applivation : thousands of years, India ink has been used as an expressive medium for painting, drawing, lettering, and tattooing. This permanent ink is traditionally an opaque black, being made with lampblack, a pigment derived from soot.
Basic India ink is composed of a variety of fine soot, known as lampblack, combined with water to form a liquid. No binder material is necessary: the carbon molecules are in colloidal suspension and form a waterproof layer after drying.
India ink is applied to surgically removed tissue specimens to maintain orientation and indicate tumor resection margins.