Open an account online in under two minutes and start shopping at wholesale prices straight away.
Open an account online in under two minutes and start shopping at wholesale prices straight away.
Buying in bulk for a one-off project? Spend £240 (£200 + VAT) on the website and 45% comes off at checkout.
Inks can be categorised into two groups: pigment based, or dye based.
What is Pigment Ink?
Pigment based ink is waterproof when dry and very lightfast (won't fade over time). Which means they are often used for outline tasks in graphic design, Illustration or in comics & manga. A big reason for this, is because the lines will not bleed when adding subsequent layers of paint or ink.
Pigment based inks also can be used as a watercolour equivalent, by diluting the ink with water and applied as a wash, the subsequent layers can be applied without bleeding producing unique effects once dry. An example of a pigment ink would be Indian Ink which is probably the oldest and most famous example of pigment ink.
What is Dye Based ink?
Dye based ink, conversely, is much more colour-dense and can be produced in a wider variety and brightness of colours but suffers from not being as lightfast as pigment ink and tends to bleed when water is re-applied. However, it is generally much cheaper than pigment ink.
We naturally provide both types, giving you a choice between the two.
In addition, we also supply a variety of application tools, reflecting the long and storied history of the medium. To represent the original ink makers, we even supply sets of traditional pointed bamboo sticks, as used in China, and sets of manuscript dip pen nibs with pen holder. Please also browse our brush and refillable brush pen selection for other ink application methods!