Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
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.
On this page10 sections
One INK STUDIO bottle and box, to scale at Sailor's 58 mm and 61 mm.
Product facts
Product
Sailor INK STUDIO Bottled Fountain Pen Ink, 20 ml (color 123)
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Notes on these facts
Made by The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022. Made in 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. Price: example listing. Released: Sailor's news release dates the INK STUDIO relaunch to June 27, 2026 in Japan. It replaces the 100-color Ink Studio (インク工房) line, whose launch date Sailor's product page doesn't give.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
