Black Ink Recipe

How to Make Permanent Black Ink

Pen and ink
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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on March 17, 2019

This is a simple recipe for a permanent black ink with just four basic ingredients.

Black Ink Ingredients

  • 1/2 tsp. lamp black (You can buy lamp black or carbon black or you can make your own by completely burning paper or wood.)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp. gum arabic
  • 1/2 cup honey

Prepare the Black Ink

  1. Mix together the egg yolk, gum arabic, and honey.
  2. Stir in the lamp black. This will produce a thick paste which you can store in a sealed container.
  3. To use the ink, mix this paste with a small amount of water to achieve the desired consistency.

Permanent black ink is not the only ink you can make at home. You can also make your own blue ink or non-toxic tattoo ink.

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Your Citation
Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Black Ink Recipe." ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/black-ink-recipe-607938. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, September 7). Black Ink Recipe. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/black-ink-recipe-607938 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Black Ink Recipe." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/black-ink-recipe-607938 (accessed March 31, 2023).