ABSTRACT
An ink is generally dened as a liquid that contains pigment or dye. Oen it is in solution in which the solute and solvent are uniformly distributed, producing a homogeneous mixture. A tattoo ink is a suspension of pigment particles in a solution. Although considered a solution, the purpose of the liquid is most oen to act as a vehicle to facilitate introduction of the pigment particles into the skin. As such, the liquid portion of the tattoo ink is meant to evaporate or dissipate into the tissue when deposited on and into the skin (Figure 4.1). Tattoo inks contain a variety of auxiliary ingredients, which include the vehicle, the solvent, and additives. Additives may be wetting agents, preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, and pH regulators. In addition to tattoo inks, which are premixed liquids, powder solids are also encountered. ese require the addition of liquid component which is oen done by the tattooist.
