Professional tattoo inks are made up of (organic) colour pigments and a carrier substance. The colour pigments give the tattoo ink its colour saturation and hue, while the carrier makes the pigment workable.

The carrier varies depending on the manufacturer and consists of liquids that are usually made up of sterilised water, glycerine, isopropyl or ethyl alcohol and witch hazel. However, other carrier liquids are also conceivable.

Particular attention should be paid to the ingredients, especially in the case of inferior manufacturers, as these can be harmful to health. That's why we at Barber DTS only offer brands that we have checked, that work with high-quality ingredients and guarantee a stringent quality standard. Pigment concentration, mixing methods, and carrier can all play a role in the result of the ink when tattooed. We recommend asking questions or referring to information supplied by manufacturers (such as the Eternal Colour Wheel) to fully understand an inks value, chroma, and hue.

Especially with black and grey tattoo inks, manufacturers usually offer different compositions based on the same pigment. In the case of black & grey inks, different gradations are offered, which are usually specified as a percentage. Black inks are usually named according to their intended use, so you will find an ink for lining and a more pigmented or “concentrated” ink for extensive and dark blackwork.

Most tattoo inks from major brands are vegan these days. The tattoo industry and the established manufacturers are pioneers in this field, as tattoo inks can be produced excellently under vegan conditions.

To make sure that you are not only working with non-animal ingredients, but that the tattoo inks you are using have also been developed without animal testing, you should research the manufacturers to confirm that you are working with completely vegan tattoo inks. Even if this doesn't play a major role for you, you also want to fulfil the requirements of your vegan customers.

The best-known brands in the world of tattoo inks such as Eternal Ink, Dynamic Ink, Intenze Tattoo Ink, World Famous Tattoo Ink, Kuro Sumi and Fusion are completely vegan and cruelty-free, so you can use them without any moral concerns.

As tattoo inks are applied to the skin, this can lead to undesirable reactions in people with allergies. Colours in particular contain pigments that not only create a beautiful radiance but can also cause allergic reactions in people who are highly sensitive to certain substances.

This is not the rule and only affects a very small percentage of people. Provided that tested and safe brands are used. To ensure that no allergic reaction occurs during tattooing, the tattoo client should speak to their dermatologist or physician before tattooing and have an allergy test if they suspect they are allergic to certain substances. The manufacturers of tattoo inks know their ingredients best and are therefore the first port of call for finding out which substances are contained in which inks. We always recommend that you reach out directly to the manufacturer for more specifics if you think you may be susceptible to an allergic reaction.

The best-known allergy in the field of tattoo inks is certainly the nickel and iron oxide allergy, but it always depends on the intensity. . If there is any doubt about the allergy tolerance of the ingredients even after a test at the dermatologist and asking the manufacturer of the tattoo ink, we advise you to start with a small patch test to see if there is a reaction.

All brands must provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on which most of the ingredients are listed. You can find them directly from the manufacturers and through our website if they are not already included on the product pages (feel free to ask!). To be on the safe side, it is always advisable to ask the manufacturer directly about the ingredients that could trigger allergies.

Tattoo ink is safe if it is sourced from a professional tattoo supply and from established brands. Unfortunately, there are some distributors on the market that offer counterfeit tattoo inks as well as some brands that offer tattoo inks with questionable ingredients or produce their inks under questionable conditions. We recommend that you always choose a trustworthy supplier that deals with trusted brands and leave nothing to chance.

All tattoo colours you find at Barber DTS are safe from the manufacturing process to delivery to your tattoo studio. We check the brands on offer for you in advance so that you can shop with us (as with all products) without hesitation.

It is possible to tattoo with white tattoo ink over a black tattooed area. The most popular are blackout tattoos (for example, a completely blackened sleeve) that are finished with white ink to create beautiful patterns. The effect is particularly impressive due to the strong contrast.

This type of tattoo requires more than just patience, as the blackout area must first heal completely, which takes several months. The white colour must also be applied by an experienced tattoo artist and the skin should be able to hold tattoo inks very well. This type of tattoo is one of the most ambitious and it is a given that no highly detailed tattoos are possible, only patterns based on lines, which are no less impressive in their appearance than some realism tattoos!

We do not recommend using colour on black surfaces, as the contrast is simply too low and no visible tattoo is possible. It's not worth the pain.

The best tattoo ink is the tattoo ink that you can work with best and that heals most effectively on your customers. We can recommend every brand in our range with confidence. As Eternal Ink is one of our powerful partner brands, we obviously have a deep insight into the manufacturing process and only receive excellent feedback from our tattoo artists.

If you would like to get an overview of the different brands, you can find out more in our Advice Hub article The Best Tattoo Inks.

Removing tattoo ink from clothes is difficult, but not impossible. If you notice that ink has landed on your clothes or shoes, you should act quickly and wash them immediately with laundry soap. If the ink stain remains visible, you can try to remove it with rubbing alcohol. Soak the affected area in the alcohol and hope that the stain disappears.

If these methods are unsuccessful, there are only two alternatives: either you dye the entire item of clothing a darker colour than the stain and bleach your whites, or you live with the stain and wear it with pride.

As it is part of everyday life in the tattoo studio that tattoo ink ends up on clothes and shoes, it is advisable to wear clothes for tattooing on which any ink splashes are not visible.