--- title: "Sailor Ink Studio: 50 Colors, 20 ml Bottles & Price" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-ink-studio/" description: "Sailor Ink Studio fountain pen ink explained: the June 2026 relaunch from 100 to 50 colors, 20 ml dye ink, bottle size, the paintable box, JAN codes and price." category: "Accessories" type: "Fountain pen ink" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-23 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "Sailor INK STUDIO Bottled Fountain Pen Ink, 20 ml (color 123)" brand: "Sailor" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Water-based dye ink in a glass bottle, paper box" released: "2026-06-27" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022" model: "INK STUDIO 20 ml dye ink, color 123" gtin: "4901680675150" url: "https://sailor.co.jp/product/13-1300/" --- # Sailor Ink Studio: 50 Colors, 20 ml Bottles & Price > Sailor Ink Studio is a range of 20 ml dye-based fountain pen inks known for shading and multi-tone colors. On June 27, 2026 Sailor relaunched it in Japan as INK STUDIO, cutting the range from 100 colors to 50: 40 favorites chosen partly by a user vote, plus 10 new colors. Sailor lists ¥1,760 (about US$11) a bottle. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-ink-studio/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-23 ![Sailor INK STUDIO 20 ml ink bottle and its box drawn to scale, 58 mm tall, with an inset of the painted box top](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/sailor-ink-studio-16x9.png) *One INK STUDIO bottle and box, to scale at Sailor's 58 mm and 61 mm.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Sailor INK STUDIO Bottled Fountain Pen Ink, 20 ml (color 123) | Sailor (by The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022) | Japan | Japan | Water-based dye ink in a glass bottle, paper box | 2026-06-27 | $$: $5–20 per item | - Made in (Sailor INK STUDIO Bottled Fountain Pen Ink, 20 ml (color 123)): Japan. Hiroshima Prefecture's profile of Sailor says its site in Kure, Hiroshima makes fountain pens, inks and ballpoints, and the bottles' JAN codes carry Japan's 49 GS1 prefix (it shows where the code was registered). Sailor's INK STUDIO page doesn't print a country. Source: https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/onlyonenoonezigyou/sailor.html ## Key takeaways - Sailor's INK STUDIO went on sale in Japan on June 27, 2026, replacing the 100-color Ink Studio (インク工房). - The new range has 50 colors: 40 kept after a January 2026 user vote and 10 new ones, such as 321, 467 and 968. - Each bottle holds 20 ml of water-based dye ink; Sailor lists it at W34 × D34 × H58 mm and 94.0 g. - Sailor Japan lists ¥1,760 (about US$11) a bottle; the 60 dropped colors are made to order on Sailor's shop. - On Amazon US, the older Ink Studio 123 had 164 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars, on October 23, 2026. ## What is Sailor Ink Studio? **It's Sailor's range of numbered 20 ml dye inks, built from years of custom ink blending, and in 2026 relaunched as INK STUDIO.** Sailor says the colors grew out of its in-store Ink Studio events and feedback from more than 20,000 blended colors. Fountain pen fans love the range for multi-tone shading: on Reddit's r/fountainpens, posts call them "multishaders" and pick favorites by number. Six threads we read on October 23, 2026 named them, and the older 123 had 164 ratings on Amazon US. ## What changed in June 2026? **Sailor cut the range from 100 colors to 50, renamed it INK STUDIO and redesigned the box, from June 27, 2026 in Japan.** Its release says it kept 40 colors, chosen from a January 2026 user vote and for overall balance, and added 10 new ones for illustration and drawing: 321, 232, 271, 336, 467, 574, 674, 778, 862 and 968. ![How Sailor Ink Studio went from 100 colors to 50 in June 2026: 40 kept, 10 new, 60 made to order](https://stationerytimes.com/images/sailor-ink-studio-range.svg) *From Sailor's June 2026 release; the dropped colors stay available to order in Japan.* Sailor says the relaunch aims at buyers outside Japan and at people who draw with ink. The 60 dropped colors are made to order on Sailor's online shop. ## INK STUDIO specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Japan | | Ink | Water-based dye | | Volume | 20 ml (0.7 fl oz) | | Bottle | W34 × D34 × H58 mm (1.3 × 1.3 × 2.3 in), 94.0 g | | Box | W37.5 × D37.5 × H61 mm (1.5 × 1.5 × 2.4 in), 100 g | | Colors | 50, numbered (023 to 970) | | JAN (123) | 4901680675150 | | Japan list price | ¥1,760 (about US$11) incl. tax; ¥1,600 (about US$10) before tax | Sailor notes the bottle comes without an ink reservoir insert, and asks you to press the inner lid back in if it comes loose, to stop leaks. ## What is special about the box? **You can paint it: Sailor chose an absorbent paper so the box doubles as a swatch.** Its release suggests painting the top with the ink inside, so you can find the color from above on a shelf. The color number is printed large on the front of the bottle and the box. That helps when you work with several colors at once, which is the drawing use Sailor has in mind. ## How does it compare with other Japanese inks? **Same bottle as Sailor's Shikiori inks, a slightly higher price, and a wider range of colors.** | | INK STUDIO | [Shikiori Yama-dori](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-shikiori-yama-dori/) | [Iroshizuku Kon-peki](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-iroshizuku-kon-peki/) | |---|---|---|---| | Maker | Sailor | Sailor | Pilot | | Bottle | 20 ml | 20 ml | 50 ml | | Japan list price | ¥1,760 (about US$11) | ¥1,320 (about US$8.40) | ¥2,200 (about US$14) | | Price band | $$ | $$ | $$$ | The Yama-dori and Kon-peki figures come from their guides; Sailor lists the Shikiori bottle at the same W34 × D34 × H58 mm and 94.0 g. For a pigmented, water-resistant Sailor black, see [Sailor Kiwa-guro](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-kiwa-guro/). ## Where is Sailor Ink Studio made? **In Japan.** Hiroshima Prefecture's profile of Sailor says its site in Kure makes the company's inks, and the bottles carry Japanese JAN codes. Sailor has been majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022, as our [Sailor history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/sailor-history/) explains. ## How much does Sailor Ink Studio cost? **It's in our $$ band, $5–20 per bottle, in the US listings we checked in October 2026, such as Amazon US.** Sailor Japan lists INK STUDIO at ¥1,760 (about US$11) including tax. US shops may still sell the older Ink Studio bottles, labelled by number with 13-6210 codes. Check whether your color is one of the 40 that continue. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Sailor Ink Studio the same as Ink Workshop? Yes. インク工房 (Ink Studio) is sometimes translated as Ink Workshop; Amazon US lists the older bottles as Ink Workshop with codes like 13-6210-123. In 2026 Sailor renamed the range INK STUDIO in Latin letters. ### Why are Sailor Ink Studio colors numbered? The range has no color names, only three-digit numbers. Sailor's relaunch prints the number large on the front of each bottle and box so you can tell them apart on the desk. ### Can I still buy a discontinued Ink Studio color? In Japan, yes: Sailor says the 60 colors not carried into INK STUDIO are made to order through its online Sailor Shop. Outside Japan, look for remaining stock of the older bottles. ### Is Ink Studio a dry or wet ink? One r/fountainpens poster who sampled Ink Studio and Manyo colors found them dry compared with Pilot Iroshizuku. That's an owner impression, not a Sailor spec, and flow varies by color and pen. ### Is Ink Studio safe for non-Sailor pens? Sailor's page tells you to use it in Sailor fountain pens and says it won't guarantee other makers' pens. It's a standard water-based dye ink, but flush any pen before switching colors. ### Is Sailor Ink Studio made in the USA? No, in Japan. Sailor makes its inks at its site in Kure, Hiroshima, per Hiroshima Prefecture. ## Sources - [万年筆用ボトルインク INK STUDIO 染料 20ml, Sailor Japan (¥1,760, on sale June 27, 2026, 50 colors, JAN per color, water-based dye, 20 ml, bottle W34 × D34 × H58 mm and 94.0 g, box W37.5 × D37.5 × H61 mm and 100 g; read October 23, 2026)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/13-1300/) - [『INK STUDIO』2026年6月27日（土）より全国発売, Sailor Japan news release (100 to 50 colors, January 2026 vote, 10 new colors, paintable box, swatch on top, 60 colors made to order)](https://sailor.co.jp/news/20260609/) - [万年筆用ボトルインク インク工房 染料 20ml, Sailor Japan (the former 100-color range; colors 224, 252 and 280 added August 2020)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/13-1210/) - [Hiroshima Prefecture: Sailor company profile (Kure site makes fountain pens, inks and ballpoints)](https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/onlyonenoonezigyou/sailor.html) - [Amazon US: Sailor bottled ink, Ink Workshop 123, dye, 20 ml, 13-6210-123 (164 ratings, 4.7 stars, October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MVHH7JD) - [Reddit r/fountainpens: ink threads naming Sailor Ink Studio colors 123, 141, 143, 237 and 743 (search RSS, read October 23, 2026)](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/search/?q=sailor+ink+studio)