How to Make Natural Sumac Ink: A Simple DIY Ink Recipe from Foraged Materials

If you’re looking for a natural ink you can make even in the colder months, sumac ink is one of the few seasonal treasures that stays with us year-round. While winter limits the availability of many wild dye materials, sumac berries remain on their stems long after the leaves have fallen.

I collected mine from Downsview Park in Toronto, but sumac grows abundantly across North America—along trails, fields, and roadsides. When foraging, always harvest responsibly: take only what you need and leave the landscape as undisturbed as possible to protect local ecosystems.

Sumac ink has a beautiful range of tones, from browny pink to peachy pink, depending on the paper you use. It's a simple and rewarding process.

What You’ll Need to Make Sumac Ink

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups fresh staghorn sumac berries

• Enough white vinegar to cover the berries (helps extract color and preserve)

• 2 tsp alum (optional mordant for enhanced vibrancy)

• 1 tsp gum arabic (natural binder for ink flow and texture)

• 10 drops wintergreen oil (to prevent mold)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Sumac Ink

DIRECTIONS

1. Harvest the berries
   Gently pull the sumac berries off the stems by hand.

2. Pre-soak (optional but recommended)
   Place berries in a non-reactive pot. Cover with white vinegar and add alum. Let the mixture sit overnight to deepen the color extraction.

3. Simmer the mixture
   Bring to a gentle simmer, uncovered. Stir occasionally and dip a test strip of paper every so often to observe how the ink tone is developing.

4. Let it rest overnight (optional)
   Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit overnight for a richer pigment.

5. Extract the ink
   Wearing gloves, squeeze out the liquid from the berries. A potato masher or muslin cloth can help here.

6. Strain
   Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove solids.

7. Filter
   Line a funnel with a coffee filter and strain again to remove fine particles. Repeat if needed.

8. Stabilize the ink
   Whisk in the gum arabic until it fully dissolves. This helps with ink consistency and performance.

9. Preserve and store
   Add wintergreen oil to prevent mold. Pour the ink into a clean glass jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid.

Tips for Using and Storing Your Natural Ink

• Keep your space ventilated while simmering vinegar-based solutions.

• Shake before each use – natural pigments settle over time.

• Adapt for your tools – If using with fountain pens, filter extra thoroughly. If painting, some leftover particles can add beautiful texture.

• Store in a cool, dark place, and always label your jar with the ingredients and date.

Why Use Sumac for Ink?

Sumac ink produces a surprisingly beautiful range of tones—from earthy brown-pinks to soft peachy pinks, depending on the type of paper you use. It’s not just an easy natural ink to make at home; it’s also a gentle, meditative way to bring the outdoors into your creative process.

Foraging Meets Creativity

Whether you’re a printmaker, calligrapher, nature journaler, or simply curious, DIY botanical inks are a rewarding way to connect with the environment. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about your results—share your process, tones, or final artwork with me!