Carving out a permanent market

The global tattoo inks industry has experienced a steady growth with global appeal despite the onset of global recession. It is found that the US is the biggest market of these inks, where inks are regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), whereas printing inks are not regulated as FDA materials. The unorganized structure of the tattoo ink industry, ink manufacturers are clearly separated into the tattoo ink category or the industrial coatings and printing ink category. Many tattoo artists mix their own ink, often in their private studios on a custom-color basis, using easy-to-find ingredients such as ethyl alcohol or vodka as the carrier. Some tattoo companies use printing inks to increase the tattoo ink's chroma value for the reason that risks for toxicity are too high.