With all of the different equipment required for tattooing, only one part of it actually stays around forever – the ink. Tattoo ink lives with people, under their skin. It becomes part of who they are.
Ink has come a long way from the days of sailor tattoos. Today there are almost too many options, and the cold, hard truth is many of those options are just not great. In order for a tattoo to live up to its potential, in terms of longevity and vivid color, the brand of ink has got to be of a high quality.
Tattoo professionals should research the different types of inks available, this will allow them to find the best fit for their art style.
These five top tattoo ink brands are made in the United States and are all of the highest quality. Read on to discover what sets each of them apart from the rest.
1. Eternal Ink
Eternal Ink is one of the oldest brands in the business. It was established in 1980 by Terry “Tramp” Welker. These water based inks are glycerol free, suitable for vegans and non-toxic.
The sheer variety of Eternal Ink is hard to match, with new colors constantly being introduced. Though the brand has been around for a very long time, it stays fresh by offering new varieties and edging in on the hottest trends in ink like flesh colors and white ink. The dark colors offered by Eternal Ink are among the best in the business, for both their vivid appearance and longevity.
2. Intenze
Intenze Tattoo Ink’s mission is to work with tattoo artists to develop innovation. This U.S. company partners with artists to promote creativity in the industry and then translates that into the ink that’s necessary to fuel the fire. With more colors available than any other brand on the market, Intenze allows artists the fullest range of possibilities. The colors are long lasting and the tattoo ink easy to work with in terms of flow and thickness.
Intenze prioritizes is safety. In order for an ink to be truly sterile, it has to be free of both mutagenic toxins and amines, and Intenze makes that happen with its ink. Every batch is verified sterile with a third party group to ensure the highest standards in safety. They’re also vegan and compliant with both American and E.U. quality and safety requirements.
3. Dynamic Inks
There’s no better word to describe Dynamic Ink: Intense.
In fact, the colors that come from Dynamic are so bright and focused that the company actually recommends using white to cut them, and using yellow to cut browns. These high-quality tattoo inks come in a wide variety of colors that allow artists to push their art to the next level.
These tattoo inks are made in the U.S. with premium pigments and are perfect for new school tattoo artists. The pre-dispersed pigment formula is easy to work with and feels great in the skin, going in easy and healing beautifully for long lasting quality. Designs stay true to color over time, maintaining that wonderfully intense color for clients.
4. Millennium Moms
Don’t be fooled by the name; this isn’t your mama’s tattoo ink.
A pigment-based ink with feel and color that’s hard to match, Millennium Moms Ink has been around since the mid-1990’s and has been adopted by tattoo artists everywhere for its rich and innovative color line. Mom’s Ink is top rated in terms of flow rate, pigment life and color consistency. It passes into the skin smoothly and beautifully, allowing artists to create designs that are eye-popping and full of movement.
What really sets Mom’s Ink apart (aside from its high quality) is its line of Nuclear Colors black light ink, considered to be among the safest and brightest available. Mom’s Ink took its expertise in pigment-based colors and brought it to black light.
5. Starbrite Tattoo Inks
If you’re looking for staying power, then Starbrite is the brand for you. Created 25 years ago by Tommy Ringwalt, Jr., Starbrite Tattoo Inks offer an incredible variety of colors – a variety constantly expanding as Tommy travels the world consulting with artists to find out what they want to see. All Starbrite’s tattoo ink is blasted with gamma radiation to kill all microorganisms. Developed in close connection with the FDA to follow strict guidelines, Starbrite is among the most rigorously tested and safest tattoo ink brands on the market.
This ink works well with a wide variety of tattoo styles, and is used by a wide range of tattoo artists to create their masterpieces. It’s pigment-based, which gives it vivid color. The colors are pre-dispersed for ease of use. Tattoos completed with Starbrite are known to heal well and stay true to color over time.
This brand is built on quality and loyalty, and many artists use Starbrite exclusively. It’s important to note that this brand is so popular it’s widely imitated--so be sure to verify that you’re buying authentic Starbrite ink from a professional source.
Tattoo ink is the medium through which a tattoo artist creates the beautiful, meaningful and fun designs that clients walk through the door for. High quality tattoo ink lasts longer, looks better, and feels better – that’s why it’s so important for tattoo artists to use the best for their clients.
More Tattoo Ink Brands
Click here to view a complete list of tattoo ink brands carried by Monster Steel.