Calligraphy Ink by Kuretake
Kuretake calligraphy inks are professional-grade writing and drawing inks manufactured by Kuretake Co., Ltd. of Japan — a company with more than a century of heritage in the art of traditional Japanese ink-making and calligraphy. Drawing on this deep expertise, Kuretake produces a comprehensive range of calligraphy inks formulated for use with dip pens, brush pens, calligraphy nibs, and traditional brushes, delivering the smooth flow, vibrant colour, and lasting quality demanded by both professional calligraphers and dedicated artists.
Kuretake offers distinct ink formulations — including traditional sumi-based inks, water-based pigment inks, dye-based inks, and metallic inks — each carefully engineered to meet specific performance requirements in terms of flow, opacity, lightfastness, water resistance, and surface compatibility. Whether used for formal calligraphy, brush lettering, illustration, or stamp and seal marking, Kuretake inks combine Japanese craftsmanship with modern performance chemistry for consistently exceptional results.
Product Highlights
- Manufacturer: Kuretake Co., Ltd., Japan — over 100 years of ink-making heritage.
- Ink Types: Sumi (liquid lampblack), water-based pigment, water-based dye, and metallic pigment.
- Tools Supported: Dip pens, calligraphy nibs, brush pens, traditional writing brushes.
- Lightfastness: Pigment-based inks are fade-resistant and archival-quality.
- Water Resistance: Pigment inks become waterproof when fully dry; dye inks remain water-soluble.
- Volumes: Available in 30 ml, 55 ml, 60 ml, 180 ml, 200 ml, and 500 ml bottle sizes.
Ink Series
- Base:Water-based pigment ink from lampblack (carbon black)
- Colour:Deep, lustrous black with a slight purple undertone at high concentration
- Opacity:High — dense, rich black coverage
- Finish:Matte to semi-gloss depending on concentration
- Water Resistance:Waterproof when fully dry (allow up to 48 hours)
- Volumes:60 ml, 180 ml, 200 ml, 500 ml
- Use:Traditional calligraphy, shodo, brush lettering, illustration, comics
- Base:Water-based with fine suspended pigment particles
- Colours:Black, White, Vermilion (Shuji), and selected palette colours
- Opacity:Opaque — white ink is highly opaque for dark surface use
- Lightfastness:Excellent — fade-resistant for archival and display work
- Water Resistance:Waterproof when dry; alcohol-marker proof when cured
- Volumes:30 ml, 55 ml, 60 ml
- Use:Calligraphy, dip pen drawing, lettering, manga outlining
Key Ink Colours
Compatible Writing Tools
Key Performance Properties
- Fine ultra-minute pigment particles in sumi and pigment inks provide superior ink depth, density, and a rich, lustrous finish that conventional dye inks cannot replicate.
- Pigment-based inks become fully waterproof and alcohol-marker proof when cured, allowing watercolour washes and marker overlays to be applied over dry calligraphy lines without bleeding.
- Excellent lightfastness in pigment and metallic formulations ensures that finished artwork and displayed calligraphy retain their colour intensity over time without fading.
- Water-based dye inks offer transparent, blendable colour that layers and mixes smoothly — well suited to decorative work where colour blending and transparency are desired.
- Metallic inks contain fine-milled metallic pigments that create a striking shimmer effect, making them ideal for formal calligraphy, wedding stationery, and premium decorative lettering.
- The free-flowing viscosity of Kuretake calligraphy inks is carefully calibrated to provide smooth, uninterrupted flow through calligraphy nibs and brush tips without skipping or pooling.
Applications
Kuretake calligraphy inks are used across a broad range of artistic, professional, and commercial applications. In traditional Japanese arts, sumi ink is the medium of choice for shodo (Japanese calligraphy), sumi-e (ink wash painting), and the stamping of hanko (personal seals). In modern western calligraphy and brush lettering, Kuretake pigment inks are valued for their clean, bold lines and waterproof finish.
In commercial and professional contexts, Kuretake inks are used for wedding invitation calligraphy, place card lettering, certificate writing, artwork outlining, illustration, manga inking, and any application where high-quality, permanent, and legible ink marks are required on paper, card, or similar absorbent surfaces.
Ink Series Comparison
| Property | Sumi Ink | Pigment Ink | Dye Ink | Metallic Ink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ink Base | Water-based lampblack (carbon black) | Water-based fine pigment suspension | Water-based dye solution | Water-based metallic pigment |
| Colour Range | Black only | Black, White, Vermilion | Wide colour palette | Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Pearl |
| Opacity | High — opaque black | Opaque (White: very high) | Transparent / semi-transparent | Opaque with metallic sheen |
| Waterproof (dry) | Yes — allow 48 hrs | Yes | No — water-soluble | Water-resistant |
| Lightfastness | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Good |
| Blendability | Dilutable with water (tone variation) | Limited — not designed for blending | Excellent — transparent layers blend freely | Limited — best used undiluted |
| Alcohol Marker Proof | Yes — when cured | Yes — when cured | No | Partial |
| Fountain Pen Use | Not recommended | Not recommended | Check compatibility | Not recommended |
| Typical Volumes | 60 ml, 200 ml, 500 ml | 30 ml, 55 ml, 60 ml | Varies by colour range | 50 ml, 55 ml |
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