1. Millennium Moms Black Onyx
Millennium Moms Black Onyx is the best tattoo ink if you want a name brand with a stellar reputation. This tattoo ink has strong pigments and won’t fade easily. It also goes on the skin well and minimizes rashes.
Why do you need the Best Tattoo Ink?
If you are a tattoo artist or an aspiring one, you should be very particular about your equipment. Of course, it is wise to get a top-notch tattoo gun, but did you know that using the best tattoo ink can also make a huge difference? With good quality tattoo ink, you don’t run into problems such as the ink smearing, wearing off rapidly over time, or causing some health issues.
Tattoo inks are made of two components: pigment and carrier. You can buy the pigment and carrier separately and mix them yourself to have complete control of what goes into your art. Hand-mixed ink is always preferable to premixed ink, as long as you know what you are doing. However, a majority of people, just go with premixed ink. It will make your life much easier.
In terms of pigment, it is what gives you ink color. They usually consist of metals, plants, or plastic. So basically any element that has a strong color can be a pigment. Keep in mind that different people will react differently to certain pigments. Some pigments may even cause rashes or skin irritations.
The most common types of tattoo inks are carbon-based for tattoo artists. They sit just below the surface of the skin and come in a variety of colors. There are also oxide-based inks, which are used for cosmetic tattooing such as lipstick, eyebrows, and eyeliners. Finally, there are specialty inks, which include glow-in-the-dark, UV, and henna ink.
Next, we have carriers, which is a liquid that you mix the pigment with to get your tattoo ink. The carrier “carries” the pigment beyond the puncture point and into your skin. Carriers can be alcohol-based or even water and methanol-based.
Best Tattoo Ink Detailed Reviews
- Millennium Moms Black Onyx
- Skin Candy Tattoo Ink
- Kuro Sumi Colors Tattoo Ink
- Black Buddha Tattoo Shading Ink
- StarBrite Color Set Tattoo Ink
1. Millennium Moms Black Onyx
Millennium Moms is certainly the best black tattoo ink if you want the most popular brand. For those of you who have worked as a tattoo artist, you should be aware of this brand. They make some of the best quality tattoo inks in the industry and have a very reputable brand name. This particular Millennium Moms color is Black Onyx, but they also produce tattoo ink in a variety of other colors. In fact, we just so happen to really like the black Onyx tone.
The ink is a very good solid black. It is gentle on the skin and does not have much fading after healing. Millennium Moms works great for stick and poke and other tattoo styles. We think it is well priced for the quality as well. And because it is made by a trusted manufacturer, you know that every batch is going to be perfectly quality controlled. Overall, it is commonly agreed upon by most tattoo artists that Millennium Moms makes some of the best quality tattoo ink out there.
2. Skin Candy Tattoo Ink
If you want the best black tattoo ink, you should seriously consider the Skin Candy tattoo ink. This is an all-purpose thick black tattoo ink that should be used with magnum needle grouping. It should predominately be used in tribal black work. However, if you want to use it for outlining, you should cut it down 3:1 with distilled water or Listerine. Additionally, if you want to shade, you should thin it out even more based on your preferred tone. You can also use it for stick and poke.
What we really like about this tattoo ink is that it works for all tattoo styles. The ink is quite dark, vibrant, and definitely good quality. As far as we know, it does not cause too many negative side effects or rashes, although it really depends on the person. According to long-time users, it leaves a steady tone that takes a long time to fade away. Furthermore, the color retention is great and Skin Candy can hold its ground against some of the best tattoo inks in the industry. One thing we did hear is that it has a bit of a strange smell from the pigment, so just beware of this.
3. Kuro Sumi Colors Tattoo Ink
If you want the best tattoo ink that is environmentally conscious, you should try the Kuro Sumi Colors set. This set stands out from the rest in the fact that it is made of all-natural ingredients. You get a set of 7 different colors that include koi yellow, samurai white, rising sun orange, Tokyo rose red, mineral green, buddha blue, and double Sumi black.
We think the best thing about the Kuro Sumi Colors is that it is made in Japan. As we all know, the Japanese are world-renowned for making top-notch products and this tattoo ink set is no exception. It is made of top-quality all-natural organic pigments and carriers. Furthermore, the quality control on each bottle is impeccable and even the packaging looks nice. If you want more colors, Kuro Sumi has a wide variety.
In general, this tattoo ink set works very well. It is comparable to Mom’s or Skin Candy in terms of quality. It applies to strong and bold and does not fade easily over time. If you think the colors are too strong, you can water it down to get different shades of certain colors.
4. Black Buddha Tattoo Shading Ink
The Black Buddha is another well-known brand in the tattoo ink industry. They make some of the best tattoo ink for those looking for quality. This particular tattoo ink is meant for outlining and shading. Furthermore, the Black Buddha Greywash shading ink has deep and vibrant pigments with high concentrations.
We really like the Black Buddha series because they go in quite easily and cover in a single pass. Additionally, they heal better than most inks we have tried out and last much longer. This particular ink is a grey wash series which is great for shading. In fact, you can totally avoid mixing when you need to shade. If you don’t like the shade of black, Black Buddha offers 100% ultra black, 75%, 25, and 10% color tones. Make sure you look for the Hologram Authenticity label to verify it is legitimate.
5. StarBrite Color Set Tattoo Ink
The StarBrite Top 6 Primary Color set is a great addition to any tattoo artist’s collection. This starter set comes with 6 main colors that include scarlet red, canary yellow, leaf green, bubbleGum Pink, Brite White, and Baby Blue. If you want to add some color and flavor to your tattoo work, we highly recommend this set.
StarBrite has been in the game for over 20 years and definitely knows what they are doing. We spoke to the owner of the firm, who is a dedicated tattoo artist who knows his trade well. Additionally, the StarBrite series goes on bold and is light on your skin, so no rashes. It also does a great job when it comes to fade resistance. Finally, the colors are bright and have a good consistency. For a colored tattoo ink set, we can’t ask for more.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_ink
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/tattoo.htm
