Things You'll Need

Instructions

Blend Pre-Mixed Inks

1

Create new colors by mixing ready-made liquid inks. With a little practice, you can learn which colors to mix to make new colors or how to dilute colors to make them lighter. This will allow you more color choices without having to purchase every color of tattoo ink ever made.
2

Make tattoo ink darker. To make a specific color a shade darker, add a small drop of black. The darker you want it, then the more black you'll add. Don't add too much at once though, as a little goes a long way, especially if you're looking for a subtle change.
3

Make tattoo ink lighter. To make a specific color a shade lighter, add a small drop of white. The lighter you want the color to be, the more white ink you'll add. Again, like black, a little goes a long way, so you don't want to add too much at once. Some tattoo artists will also experiment with adding a little distilled water to lighten inks. This is especially common for grey washing a tattoo.
4

Make a completely different shade or color of tattoo ink. Experiment with adding two totally different colors together to discover new colors that may not be readily available or to allow you to offer more color choices without having to stock each and every different color available.

Make Tattoo Ink from Scratch

1

Mix liquid ingredients. A common version of making tattoo ink includes taking 7/8 quart of witch hazel (which can be substituted for 100 proof vodka a.k.a. ethyl alcohol or Listerine), one tablespoon of glycerin and one tablespoon of propylene glycol and mixing them until the contents are clear.
2

Find a clean, sterile blender. Place about one to two inches of your powdered pigment into the blender and add the liquid until you have a thin mixture of both ingredients into what's commonly referred to as a slurry solution.
3

Blend mixture. Once you have the consistency required for your mixture, blend it on low speed for about 15 minutes and then turn the blender up to medium for an hour.
4

Pour mixture into sterile bottles. Using a large syringe, turkey baster, funnel or other object that allows you to siphon the now mixed tattoo ink into your clean, sterile bottles for storage.
5

Add a sterile bearing. Place a sterile ball bearing, marble or other item in the bottle to help mix the ink each time you use it.
6

Store your ink. Tattoo ink should be stored away from sunlight and fluorescent lighting which can cause alterations to the pigments.
7

Practice sanitary procedures consistently. You must keep a germ-free environment not only when making tattoo ink, but all the time. Allowing any kind of contamination into your tattoo ink or tattoo area can lead to spreading infections to each and every client. If you ever have any doubt of the sterility of any product or item being used, then don't make your own tattoo ink.