Made from the soot generated by burning pine branches or bark. Dark ink exhibits a subdued matte color, while light ink features a transparent and luminous shade providing a fine-grained three-dimensional effect. It is said that as it ages, the color shifts from black tones to blue tones.

Created from the soot produced by burning vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil. Dark ink presents a glossy and deep black color with a sense of depth. The color may vary depending on the type of vegetable oil used. Light ink, on the other hand, has a faintly brown hue, providing a fine-grained three-dimensional effect.

Colorful sumi inks have emerged and gained popularity. The trailblazer behind this trend is Mr. Masao Horiike, the sole artisan in Japan still producing pine soot, the key ingredient of sumi ink. He has expanded his product line as the SAIEMBOKU series, introducing various colors, and now the color variations exceed 40.