be obtained. Therefore, we recommend buying more than one set at a time to ensure you don’t run out of the product too quickly.

The striking color contrasts are the first thing that merits notice. The pigments look vibrant on the skin and render colors extremely well.

They don’t lose their brightness, fade, or become lighter in color. Additionally, they recover very fast and do not cause allergic or other skin problems.

Compared to other tattoo ink, this ink’s steady flow rate makes the shading and lining job easier.

Stocking up on empty bottles is advised because unsealed bottles frequently leak, making it necessary to instantly transfer the ink into another receptacle. It will be more secure, and possibly result in future cost savings for you in the long run.

Pros

• Effortless and reliable.
• A good price to quality ratio.
• No allergies or any symptoms, quick healing.
• 100% vegan-friendly
• Adaptable hues.
• Made of organic materials.

Cons 

• Caps for bottles may leak.
• Thicker than typical tattoo inks.

Best Tattoo Ink – Buyer’s Guide

Now that we have provided you with our top options when it comes to tattoo ink, you may be wanting to explore a little on your own.

After all, there are hundreds of brands that we have not mentioned, but this doesn’t mean that their ink is not worth using.

For this reason, we have added this buyer’s guide for you to check out. We have listed a couple of factors that you may want to take into consideration before purchasing any tattoo ink that we have not already mentioned in this article.

Take a little time to read through each aspect that you need to seriously consider before purchasing any kind of tattoo ink.

Cheap Tattoo Ink

There might be a delicate balance between seeking something that is ‘cheap’ and something that is ‘affordable’; at least, when it involves selecting tattoo inks that are appropriate to be applied to your customers.

The quality of the item typically distinguishes these two terms. Cheap inks might be more easily obtained, but they might not be suitable for use.

They might even leave your customers with tattoos that are uneven or that fade considerably more quickly.

On the other hand, you should try to avoid paying too much for ink, especially if it’s possible to obtain it for much less elsewhere. 

For example, Millennium Moms Tattoo Ink Set is outstanding quality for the price that it is retailed at. For just under $36, you can acquire seven 5 oz (189 g) bottles filled with fantastic, vibrant hues, and they are great quality, as well as safe to use.

The key is to keep an eye on verified reviews, as well as checking out each product’s list of ingredients. 

There are plenty of brands out there that sell their great-quality products for an affordable price, but you can’t trust every cheap brand that you discover. Be wary while purchasing.

Tattoo Ink Components

As you are likely already aware, different colored tattoo inks will be made up of different components. The variations of ingredients come from the fact that each color will require a different ‘dye’.

However, when injecting foreign substances into your skin, tattoo ink manufacturers need to be very careful about what ingredients they put into their products. They need to use very specific components that will:

1. Be safe on the client’s skin, avoiding creating infections and/or inflammation.
2. Add vibrant hues that will remain on the skin long after the tattoo has healed.

Below, we have listed the five most popular tattoo ink pigments, along with their main components.

Black

This pigment is the most often used since it forms the foundation of all patterns. It is made of tar, tree resin, rust, tar from animal bones, and Campesina extract. 

These components are used to create the great majority of black inks because they offer outstanding quality and are quite secure.

White

Although some people choose to have an entirely white tattoo, white ink is frequently used to highlight designs. Darker skin tones respond extremely well to this pigment.

Lead carbonate, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide are all ingredients in this colored ink.

Red

When used alone or in combination with other colors, red is the second most popular color. It contains mercury sulphide, cadmium selenide, or cinnabar.

There have been health cautions over the years, correlating to red ink, due to the fact that too much can result in major health problems. Microdoses of these elements are typically harmless for the human body. 

Yellow

Cadmium sulphide, turmeric, and certain inorganic materials are found in yellow ink. 

Although these ingredients are not as safe as other colors, their little proportion makes it unlikely that they will have any negative consequences.

Blue

Although blue ink is not a traditional color on its own, it is commonly used in combination with other colors. 

Cobalt is the element that gives this colored ink its blue hue.

Brown

Brown ink contains yellow ochre, clay, and iron oxide. This pigment is quite safe and durable.

Criteria For Choosing The Best Tattoo Pigment

You should examine a variety of factors while deciding which tattoo pigment to use. We’ve provided a list of important factors that you should think about below.

The Style Of Tattoo

Depending on the style of tattoos you are designing, tattoo ink should be selected. You need high-quality, rich black pigment if you want to create tattoos in black and white, such as Chicano, blackwork, tribal, etc.

We advise purchasing ink from a company like Nocturnal that specializes in creating just black ink. Colored inks are required for new school, old school, watercolor, illustration, realism, etc., styles.

The top color pigment brands include Millennium Mom’s, Intenze, World Famous, and Eternal. For trash polka tattoo designs, we also suggest red inks from World Famous.

Composition

As was already mentioned, the active ingredients of the various ink hues vary. Most inks are either organic (i.e., derived from the natural environment) or inorganic, depending on the ink’s composition (components extracted chemically).

You should always inspect each bottle of tattoo ink for the presence of dangerous and toxic ingredients, even though the majority of colors and components on the market are natural.

Color Performance

Prior to actually buying ink, it is always a good idea to read company evaluations and peruse the work of well-known tattoo artists.

By doing this, you can help ensure that the ink doesn’t heal with a color change, blur, or excessive fading. This list does not contain any product suggestions that fall short of these standards.

Brand

Avoid selecting unreliable manufacturers. These producers don’t always disclose all the ingredients in their products.

Instead, put your trust into brands that have been tried and tested by well-known tattoo artists and have positive customer and brand reviews.

Cost

You may pay more if you use professional inks made by reputed manufacturers, but you will be guaranteed against fading, blurring, and distortion of the picture over time.

Therefore, if the ink costs more, you are investing in quality and the assurance of receiving a top-notch product.

Information For Vegans 

According to The Vegan Society, animal products are used throughout the entire tattooing process.

The burnt, shred, and degreased animal bones used to make non-vegan black ink are thought to be what give the ink its most intense, rich shade of black. As a stabilizer, they could also include glycerin or animal gelatin.

While the majority of commonly used tattoo colors contain animal byproducts, there are some vegan-friendly inks available.

It is important to recognize that there is no evidence to support manufacturer claims that ‘vegan inks are healthier and safer for the human body than conventional inks’.

Simply said, utilizing vegan inks eliminates the use of animal byproducts. Plant-based ingredients and inorganic compounds are both present in these vegan inks. Similarly, you should examine each’s structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

It is challenging to answer with absolute certainty what the best tattoo ink is for all tattoo artists, given the wide variety of levels and types of tattooing in the globe.

However, we stand by the suggestions we made in the condensed list of the finest tattoo inks we offered above, from which has already made it so much simpler for you to select an option perfect for you.

Some of the most important aspects you will want to consider while searching for a new tattoo ink brand, is what ingredients they use.

You want to use products that are safe and harmless to human skin, and if you are working on vegan clients, take this into consideration also.

You will also want to take the style of tattoo into consideration, as well as the chosen composition, color performance, brand, and cost.

For this reason, you may want to broaden your options, and have a handful of different brands available for your picking. 

Which brand of tattoo ink do you prefer? Please let us know which of your favorites we missed off our list, as well as why you like it. We hope you found this article useful.

Affiliate Disclaimer: Last update on 2023-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API