Making Your Own Calligraphy Ink: Recipes and Tips

Calligraphy is a relaxing hobby. Watching the pen take to paper and producing thick, swooping strokes with your hand is an experience hard to rival. However, like with all artistic pursuits, high-quality supplies are expensive. If you want to save a few dollars and try your hand at DIY in the process, then read on for some recipes and tips for making your own calligraphy ink.

Basic Calligraphy Ink Recipe

Let’s get right into it: here’s a no-fuss recipe to get you started. You only need a few ingredients, most of which you might already have at home:

• 1/2 teaspoon gum arabic

• Water (enough to reach your desired consistency)

• Food coloring or natural dyes

Mix the gum arabic with water in a small container until it dissolves completely. Next, add food coloring drop by drop until you achieve your desired shade. And that’s it! You now have a basic calligraphy ink.

If you want to spruce up this recipe, consider making calligraphy ink with mica powder. Start with your basic ink recipe, and then stir in a pinch of mica powder. The result is a glittering ink that’s perfect for special occasions or just because you love a bit of sparkle.

Natural Ink Recipes

Some of us like things all natural, and the good news is you can make beautiful inks from ingredients found in nature. Below are a couple of ideas. Though these recipes won’t produce ink that is as thick and smooth as the gum arabic formula, they will work just fine and provide lovely natural hues.

Berry Ink

Crush your favorite berries (like blueberries or raspberries) and strain the juice into a bowl. Add a few drops of vinegar and a dash of salt to preserve the color. Simple, right?

Walnut Ink

Crush some walnut shells and boil them in water for about an hour. Strain the liquid and you’ll have a gorgeous brown ink, perfect for vintage-style calligraphy.

Tips for Perfect Calligraphy Ink

No matter which of these recipes you choose to make your own calligraphy ink, the following tips will help you produce the best batch.

• Consistency is key: If your ink is too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, add a bit more gum arabic.

• Test away: Always test your ink on scrap paper before you start your intended final project. This will help you fix issues before you bottle the ink up.
  

• Storage: Store your ink in airtight containers to keep it from drying out.

If you’re ready to make your calligraphy hobby a little bit cheaper and learn a cool skill in the process, then make your own ink. I hope these recipes and tips help you out!