Tattoo ink brands that sponsor artists

Ink houses on the list, from open application forms to invite-only pro teams. 41 brands, 7 with an open application form right now, re-verified monthly.

Built by NEDS, a tattoo marketing studio running paid ads for tattoo artists across the US and Canada. Every brand below is ranked by a 4-tier accessibility scale: Tier 1 - open application, apply now; Tier 2 - earn or save now (affiliate / pro pricing); Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first; Tier 4 - no direct program.

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Tattoo ink brands that sponsor artists (41)

Allegory Ink (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Tailored sponsorship packages (events/conventions/digital) - apply on the sponsorship page. Official program page.
Starbrite Colors (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Tommy's Supplies)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Open Pro-Team form (reviewed twice a year; top members get signature sets). Asks experience, conventions, inks you use. Official program page.
Kuro Sumi (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (South Carolina)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Open Pro-Team form + Young Bloods (for newcomers, with signature collabs) + self-serve 10% affiliate. Strong set of paths. Official program page.
Eternal Ink (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Michigan)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Open sponsorship form (style, conventions/yr, 3 portfolio photos; reviewed quarterly) + factory-direct pro account. 10% off for US military. Official program page.
Ironclad Ink (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United States, Las Vegas, Nevada
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Ironclad Ink is a black and grey ink line run by Ironclad Preparations LLC in Las Vegas, sold direct from its own web shop. The Pro Team page carries a live application form open to any artist, and the brand states the programme gives access to products, discounts and a community of artists; no discount percentage and no acceptance criteria are published. You enter by filling the form with your name, Instagram, contact details, location, years of experience, style and a note on why you want to join. The current team shown on the page is five artists. No Canadian distributor and no Canadian shipping route is stated on their pages. Official program page.
Industry Inks (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Michigan)
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
Program is called Sponsored Application. Open to anyone today, but there is NO form - the page tells artists to DM the brand on social or email Info@industryinks.com. The page says slots are limited because they are a small family-run business, and that declined applications are kept on file for future rounds. It does not publish what a sponsored artist gets - no stated discount, product or fee - so treat perks as negotiated case by case. Separate wholesale track exists for shops and suppliers. Buying without sponsorship: direct from the site (shipping included over $200), US via Needlejig, Kingpin, Black Diamond, Bananafish, Trident, Darkside, Solid State; Canada via Anarchy (ON), Bigfoot (SK), El Diablo (BC). Official program page.
Ephemeral Tattoo (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (New York)
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
Ephemeral Artist Partner program. Only approved partner artists are authorized to buy and tattoo with Ephemeral made-to-fade ink (Gen 3, designed to fade in about 2 years). Approved partners are listed in the public artist finder, which routes client booking leads to them, and per Ephemeral's own copy partners are featured on the brand's website, social media and email newsletter. Apply via the open Typeform linked from their become-a-partner page; questions to hello@ephemeral.tattoo. Ink ships direct from the brand to approved partners, no third-party distributor. Note: packaging format and pricing are not published on the site. Official program page.
Xtreme Inks (Tier 1 - open application, apply now)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (California)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Program is named Xtreme Team (split into Xtreme Pro Team and Xtreme Asia Team), with a public roster of 50+ sponsored artists. Open call runs from the JOIN XTREME FAMILY page; the Sponsorship Application link routes to their contact form rather than a standalone form, so in practice you apply by submitting that form or contacting info@xtremeinks.com, (626) 393-6495, WhatsApp +1 (424) 330-5789. Verified benefit for established team artists: a co-branded signature ink set released as a real SKU - Kevin Boudreau Color Set, Rodrigo Lopes Monumental Set, Marko Tattoo Color Portrait Set, Ato Legaspi Realism Color Set. Separate distributor track exists for shops. US artists buy direct (shipping included over $50); Canadian artists go through the listed distributor worldwidetattoo.ca. Official program page.
REBEL Tattoo Equipment (Tier 2 - earn or save now (affiliate / pro pricing))
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (New York)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Two separate paths. (1) REBEL Sponsorship Program - NOT open enrollment. Before you are eligible: 3 separate orders across 3 months, consistent tagging of @rebeltattooequipment, and an active Instagram. You then submit a portfolio link plus an honest testimonial; every application is reviewed personally by founder Caesar The Hun, limited spots each quarter. License age is explicitly not a factor - work quality and style are. Reward is an earned discount ladder: 10% on acceptance; 20% after 6 consecutive months of tagged posts and 3+ orders each $150+; 30% after 6 consecutive months and 6+ orders each $300+. (2) REBEL Referral Program - open to anyone right now, no order history needed: personal code, your referral saves 10%, you earn 10% commission paid as store credit unlocking in $25 blocks, valid 12 months. Products: REBEL Black ink (MoCRA-registered, REACH-certified, full lab report published un-gated) and REBEL Precision cartridges. Samples of both are offered. CANADA CAVEAT: they ship only within the US and tell Canadian customers outright they cannot order online, pointing to a local distributor - but the only distributors listed are in the USA and Germany, so Canadian artists have no documented supply route today. Official program page.
Dynamic Color (Tier 2 - earn or save now (affiliate / pro pricing))
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Florida)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Self-serve affiliate (GoAffPro) + wholesale/dealer form. Signature collabs are invite-only for top artists. Official program page.
Hawink (Tier 2 - earn or save now (affiliate / pro pricing))
Tattoo Ink · HQ: China, Yiwu, Zhejiang
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
Hawink is a factory brand that makes its own machines, cartridge needles and ink and sells them straight from its web shop to artists in the United States and Canada. There is no artist application form and no published pro team application; the site only says you may write to them about sponsorship among other topics. What does exist is an affiliate track, linked in the footer as Affiliates and hosted on an external portal, which pays a commission on sales you refer. The portal loaded only its Affiliate Portal header for us and its terms and commission rate could not be read, so the rate is not published anywhere we could reach. The separate wholesale page is aimed at shops and offers OEM and ODM production, not artist support. Official program page.
Papillon Studio Supply & Mfg (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Connecticut)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Papillon runs a Sponsored Artists roster of six artists including Mark Lawrence (Bronx), Joe Diablo Figueroa (Houston), Guillermo Barros (Ecuador), Jubert Bellita and Tiffany Ann Tallo Real (Philippines). There is NO public application form, sponsorship email or apply link on that page, and no wholesale page exists (it returns 404) - so this is a get-noticed-first roster, not an open program. Realistic routes in: meet them at the Papillon Tattoo Convention where they list artists and vendors; DM @papillonstattoosupply with a portfolio; or call 860-745-9270 (Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Enfield CT) and ask directly about sponsorship and whether a professional account tier exists. Official program page.
Empire Inks (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Wisconsin)
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
Team Empire - an invite-only sponsored-artist roster of 70+ pro artists listed publicly with studio and Instagram credit. There is NO public application form and NO affiliate program; the contact page states a formal program is still coming - 'we will be rolling out a program that makes the guidelines for joining the team more visible for everyone'. Artists inquire via the contact page, info@empireinks.com or 920-666-8775. Top-roster artists can get a Signature Series - their own branded ink set sold on the site. Buying: direct with all new accounts screened for professional status, or through 33 US distributors (Kingpin, Painful Pleasures, Electrum, Needlejig, Jester's) and 5 Canadian (Good Guy Supply BC, El Diablo BC, Empire Tattoo Supplies ON, Maple Tattoo Supply ON, Anarchy ON). Note: the form on their distributors page is to BECOME a distributor, not an artist pro-pricing application. Official program page.
Shadink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: Canada (Quebec)
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
The SHADINK PRO TEAM - a curated ambassador roster the brand calls its technical pillars, artists who test and validate each product before release. Four members are named publicly (Stephanny of The Darkest Pearl, Sabrina B., Ashley @ashleys_inkz, Dan Mellado). There is NO application form and the site states no compensation, discount or affiliate terms - entry is invite and relationship based, so the realistic path is to build a portfolio using their ink, tag @shadinktattooink2.0 on Instagram, then pitch via the site contact form (name, email, phone, message; no email address or phone is published) or Instagram DM. Official program page.
Intenze Tattoo Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Nevada)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Factory-Direct volume account (call (201) 342-4446). Sponsored Artists are invite-only (sales@intenzeproducts.com). Artist Series for top artists. Official program page.
Sacred Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Texas)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
No published sponsorship application. The brand states on its own Artists page that it sponsors artists around the nation. The documented entry path is a signature or collaboration line - shipping products carry named artists (Jordan Isaacson Wild Berry, Brian Chambers Ronin, Sammi Lynn Bad Blood). Approach is direct outreach to the founder: the contact form, mysacredink@gmail.com, 903-365-3215 (9am-5pm CST Mon-Fri), or DM @sacred_tattoo_ink. Small family operation (Adam and Peggy Everett, Steve and Jeanne Everett), so the owner reads inquiries himself. Buying: direct US e-commerce, single bottles roughly $12.95-$55.95, or US shops Higher Level, Cream, Bleeding Ink, Black Diamond. Their distributors page is empty, so no network is confirmed and no Canadian route is stated - CA artists order direct or via a US supplier. Official program page.
Mom's Millennium Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (New York)
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
No application form and no advertised perks - this is a documented get-noticed roster. The official Sponsored Artists page is a gallery of pro artists using MOM'S ink, each linked to their Instagram, and the page is unusually blunt about what sponsorship does NOT include. So make no discount or product claim here. The only documented contact route is the general sales address SalesMomsMillenniumInk@Gmail.com (516-595-7862, Mon-Wed 8am-3pm EST, Plainview NY) - you would use it to introduce yourself or ask about a wholesale account, but the site does not designate it a sponsorship channel. A separate distributors page lists resellers across CA, MO, SC, IL, WA and TX - trade distribution, not artist pro pricing. Product ships direct to 30+ countries including Canada. Official program page.
World Famous Tattoo Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Body Art Alliance)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Sponsorship form exists but is currently on hold (waitlist + DM @worldfamousink). Pro Team is invite-only with signature palettes. Official program page.
Fusion Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (California)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Sells to verified shops only. Signature Artists (named ink sets) are invite-only - 877.724.0008. Official program page.
Radiant Colors (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (LA)
US via distributors. Canada via distributors.
Pro Team is invite-only (no form) - DM @radiantcolorsink / info@radiantcolors.com. Official program page.
Solid Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Miami)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
No public pro/sponsor program; signature lines (Ami James, Horitomo...) are invite-only for top artists. Buy direct (US ship included over $150) or via distributors. Official program page.
Quantum Tattoo Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
No public application form found. The "Road Crew" page lists existing Pro Team artists only - selection appears to be direct outreach. Contact the brand via the site. Official program page.
Panthera Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: Italy
US via distributors. Canada via distributors.
Sponsors pro black-and-grey artists, via brand/distributor. Official program page.
World Famous Tattoo Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United States, South Carolina
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
World Famous keeps a Pro Team of sponsored artists, shown in the Artist Hub on its own site. The sponsorship application page exists but is not taking entries right now: the page says submissions are on hold and offers only an email notification list. No benefits, quotas or discount numbers are published on that page. If you want in, leave your email there and wait for the brand to reopen intake. Official program page.
Prime Pigments (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
Prime Pigments is the house ink line of Needlejig, mixed in house since 2006 and sold from Needlejig's own store. The sponsorship page tells artists to buy and use the products first, build a reputation, and only then send a request, and it warns that the company cannot reply to every request. The page links to a Sponsorship Request Form, but that link returns a 404 today, so the form could not be opened or its fields recorded. No discount percentage or benefit is published. Ordering is direct from the store, which states that it ships internationally, so a Canadian artist can buy the ink and pay the customs charges. Official program page.
Nocturnal by Bishop (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, Lake Forest, California
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Nocturnal by Bishop is the ink line of Bishop, sold on the brand's own store alongside its machines and needles. Bishop publishes a Pro Team page of artists, but it is a roster with no application form, no stated criteria and no published benefit. The only partnership form on the site is the dealer application, which is for shops opening a wholesale account, not for artists. An artist who wants to be considered has to write to the brand at the contact details it publishes.
Luna Pigment (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, Austin, Texas
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Luna Pigment keeps a public page of sponsored artists, but it is a roster of names and Instagram links only, with no application form and no published criteria or discount. Nothing on the site says how an artist joins that roster or what it gives. The only route in is the general contact form or the published email, and the brand does not publish any promise about answering. Order pages show the ink can be bought from the brand directly or from its named distributors, all of which are in the USA or outside North America.
Nocturnal Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United States, Lake Forest, California
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Nocturnal now sits inside Bishop: the brand's own domain redirects to a Nocturnal Ink collection on bishoptattoosupply.com, and the ink is bought straight from that store in the USA. The only artist programme visible on those pages is the Bishop Family Artist Pro Team, a roster page of twelve named artists with a profile link each. There is no application form, no eligibility text and no stated criteria on that page, so entry is by invitation and there is nothing to submit. What team artists receive is not published. Canadian artists buy through Bishop's listed Canadian distributors, for example Good Guy Supply in Orleans, Ontario, which stocks Nocturnal Super Black, Shine White and West Coast Blend Dark.
Kokkai Sumi Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United States, City of Industry, California
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Kokkai makes sumi based tattoo inks in California and sells them direct from its own store, with a Sumi+ line built for REACH rules in Europe. There is a group of artists the brand calls the Sumi Team, but no application form and no published criteria, benefits or discount exist anywhere on the site. The only route in is to write to the sales address the site gives and ask, which means the decision sits entirely with the brand. Artists in the United States order direct; in Canada the site points to Worldwide Tattoo Canada as the retailer.
Electric Ink (Tier 3 - invite-only, get noticed first)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: Brazil, Uberaba, Minas Gerais
US via distributors. Canada via distributors.
Electric Ink is a Brazilian manufacturer that publishes a page of ambassadors, artists it presents as representing the brand. The page shows the current roster with their Instagram profiles and nothing else: there is no application form, no sign up link and no contact route for joining, so entry happens by invitation. What the ambassadors receive is not published, and no percentage or discount is stated anywhere on the page. For product, artists in the USA reach the brand through Intenze, which lists an Electric Ink collection in its own store, while no route into Canada is shown on the brand site.
Hardline Ink (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, region not stated beyond a Made in USA mark
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Hardline Ink is the black lining and shading ink developed by the tattoo artist known as Big Meas, sold from a three page site of Home, Store and Contact. There is no artist programme on the site: no application, no ambassador roster, no affiliate or pro pricing page. The only trade route named is a wholesale enquiry by email, which is a shop account and not a sponsorship. US artists can order the bottle direct from the store, and Canadian artists get it through supply shops that stock the Dynamic Black Hardline bottle.
Fantasia Art Supply (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, Texas
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Fantasia Art Supply sells its own handcrafted ink from its site with no artist programme of any kind. There is no sponsorship, ambassador roster, affiliate scheme or pro application published anywhere on the site: the menu is only Shop, Gallery, Our Story and Contact. Buying is the only relationship offered, and the store states that sales are for professional use with a valid shop required. In Canada the route is a stocking distributor rather than the brand itself, and international shipping has to be arranged by contacting the company.
Ink-Train (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: Not published on the site; the store operates in the United States
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Ink-Train makes single use ink mixing sticks and a mixing solution for thinning pigments and making graywash, sold from its own online store. For an individual artist there is no sponsorship, ambassador or pro pricing track published anywhere on the site. The only partner route is a distributor sign up aimed at shops and suppliers, and no terms or discount levels are published. Artists in the United States buy direct from the store; the site names no Canadian stockist. Official program page.
Raw Pigments (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United States, Hacienda Heights, California
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Raw Pigments sells its ink directly from rawpigments.co and lists about twenty named USA distributors plus one Canadian distributor, Empire Tattoo Supplies. There is no artist programme on the site: the menu runs Home, Shop, Distribution, Events and Info, with no pro team, ambassador, affiliate or artist application page anywhere in it. The brand does run artist collaborations, for example the Ominous Opaques set described as created with black and grey artist Dom Brown, but no roster, terms or entry route for those is published. The FAQ points partnership questions to the company email, so any approach is an email rather than a form.
rEvolution Ink (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United States, Hesperia, California
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
rEvolution Ink is the ink line of artist Nikko Hurtado and is sold directly from revolutioninks.com, which offers USD and CAD checkout. The site has five pages only, Home, The Inks, Ink Sets, About and Contact, and none of them mentions a pro team, ambassador roster, affiliate scheme, artist discount or wholesale account. Nothing about benefits or terms for artists is published. Canadian artists have a named route: The Deadly North states it is the official Canadian distributor of rEvolution Ink and ships across Canada from Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary.
Unistar (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: Poland
US via distributors. Canada via distributors.
Unistar is a Polish product line of tattoo inks plus studio consumables such as soaps, foams, glide and stencil solutions, presented on the Kwadron site in Krakow. The brand publishes product pages only: there is no artist application, no ambassador roster and no affiliate or pro pricing page anywhere on those pages. An artist in the USA or Canada buys it through retailers, for example Hildbrandt Tattoo Supply, which states it ships United States orders via Point Roberts and Canadian orders from Burnaby. Nothing about sponsorship terms is published, so no numbers or criteria can be quoted.
Waverly Color Company (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA (Maryland)
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
No artist program exists - verified across homepage, About Us and a domain search: no sponsorship page, no ambassador program, no affiliate program, no wholesale application form, no documented artist roster. Waverly is a small tattooer-owned pigment house (est. 2002, Baltimore MD) that hand-mixes ink from powder pigment, distilled water, alcohol and kosher vegetable glycerin, and sells to the trade. The only path is buying: direct from waverlycolor.com, or through pro shops that stock the line - Lucky Supply USA, Alliance Tattoo Supply, Razorblade Pro in the US, Deadly North and Good Guy Supply in Canada. Any trade pricing would have to be negotiated one to one, and that is an assumption, not something they publish. Contact waverlycolor@gmail.com, 410-235-9770 (Mon-Fri 10-4 ET). Treat as a respected brand to approach cold, not a program you can apply to. Official program page.
El Blanco Ink (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, region not stated on the site
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
El Blanco is a small white-pigment house formulated and bottled by its founder, and it sells the ink and the Los Colores line direct from its own store. The only partnership published is for shops: the Distributors page invites a shop to carry the line or become an official distributor and sends you to the contact page, with no form for an individual artist. There is no sponsorship, ambassador, pro team or affiliate page, and no artist discount rate is published. A US artist buys direct from elblancoink.com or from one of the eleven US shops the brand names, among them Kingpin, Keystone, Element, Coalition and Alliance. The brand names no Canadian distributor, but Good Guy Tattoo Supply in British Columbia stocks it. Official program page.
Dermaglo (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: United Kingdom, region not stated on the site
US via distributors. Canada via distributors.
Dermaglo is a British ink house, run since the founder's death in September 2024 by his daughter, and its own site is a trade shop rather than a programme. Ordering there is gated to working tattooists, and the site warns that an order from anyone else is refused and refunded with an administration cost deducted. No sponsorship, ambassador, pro team, affiliate or artist application page exists on the site; it links only a distributors page. In North America the ink reaches artists through shops: Eikon states it has been the authorised Canadian distributor at import and wholesale level since the mid-2000s, and US shops including Element Tattoo Supply and South State Manufacturing stock the line. No discount or benefit for individual artists is published.
Chroma Ink (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, region not stated on the site
Direct in the US. Canada via distributors.
Chroma sells its ink direct from its own store, and the only partner track published on the site is for shops that want to carry the line. The Distributors page lists the North American shops already stocking Chroma and invites new distributor enquiries by email or through the contact form, with no separate route for an individual artist. There is no sponsorship, ambassador, pro team or affiliate page anywhere in the navigation, which runs Home, Inks, Supplies, Merch, Contact, plus Our Story, About The Ink and Distributors. No discount rate or benefit for artists is published. An artist in the USA buys from chromaink.com; in Canada, Good Guy Tattoo Supply in Salmon Arm, British Columbia is listed by the brand as a stocking distributor. Official program page.
Big Sleeps Ink (Tier 4 - no direct program)
Tattoo Ink · HQ: USA, inks stated as made in the USA
Direct in the US. Direct in Canada.
Big Sleeps Ink runs its own online store and sells directly to artists in the USA and Canada, and the brand is also carried by several tattoo supply shops. The only partner track published on the site is a wholesale account, aimed at shops and locations that want to stock or distribute the ink in bulk. There is no artist sponsorship, pro team, ambassador or affiliate page anywhere in the site navigation or footer, and no percentage or benefit is published for artists. An artist who wants a relationship with the brand has to use the general contact form, since no artist application exists.

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