Best Tattoo Inks For Dark Skin Reviews [Top 12 Choices]

Every professional artist has had their share of bad days that taught them how to get better. If you ask them, you will know some of the bad days happened only because of their wrong selection of ink. Sounds odd?

But it should not. Tattoo inks have different ingredients, and some of them can be harmful to your health. Using the wrong ones often costs a tattoo artist a bunch of unhappy clients. So, every time you think of trying new ink products, you should put some thought into it.

Luckily, I have already done that part. I dug deep to get the best tattoo inks for dark skin because dark skin tends the most to react to ink colors. You only have to read the reviews, see the pros and cons, consider the factors from the buying guide, and land on a decision.

Now without further ado, let’s begin.

Best Tattoo Inks For Dark Skin Reviews

1. Kuro Sumi Tattoo Ink Set

The original formulation of Kuro Sumi tattoo inks took place in Japan. Now it is well-reputed in the global tattoo arena. The Japanese inks make your tattoos lively by adding dimensions to them. Their molecular structure provides vivid and long-lasting color.

Speaking of color brightness, it is suitable for every skin type. Now, you might want assurance about applying to dark skin. Well, you will be surprised how perfect these rich-toned ink will set on your clients with dark skin tones. Besides, each of the ingredients used to manufacture them is natural. So there is no way they will irritate their skin.

Okay, how many colors will be there? SIXTEEN! Sixteen primary colors are in this Japanese tattoo ink set. The names are rose red, green, teal, blue, haze, grey, purple, peach, black, white, swede, brown, and others. The consistency of the inks is perfect. With that, their different style will add up to your techniques, eventually making wonderful tattoo designs.

You will find this must-have package available in tattoo shops since the USA now produces them widely. And their delivery service is swift and sincere, too.

2. World Famous Primary Tattoo Ink Set

World Famous Primary Tattoo Ink Set has the best tattoo inks for dark skin, which will deliver you flawless art with high pigment contents and lasting performance.

These premium-quality primary colors do not have any animal products. Plus, the company has never tasted them on animals. Since skin is a concerning issue here, you can rely on World Famous. The colors are safe because they wholly comply with the quality standards of the EU.

The ink bottles are also secure. The brand purifies and seals each in crystal-flex jars with scan codes for authenticity. The twelve-color ink set will have Paris Pink, Purple Heart, Michelangelo, Moroccan, Navy Seals Blue, Amsterdam Purple, Niagara Blue, Donatello Blue, Big Ben Blue, Bahama Blue, and Samuel O’Reilly.

Renowned professional artists have been using the World Famous inks on dark skin for the last five decades without any complaints. That is because the color quality is excellent, and there are no issues with fading. Simultaneously, the price range is not beyond affordability. In addition, they are applicable for multiple tattoo purposes and users.

3. Scream Tattoo Ink Set

People usually want many colors within a package. And lots of brands offer them that. But people also want those colors to be mixable. That is where very few brands can meet the expectations, and Scream is one of them.

You will scream out of joy when you unbox the parcel and find thirty colors in it. But save some of it for the mixing part. The colors are so well-made that they will blend just fine without giving you any hassle. Imagine having thirty colors and making even new colors by combining them! With their performance and your creativity, you will break a leg with your tattoos in no time.

Moreover, the colors are easy to apply. Any beginner will get a hold of them without spending much time. Again, professionals also find them great because of their blending quality.

The company will provide you with the inks in one-ounce, sealed, and sterilized bottles. So, there is no way for the inks to be in touch with microorganisms to cause skin damage. However, remember to check the expiry date mentioned in the jars. Buying expired inks will cause potential damages.

Lastly, the ink colors – but they are too many to name. So I am going to introduce my favorite ones – gold dust, orange tank, skin deep, electric yellow, burgundy, silk white, pitch black, mystical magenta, emerald city green, and more awaiting you to discover them!

4. Millennium Mom’s Exotic Tattoo Ink Set

You know your tattoo ink is exquisite when it has perfect consistency because it matters a lot in designing a tattoo. When it is Millennium Mom’s inks, you already know you have the best tattoo inks before using them. And that is no exaggeration. The products are incredibly magnificent performers.

The company has become a customer favorite due to its color flow maintenance and pigment durability. Therefore, you will receive your desired quality and color each time you use them.

The exotic tattoo ink set features fourteen colors. They are viper red, marine green, blu job, 1957 chevy, Indian orange, sandy beach, danger zone orange, piss yellow, Kentucky blue grass, mean green, snot green, green gob, burnt-out orange, and luscious lavender. They will be in one-ounce, sealed, and secure jars. The richness in the colors will separate the design from others by their vividness and longevity.

Before finishing the review, I want to say how much I appreciate the unique pricing system of Millennium Mom’s. The price is already super budget-friendly for this ink set of one-ounce colors. But then the company launched another ink set with a smaller size, charging lower.

That lets newcomers and professionals try out different colors to figure out their style without risking wasting money on the wrong colors. So, I think MM has a pretty lucrative option for every user.

>>>Mom’s Tattoo Ink Review<<<

5. Dynamic Black Tattoo Ink Bottle

Black tattoo ink is an inseparable part of making tattoo designs. So tattoo artists have to pay extra attention to it when tattooing on dark skin. If you plan to buy black ink, check out Dynamic Color first.

The brand has the best tattoo inks for dark skin. Especially the black ink’s pigment content is the most amazing among all. Nowadays, the demand is higher for the smoothest flow rate and most precise outlines and shades.

How do you deal with the increasing fraudulent inks in the market? The answer is Dynamic Color again. It uses crystal clear PET jars to keep its ink with an anti-counterfeiting-coated Dynamic logo.

With the black ink from this brand, you will happily say adios to unhappy clients or lengthy healing results. The color will blend in and be smooth enough to produce vivid, vibrant, and lasting results.

The products have zero animal ingredients. The brand never used our furry friends to test the inks. They are utterly safe for dark skin while also being healthy and environment-friendly.

Every artist deserves the best inks for giving their best to their art. So, even if you have just started, do not let that make you use cheap and suboptimal options. Choose the classy one with guaranteed performance. Choose Dynamic Color because it is trendy and affordable.

6. Intenze Authentic Grey Tattoo Ink ft. Mark Mahoney

The legendary American tattoo artist Mark Mahoney and Intenze approached scientifically to replicate Mahoney’s grey and black tattoo inks. And after several months of testing and development, they matched the Intenze products with Mark’s standards and launched them in the market.

The purpose of releasing the Mark Mahoney Gangster Grey Tattoo Ink is to explore Mark’s prominent grey and black tattoo styles. And you will see Intenze did an incredible job when using the inks. The results are perfectly suitable for lettering, grey and black portraits, and religious tattoos. Furthermore, the colors will stay on dark skin without causing any damage.

The ink package includes one-ounce black, grey, white inks and miracle water. There are six bottles, and the names are white silk, let there be light, miracle water, extra medium, black velvet, and dark and lovely.

The texture and consistency of the inks are of the correct amount. None of them are too watery or too thick. You can pour your creativity into them to blacken or grey up your tattoo designs.

7. Kuro Sumi Japanese Black Tattoo Ink

The only way to describe Kuro Sumi (if I want to do it proper justice) is that it adds life to your tattoos with its lively colors. That is sheerly why professionals and beginners love Kuro Sumi. The brand incorporates Japanese art and tradition in their inks, which gives your designs style and uniqueness.

The tribal black tattoo ink is the most suitable for dark skin. It is vegan-friendly and has no harmful chemicals. That means it will not irritate the skin, and it will turn out nice on darker tones. Lining, shading, color packing – this black ink will contribute everywhere.

Kuro Sumi always claims that their ink colors do not blend but stand out. And their claim is authentic. The superior consistency and brightness of the colors will prove that. By the way, in case you are into stick and poke tattoos, try it there too. You will be surprised by the results!

The quantity of the ink is one ounce. The price may seem a little higher for that. But believe me, the ink performance will make you want to have paid some bucks more for it!

Additional Read: Best tattoo ink for sensitive skin

8. Millennium Mom’s Black Pearl Tattoo Ink

Black Pearl from Millennium Mom’s is one of the most advanced and best tattoo inks for dark skin to outline and shade tattoos. And that came from the elite tattooists around the globe for the color’s unparalleled grey and black results. The thin consistency is bold enough with its highly concentrated pigments. As a result, the inks will get absorbed faster than most similar inks at present.

The homogenized pigment contents in the ink aid the design in staying bright and intact for a long time. As time goes by, you will think each application will have less quality than the previous one. But that will not happen with the MM Black Pearl. Rest assured, it is a consistent performer. The stored quantity in the jar will not deteriorate.

Usually, the ink inconsistency can create jamming at your needle’s endpoint. More often than not, it causes problems with the design outcome. In this case, the flow rate is fast and smooth, which lets you work uninterruptedly.

9. Bloodline Professional Ink Set

This professional ink set is from Bloodline, a tattoo company working hard to establish its position in the market. And sure enough, it successfully created a buzz with its seven-color ink set.

Why did I think it has the best inks for dark skin? Because each color is deep and bright, which is a must if you want your tattoo to look great on dark tones. They also take more time to fade away than light colors. Here are their names: all-purpose black, all-purpose white, Redd Kross, canary yellow, Iris mist, bellbottom blue, and bright red.

Secondly, if you want to go exotic, you can mix the colors to produce precise shades to create exceptional designs.

Then comes the issue of recovering. The Bloodline inks are highly dispersed products that will penetrate the skin effortlessly, making the process and recovery quicker. They will not go too deep, so you will not have to worry about accidental inclusions.

Over time, the brand has proved trustworthy because it gives you inks comfortable to use for both the tattooist and the client. But that is not just my saying. Over 10,000 artists agreed on this point too.

10. Baodeli 14 Pcs Tattoo Ink Set

Only a tattooist understands what another artist wants, and nobody understood better than Baodeli. It hired well-reputed and well-respected tattoo artists to make its tattoo inks using plant-based ingredients. That should tell you that there is nothing to doubt about the Baodeli ink quality and safety.

The colors’ homogenized carrier mixture easily flows to ensure the presentability and distinguishability of your work. On top of that, the appearance will stay the same in each application as the first one, thanks to the stoppers of the jars to maintain the quality.

Lemon yellow, blue, golden yellow, mint green, beige co-co, bright orange, barbie pink, and seven others are the colors you will get in the package. The colorful tattoo designs from the ink will provide decorative effects.

Now, there are some things you should remember about the Baodeli inks. Some colors may get layered when being placed for longer. So you have to shake them hard before opening them. The toner and water density may be responsible for this, which is normal.

And the other thing is as the colors are in a sealed package, it is best to use them within twelve months after opening.

11. Bloodline 12 Color Tattoo Ink Set

You have already read about the colors of Bloodline in the first review. So I decided to talk more about the brand here. Bloodline is pretty picky as an ink manufacturing company. It produces its inks in a lab situated in California, where it uses special dispensers to measure pigment weight to ensure the ideal smoothness of texture and colors in each batch.

That is the point of attraction for most tattoo artists because of the meticulous production system of Bloodline, which caters to equal saturation and quick healing. Another reason is using sterile water and organic pigment as two base materials.

You should expect the Bloodline inks to be thicker. You can thin it out by using Listerine, witch hazel, or distilled water. Some of you might have preferred the right amount of consistency. I understand that. But on the bright side, the thickness lets you water it down as per the demand of your work. Many artists like to have that freedom.

The difference between this and the previous Bloodline ink set is the number of colors. This one has twelve colors. If you primarily work on colorful tattoos, it will serve you right. Also, it comes at a pretty fair deal.

12. Millennium Mom’s 14 Pcs Tattoo Ink Set

Like the other MM ink sets, the 14-pc one will not disappoint you either. As the most budget-friendly ink conglomerate, the brand offers inks for tattooists planning on inking and designing something different.

The USA-made ink collection has taken the art of grey wash to a different level. Plus, the jar size is pretty standard, assuming you use the jars with restraint.

The pigment contents make MM inks the best tattoo inks for dark skin. They stand out well on darker tones, allowing artists to bring out their vibrancy in the designs, which will stay for years.

Needless to mention that the ink set is a complete collection of fourteen various hues. So, you can get your picks depending on your clients’ preferences while still having other options to create more designs. If you have concerns about the colors, the boldest of them are Gump green, hello yellow, 14kt gold, and purple nurple. Each bottle has half an ounce of ink.

How To Buy The Best Tattoo Inks For Dark Skin?

Since skin tone is a salient factor here, you must be thoughtful about the inks you will buy. You have to look up added criteria with the chief points of purchasing usual inks. So, what are they?

The Ink Type

You will find two types of tattoo inks in the market – standard and pre-dispersed. And if you are a newbie, my suggestion will be selecting pre-dispersed inks, which allow you to enjoy the perfect texture and flow without the risk of over-dilution.

Even professionals use pre-dispersed tattoo inks to make the process more time-efficient. But if your clients are picky, and time does not matter, standards inks are for you.

I am not implying that standard ink is not a great choice. It is. It gives you the freedom to pick your preferred carrier with options like water or alcohol.

Contrarily, the other one is safer when you have to choose reliable color saturations. Therefore, calculate your options before making the purchase decision.

Ink Reach

Your tattoo machine has to puncture through your skin to lay out the tattoo ink into particular positions and layers. Nonetheless, inks sometimes pierce through the dermal layers, eventually reaching the lymph nodes. Your immune system can manage those accidental inclusions, but you should still choose inks made with non-toxic and totally natural materials.

Vegan-Friendly Ingredients

Even if you are not a vegan, it would be wise to think of this factor. Non-vegan inks contain animal-sourced ingredients like bone char and beetle-harvested shellacs. They might generate appealing results, but what if that goes wrong with your clients raising their voices against animal cruelty? Why take that risk when the best tattoo inks for dark skin already have organic and non-animal elements?

Brand Credibility With Other Factors

In addition, put brand popularity, color types, consistency, availability, and ingredient list on your list. Plus, the best tattoo inks for dark skin must comply with the essential health standards, which are not compromisable.

While keeping that in mind, see if the inks have any harmful materials like mercury. If the quantity is negligible, purchase the inks. If not, look for more.

The Colors Themselves

Many tattooists become disappointed when the tattoo results on dark skin are not as good as expected. And this keeps happening when they cannot find the problems because they are not about the tattooists’ skills or the ink quality. The actual reason is the wrong selection of ink colors.

Why is that so? Because not every ink color turns out nice on dark skin. If you choose light colors instead of bright ones, your tattoo will not look impressive, no matter how much effort you put into it or how good the ink quality was.

Again, some colors are prone to fading fast. So, steer clear of them while making your purchase. After getting all the criteria you want in tattoo ink, research how it looks on dark skin. If your finding is not on your side, you know what to do then.

Frequently Asked Questions

I might have missed some points, and you might have some queries. So I included this section to answer the most common questions. See if they help you with your purchase decision.

Final Verdict

So, you’ve gone through the 12 best tattoo inks for dark skin reviews, a buying guide, and a FAQ section. Here is where I try to narrow down the options based on my judgment to lend you a hand in your decision-making process.

The overall best tattoo inks for dark skin award goes to the Millennium Mom’s tattoo ink sets. There are two sets with 14 colors each. Any professional can set their color palettes with these colors. Also, beginners can try out different inks at once from the sets. In addition, their pricing policies are really accommodating, which allows everyone to have a go at the products.

For black and grey work, I vouch for Intenze featuring Mark Mahoney. The blank ink from Kuro Sumi is also worth trying.

If premium quality is your choice and premium budget is not an issue for you, check out the ink sets from Bloodline. Talk about blending, healing, longevity, naturalness, or performance – each ink color works remarkably well.

However, the others are no less than the ones I mentioned here. You can (and should) use your judgment to pick what works for you from the reviews.

That would be all from me today. Happy tattooing!