When getting inked, the tattoo artist’s skill and the design itself are crucial factors. But an often overlooked yet equally important element is the quality of the tattoo ink used. The ink is what will give your tattoo its vibrant colors, crisp lines, and bold presence – it’s the literal fabric of your body art. Skimping on ink quality can lead to a range of issues down the line, from premature fading to potential health risks.
The Importance of Quality Ink
At its core, tattoo ink is composed of pigments suspended in a carrier solution. While this may sound simple, the quality and type of pigments and carriers used can make a world of difference. Top-notch tattoo inks contain vibrant, stable pigments derived from minerals and plants rather than potentially toxic heavy metals or industrial dyes. The carrier solutions in professional-grade inks are designed to be sterile, smooth, and compatible with the skin to prevent infections and allergic reactions.
When an experienced tattoo artist uses a quality ink, the results are evident – bold, saturated colors that retain their vibrancy for years, crisp lines without blurring or spreading, and reduced risk of the ink being rejected by the body. In contrast, cheap inks can start fading within a couple of years, bleed into undesirable areas, develop unsightly patchiness, and even trigger inflammatory reactions in some individuals.
One of the primary goals when getting a tattoo is permanence – you want that art to remain looking fresh for decades to come. Quality tattoo inks are formulated to be highly resilient and resistant to the effects of sun exposure, friction, and the body’s natural processes that cause pigments to break down over time. By using inks with superior lightfastness and stability, your tattoo artist can create a piece that maintains its vibrancy and crisp edges long after the initial healing process.
Innovations in Ink
The tattoo industry is constantly evolving, and ink manufacturers are at the forefront of this evolution. Some of the latest innovations in tattoo ink technology include:
Vegan and Cruelty-Free Formulations: As ethical considerations become more important to consumers, tattoo ink brands are developing vegan-friendly inks that avoid any animal-derived ingredients like bone char or glycerin from animal fats.
Improved Pigment Purity: New filtration and refining methods allow ink makers to produce pigments with unparalleled purity, reducing the risk of contaminants that could trigger reactions.
UV Protection: Some inks now incorporate UV-blocking compounds that help protect the pigments from sun damage, a leading cause of premature fading in tattoos.
Brighter, More Vibrant Colors: Advances in pigment chemistry have yielded inks capable of producing colors that pop off the skin with unrivaled brilliance, expanding the creative potential for tattoo artists.
The Risks of Low-Quality Ink
While quality tattoo inks are thoroughly vetted for safety and performance, bargain basement inks often cut corners and use questionable ingredients. Some of the potential risks associated with low-grade tattoo inks include:
Allergic Reactions: Cheap inks may contain metals, dyes, or other substances that can trigger allergic responses like rashes, excessive swelling, or even systemic reactions requiring medical treatment.
Infection and Rejection: Compromised sterility and the presence of contaminants in low-quality inks increase the chances of developing infections at the tattoo site or having the ink rejected by the body’s immune system.
Premature Fading and Blurring: With inferior pigments and carrier solutions, tattoos done with cheap ink will start losing vibrancy and clarity at a much faster rate than those done with professional-grade products.
Difficulty with Laser Removal: Should you ever want to remove or modify a tattoo, low-quality inks can be highly resistant to laser removal techniques, leading to incomplete fading and increased risk of scarring.
Getting inked is an artistic expression that will be part of your body for life. It’s crucial to ensure that your canvas – your skin – is adorned with the highest quality materials available. Don’t shortchange your tattoo experience by allowing an artist to use subpar inks that could compromise the look and longevity of your body art. Do your research, ask about the specific inks the artist uses, and most importantly, be an informed consumer.
Here are our favorite high-quality inks that we swear by:
Dermaglo Ink
Dermaglo is an artist-owned and run company that has offered some of the best pigments to artists worldwide for decades. They manufacture and distribute all of their ink in-house in Northeast England, supervised by tattoo artists to ensure each batch is perfect. They constantly ensure that they offer the best and brightest pigments on the market.
Dynamic Platinum Inks
REACH compliant for use throughout Europe and beyond. All Dynamic Platinum Color Tattoo Inks have met or exceeded all regulations as set forth by REACH.
Vegan and Never Tested on Animals: Dynamic Color products contain zero animal products and are never tested on any furry friends. Their tattoo inks are safe on the skin, better for the environment, and ultimately preferred for your overall health.
Professional Quality Pre-Dispersed Inks: The Dynamic Platinum Tattoo Color Range provides premium quality tattoo ink with the most impressive pigment content in the business. Noted for its smooth flow rate, their inks are up to the challenge of any piece — from precise detail work to outlining or shading.
Authentic and Hygienic: Dynamic is aware of the large volume of fraudulent products on the market, which is why all Dynamic Platinum Tattoo Inks arrive in crystal clear PET bottles with a Holographic label adorned with the Dynamic Color logo anti-counterfeiting coating. Even our heat seals, which secure your sterilized product, hold the Dynamic Color stamp of approval.
Reliable Healing: Say goodbye to stubborn healing processes or unhappy clients. Dynamic Platinum Tattoo Inks go in smooth and heal vibrantly for noticeably vivid results that can stand the test of time.
Bold, Bright, Long-Lasting Colors: Every artist deserves high-quality tattoo ink. Available in an expanded range of 30 colors, their high-pigment inks can be mixed to create your own custom blends. With Dynamic Platinum Tattoo Ink on your needle, the only limit is your own imagination.
Sacred Tattoo Ink
From the original creator of Fanstia, Eternal, and former owner/CEO of Fusion comes Sacred Tattoo Ink.
Adam Everett has years of ink-making experience – since 1996 to be exact. Sacred Ink is the best ink you will use. It is made in small batches in their state-of-the-art clean room at their 4000-square-foot facility. All batches are made with a higher pigment load and no glycerin or fillers of any kind. They get their pre-dispersed pigment bases from top chemists that they have known and trusted for decades and all are made in the USA. Their facility is dedicated to the sole purpose of putting out the best tattoo inks you can use. This has been and continues to be a true life passion – from his wife Peggy, to his brother & business partner Steve and his wife Jeanne – they are a true family business that cares. Sacred Ink, Because every body is a Temple.
World Famous Tattoo Ink
World Famous Tattoo Ink brings premium quality tattoo ink with super high pigment content and an amazing flow rate. World Famous Ink flies into the skin and heals super fast. Their inks are vegan, vibrant, long-lasting, reliable, and better for immunity and overall health.
Starbrite Colors
Starbrite Colors from Tommy’s Supplies is a full, 180-color line of tattoo inks that are bottled, labeled, gamma-treated, tested, and shipped according to FDA stipulations. After years of research and development, consulting with the FDA, and meeting all of the specified guidelines, Starbrite has some of the most authentic and cleanest tattoo ink.
