KNOW YOUR INK

Tattoo Ink CI Number Cheat Sheet

Every pigment has a Colour Index (CI) number. Learn the ones you'll see most in paramedical and skin tone tattoo inks, so you can read any SDS or ink label and know what's going into the skin.

Whites & fillers

CI number	Pigment	Type	What it does	Ink Wise view
CI 77891	Titanium dioxide (Pigment White 6)	INORGANIC	Opacity, lightening and softening	ESSENTIAL
CI 77120	Barium sulfate	INORGANIC	White filler that adds body	FINE

Yellows & oranges

CI number	Pigment	Type	What it does	Ink Wise view
CI 21095	Pigment Yellow 14 (diarylide)	ORGANIC	Warm yellow	CLEAN
CI 21108	Pigment Yellow 83 (diarylide)	ORGANIC	Deep, reddish yellow	CLEAN
CI 11741	Pigment Yellow 74 (monoazo)	ORGANIC	Bright yellow	CLEAN
CI 13980	Pigment Yellow 151 (benzimidazolone)	ORGANIC	Clean, stable yellow	CLEAN
CI 21110	Pigment Orange 13	ORGANIC	Orange warmth	CLEAN
CI 12760	Pigment Orange 64 (benzimidazolone)	ORGANIC	Orange warmth	CLEAN

Reds, pinks & magentas

CI number	Pigment	Type	What it does	Ink Wise view
CI 56110	Pigment Red 254 (DPP)	ORGANIC	Clean, true red	CLEAN
CI 12477	Pigment Red 210 (naphthol)	ORGANIC	Warm red	CLEAN
CI 12487	Pigment Red 184 (naphthol)	ORGANIC	Red warmth and depth	CLEAN
CI 73915	Pigment Red 122 (quinacridone)	ORGANIC	Cool magenta pink	CLEAN
CI 73907	Pigment Red 202 (quinacridone)	ORGANIC	Deep magenta, adds depth	CLEAN

Blues, greens & violets (the neutralizers)

CI number	Pigment	Type	What it does	Ink Wise view
CI 74160	Pigment Blue 15 (copper phthalocyanine)	ORGANIC	Cools and neutralizes warmth	COPPER
CI 74260	Pigment Green 7 (copper phthalocyanine)	ORGANIC	Cancels red and pink	COPPER
CI 69800	Pigment Blue 60 (indanthrone)	ORGANIC	Deep cool blue	CLEAN

Iron oxides & black (read carefully)

CI number	Pigment	Type	What it does	Ink Wise view
CI 77491	Red iron oxide	INORGANIC	Red-brown	RED FLAG
CI 77492	Yellow iron oxide (ochre)	INORGANIC	Ochre warmth	RED FLAG
CI 77499	Black iron oxide	INORGANIC	Darkens	RED FLAG
CI 77266	Carbon black	INORGANIC	Strong black tinting	UNDER 3% ONLY

Why the flags? Iron-oxide-heavy skin tone inks without proper copper neutralizers can oxidize in the skin and shift orange, rusty, muddy or gray-green as they heal and age. Carbon black can turn skin tones gray, so we look for it under 3%. See good vs. bad results or shop inks with an Ink Wise Sheet for every bottle.