Best Sumi Ink for Calligraphy and Brush Lettering
Updated How we research
Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml (Kaimei, Made in Japan)
Moon Palace Kaimei sumi ink in a 180ml bottle, made in Japan and popular with both shodo and pointed pen calligraphers.
Moon Palace Sumi Ink for Calligraphy - Premium Dip Pen Ink for Copperplate with Ink Well and Pen Rest
Moon Palace sumi ink for copperplate dip pens, bundled with an ink well and pen rest for a tidy pointed pen setup.
Sumi ink has anchored East Asian brush writing for centuries, and it is still one of the most satisfying blacks you can put on paper. A good bottle delivers a deep, velvety tone that dries to a soft matte finish, flows cleanly from brushes and dip pens alike, and holds crisp hairlines without feathering. The real decision is convenience versus ritual: ready-to-use liquid sumi gives you consistent density in seconds, while traditional ink sticks ground on a stone let you tune darkness stroke by stroke. This guide compares the liquid sumi inks that perform most reliably for calligraphy and brush lettering, with notes on opacity, drying time, and behavior on absorbent papers.
The short version
We compared 8 picks. Our scores range from 7.1 to 8.7 out of 10.
- Best overall:Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml (Kaimei, Made in Japan). Highest overall score in this guide at 8.7/10.
- Also great value:Yasutomo Bokuju Liquid Ink - 6oz Sumi Ink for Calligraphy and Artwork. Value score of 9/10, overall 8.1/10.
- Solid build:Moon Palace Sumi Ink for Calligraphy - Premium Dip Pen Ink for Copperplate with Ink Well and Pen Rest. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.4/10.
- Feature-rich:Kuretake Sumi Calligraphy & Comic Ink - 60 ml Bottle - Black. Features score of 7/10, overall 8.1/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
- 1.Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml (Kaimei, Made in Japan)8.7/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 2.Moon Palace Sumi Ink for Calligraphy - Premium Dip Pen Ink for Copperplate with Ink Well and Pen Rest8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 3.Yasutomo Bokuju Liquid Ink - 6oz Sumi Ink for Calligraphy and Artwork8.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 4.Kuretake Sumi Calligraphy & Comic Ink - 60 ml Bottle - Black8.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 5.Yasutomo Liquid Sumi Ink, 2oz, Black (KF2)7.7/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 6.Kuretake Zig Special Black Ink 60ml, for dip Pen, Brush, Drawing, Calligraphy, Illustration, Lettering, for Professional, Artists, Manga, Made in Japan7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 7.Easyou Redstar Liquid Ink for Professioanl Traditional Calligraphy and Brush Painting Chinese Ink Liquid (Black&1pcs*180ML)7.2/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 8.Daiso Sumi Calligraphy Liquid Ink in a 180ml Bottle (Japan Import)7.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
#1Moon Palace Kaimei sumi ink in a 180ml bottle, made in Japan and popular with both shodo and pointed pen calligraphers.
Fit for the job 10/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Smooth, dark sumi flows beautifully from pointed nibs for crisp hairlines
- + Big 180ml bottle gives lots of ink for the price of a premium brand
- + Made in Japan by Kaimei, a long-established ink maker
- - Sumi can thicken over time, so it may need a few drops of water to thin
- - Large bottle is awkward for dipping, so decant into a small well
#2Moon Palace sumi ink for copperplate dip pens, bundled with an ink well and pen rest for a tidy pointed pen setup.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Bundled ink well and pen rest make it a ready-to-go copperplate starter
- + Moon Palace sumi gives fine hairlines and dark, glossy shades
- + Aimed at dip pen use, so viscosity suits pointed nibs out of the box
- - Bundle costs more than a plain bottle if you already own a well and rest
- - Check the ink quantity included in the bundle before buying
#3Yasutomo Bokuju liquid sumi ink in a 6oz bottle, a larger supply for regular brush calligraphy and artwork.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 9/10
- + Larger 6oz bottle suits students and daily shodo practice
- + Bokuju liquid ink is ready to pour, so sessions start immediately
- + Rich black works for both calligraphy characters and sumi-e painting
- - Big bottle takes longer to use up and can thicken if left open
- - Pouring from a large bottle is messier than dipping from a small well
#4Kuretake Sumi calligraphy and comic ink in a 60 ml black bottle, a versatile ink for brush lettering and manga inking.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Rated for both calligraphy and comics, so it handles brushes and dip nibs alike
- + Kuretake is a historic Japanese sumi maker with dependable ink quality
- + Rich black reads crisply when scanning lettering for digital use
- - 60 ml bottle is modest for students doing large brush characters every day
- - Some sumi inks stay slightly soluble, so test before painting washes on top
#5Yasutomo liquid sumi ink in a 2oz bottle, ready-to-use black ink for brush calligraphy and ink wash painting.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10
- + Ready-to-use liquid saves the time of grinding an ink stick
- + Deep black dilutes well with water for grey washes and tonal effects
- + Small bottle is a low-risk way to try sumi ink for brush work
- - 2oz bottle goes quickly if you practice large brush characters daily
- - Liquid sumi lacks the subtle tone control of a freshly ground ink stick
#6Kuretake Zig Special Black Ink, 60ml, a smudge-proof black for dip pen and brush from the same Japanese maker as the old Cartoonist bottle.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Designed for brush and dip pen in a wide-mouth 60ml container that is easy to load.
- + Dries matte black and is described as resistant to bleeding with alcohol markers or watercolor once fully dry.
- + Kuretake has made ink since 1902, and the listing names calligraphy and lettering among its uses.
- - Described as a black drawing ink with sumi roots, not a traditional stick-style sumi.
- - Priced above the old Cartoonist bottle for the same 60ml volume.
#7Easyou Redstar liquid sumi ink, 180ml, made from oil soot for Chinese and Japanese calligraphy and brush painting. Same bottle size as the old pick.
Fit for the job 7/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 9/10
- + Liquid sumi from oil soot, listed for traditional calligraphy and brush painting.
- + The 180ml size matches the old pick and absorbs well into xuan paper, with a deep black luster.
- + Made by an Anhui ink mill using traditional methods, per the listing.
- - Aimed at brush work on xuan paper, so pointed-pen use may suit it less.
- - Little detail on waterproofing, and the listing text has spelling errors.
#8Daiso sumi calligraphy liquid ink in a 180ml bottle, a budget Japan import for everyday brush practice.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 5/10 · Build and materials 6/10 · Value 9/10
- + Large 180ml bottle is a cheap way to keep plenty of practice ink on hand
- + Japanese store staple made for school-level shodo practice
- + Ready-to-use liquid means no grinding before a quick session
- - Budget ink is less refined, so blacks can look flat in finished pieces
- - Import listing may have Japanese-only labeling and variable availability
Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged
No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.
- Sumi can thicken over time, so it may need a few drops of water to thin (Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml (Kaimei, Made in...)
- Bundle costs more than a plain bottle if you already own a well and rest (Moon Palace Sumi Ink for Calligraphy -...)
- Big bottle takes longer to use up and can thicken if left open (Yasutomo Bokuju Liquid Ink - 6oz Sumi Ink for...)
- 60 ml bottle is modest for students doing large brush characters every day (Kuretake Sumi Calligraphy & Comic Ink - 60 ml...)
- 2oz bottle goes quickly if you practice large brush characters daily (Yasutomo Liquid Sumi Ink, 2oz, Black (KF2))
- Described as a black drawing ink with sumi roots, not a traditional stick-style sumi. (Kuretake Zig Special Black Ink 60ml, for dip...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among sumi ink for calligraphy and brush lettering?
Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml (Kaimei, Made in Japan) is our top overall pick. Moon Palace Kaimei sumi ink in a 180ml bottle, made in Japan and popular with both shodo and pointed pen calligraphers. It earns our score of 8.7/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
Moon Palace Sumi Ink for Calligraphy - Premium Dip Pen Ink for Copperplate with Ink Well and Pen Rest is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. Moon Palace sumi ink for copperplate dip pens, bundled with an ink well and pen rest for a tidy pointed pen setup.
›How much should I expect to spend?
Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.
›How were these products chosen?
We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.
Calligraphy Nest independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.
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