Track every ink, stay compliant

The EU Ink Passport feature helps tattoo artists comply with EU regulations (REACH Regulation 2020/2081 and EN 17169:2020) by tracking inks and needles used in each tattoo session. It generates professional documentation that records batch numbers, expiry dates, and other traceability information required by law in many European countries.

Since January 2022, EU regulations require tattoo artists to:

• Record which inks are used on each client (brand, batch number, expiry date)
• Maintain traceability records for a minimum of 5 years
• Provide clients with documentation of inks used upon request
• Track needle/cartridge batch numbers in some jurisdictions

Non-compliance can result in fines and legal liability. The Ink Passport feature automates this record-keeping and generates compliant documentation.

The Ink Passport feature is opt-in. To enable it:

1. Go to Supplies in the sidebar
2. Click Enable EU Ink Passport
3. Review the compliance information and confirm

For studios, the studio owner can enable the feature for all studio work. Individual artists can also enable it for their personal clients independently.

Pencild uses a two-tier catalogue system:

Tier 1: Product Catalogue

• Your personal catalogue of ink/needle products
• Product details: brand, colour, CI number, REACH compliance status
• Personal notes about each product
• Favourites marking for quick access

Tier 2: Instances (Physical Inventory)

• Individual bottles/cartridges with batch-specific data
• Batch number, lot number, expiry date
• Status: available, low, empty, expired
• Purchase tracking: date, supplier

Workflow: Add a product to your catalogue first → then add instances (bottles) with batch numbers

1. Open the appointment in your calendar
2. Scroll to the Supplies Used section
3. Click Record Supplies
4. Select inks from your inventory (favourites and frequently used appear first)
5. For each ink, optionally select the body area where it was applied
6. Select any needles used
7. Save the session supplies

The system creates a permanent snapshot of all supply details at the time of recording.

Yes. On the appointment detail page, click Edit Supplies to modify the inks, needles, or body areas recorded for that session. All changes are tracked with timestamps.

Pencild tracks two types of expiry:

• Manufacturer expiry: The date printed on the bottle
• Opened expiry: Based on when you first used the bottle (default 12 months shelf life after opening)

The effective expiry is the earlier of these two dates. Warnings appear:

• EXPIRED – Cannot be selected (red, disabled)
• Expiring Soon – 30 days or less to expiry (amber warning)
• Non-REACH – Product not marked as REACH compliant (info badge)

Even where not strictly mandatory, maintaining proper records protects you legally and demonstrates professional practice.

Yes. While designed for EU compliance, the Ink Passport feature is useful for any artist who wants to maintain professional records of supplies used. Many clients appreciate receiving documentation of the inks used in their tattoos, regardless of legal requirements.

Yes. Pencild includes a pre-seeded catalogue of major REACH-compliant ink brands:

• World Famous (Limitless, Standard)
• Intenze (Zuper Black, Color Lining)
• Eternal Ink (Standard, Neutral Gray)
• Dynamic Color
• IAMINK
• Kuro Sumi
• Fusion Ink
• Solid Ink

And needle brands:

• Cheyenne (Safety, Craft, Capillary)
• Bishop (Standard, Da Vinci)
• Kwadron (Standard, Optima)
• Peak
• FK Irons (Spektra, EXO)

You can search this catalogue when adding supplies, or enter custom products not in the catalogue.

For products with Auto-replenish enabled:

• Set a low stock threshold (default: 1)
• When available instance count falls below threshold
• A task is automatically created to reorder
• Stay on top of inventory without manual checking