To get colorful, vibrant tattoos that last for years, ink manufacturers must thoroughly test their products for color consistency and fastness. Image Source: PxHere
When clients walk into a tattoo shop, they usually have a specific design idea in mind. To create this perfect tattoo, the tattoo artist must carefully select the right ink color for their clients. After all, a tattoo is permanent, so the ink must be high in quality and have excellent colorfastness; the tattoo inks should not only look great today, but remain vibrant decades after it’s applied under the skin.
This is why tattoo ink manufacturers should use a spectrophotometer to test their products for consistency and colorfastness throughout the manufacturing process. A spectrophotometer will help you identify even minor differences in color between one bottle of ink and the next, ensuring that your inks perform predictably and appear beautiful on every client.
Color Consistency and Fastness is a Sign of Tattoo Ink Quality
Despite the popularity of tattoos, the tattoo ink industry is still largely unregulated. While the FDA does occasionally investigate the quality and safety of inks, for the most part, the responsibility lies with manufacturers to ensure their products are safe, free of contaminants, and high in quality. A reliable color quality control protocol not only helps you identify possible contaminants in your inks, it also improves the overall quality and colorfastness of your products.
Tattoo ink is made by mixing together a carrier and a colorant. The colorant is a pigment made from mineral or organic sources, while the carrier is a clear liquid that helps the skin absorb the pigment molecules. This includes liquids like witch hazel, alcohol or glycerin. The challenge that many ink manufacturers face is that the colorant and carrier ratios must be as precise as possible in order to maintain color consistency. For example, if the ink is too diluted with witch hazel or other carriers, then the ink will appear too light when it’s applied under the skin. Likewise, when an artist has to complete a large tattoo over a period of multiple sessions, they need the ink colors to remain the same from one session to the next; any minor change in the formula could ruin the look of the final tattoo.
In the tattoo industry, artists choose inks based on the manufacturer’s reputation and perceived perception of quality. Many artists choose inks that come in a variety of colors, but most importantly, they expect these inks to perform predictably in their clients’ skin. In general, low-quality tattoo inks are inconsistent in color and thinner or less permeable than high-quality inks. Meanwhile, the highest-quality tattoo inks are usually alcohol-based, relatively thick, and completely consistent in color from batch to batch. By testing the quality of your own ink formulas using a spectrophotometer, you can improve your brand’s perception of quality and create reliable ink products that will stay vibrant for decades.
Consistent Color Leads to Greater Customer Satisfaction
Having consistent tattoo ink colors benefits your company in three ways. First, it improves your reputation among tattoo artists and other industry professionals. In addition to consistency and longevity, tattoo artists may enjoy the fact that your inks never have to be diluted down or mixed with other pigments to achieve the right shade. Second, spectrophotometric testing could save you both time and money during the manufacturing process as you can catch inconsistencies in the formula early and fix them before you waste ingredients or ink. And finally, having consistent tattoo ink could help you comply with future safety regulations; you’ll know exactly which ingredients go into each of your ink colors and you can ensure that no unexpected substances contaminate your ink. By refining your color quality control process, you’ll create beautiful, vibrant inks that your customers can trust.