Ink Sac

Overview

An Ink Sac is the black dye of the game and the ink in a Book and Quill, which covers both the decorative and the practical ends of what a squid is worth. As dye it colours wool, terracotta, concrete powder, candles, beds, banners, shulker boxes and leather armour black, and eight ink sacs plus prismarine shards make Dark Prismarine, the deep blue-green block that ocean builds are trimmed with. Squid drop 1 to 3 each and spawn in any water deeper than a few blocks, so a river or ocean near a base is an endless supply with no farm required — although a squid farm built around a dark water chamber is easy and produces stacks. The glowing variant, the Glow Ink Sac, comes from glow squid in the darker parts of caves and makes sign text luminous instead of black. Both stack to 64, and both are worth keeping a supply of in the dye chest. Squid are the least dangerous mob in the game and the source of a colour you will use constantly, which is a better bargain than it sounds.

Dyeing anything black, writing in a book and quill, and crafting dark prismarine for ocean builds — the everyday black pigment of the game. Black dye, ink and a building block in one drop.

In Minecraft, Ink Sac is a dye item. A full stack holds 64. It drops from Squid.

You will need it for Black Dye and Book and Quill.

How to get it

Kill a squid in any deep water for 1 to 3 ink sacs, up to 6 with Looting III. 1 sac is 1 black dye, and 8 sacs with prismarine shards make Dark Prismarine blocks.

Tips

Squid spawn in any water body deep enough, so no dedicated farm is needed for ordinary quantities.
Use a Glow Ink Sac on a sign to make its text glow and readable in the dark.
Black dye from ink is identical to black dye from a wither rose, so use whichever you have more of.
Keep a stack in the dye chest; black is the most-used colour for outlines and trim in most builds.