India ink (British English: Indian ink;[1] also Chinese ink) is a simple black or coloured ink once widely used for writing and printing and now more commonly used for drawing and outlining, especially when inking comic books and comic strips. India ink is also used in medical applications.
Compared to other inks, such as the iron gall ink previously common in Europe, India ink is noted for its deep, rich black color. It is commonly applied with a brush (such as an ink brush) or a dip pen. In East Asian traditions such as ink wash painting and Chinese calligraphy, India ink is commonly used in a solid form called an inkstick.
- ^ "Oxford English Dictionary". www.oed.com/. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 25 August 2017.