An ink sac is an item dropped by a squid upon death. It can be used to craft black dye, dark prismarine,[BE only] and books and quills.
Obtaining
Mob loot
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Squid | 1–3 | 100.00% | 2.00 | 1–4 | 100.00% | 2.50 | 1–5 | 100.00% | 3.00 | 1–6 | 100.00% | 3.50 | |
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Squid | 1–3 | 1 | 2 | 1–4 | 1 | 5⁄2 | 1–5 | 1 | 3 | 1–6 | 1 | 7⁄2 | |
| Mob | Amount | Probability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | |||
| Squid | 1 | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | 1⁄12 (8.33%) | 1⁄18 (5.56%) | |
| 2 | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄4 (25.00%) | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | ||
| 3 | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 5⁄18 (27.78%) | ||
| 4 | 0 | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | 1⁄4 (25.00%) | 5⁄18 (27.78%) | ||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1⁄12 (8.33%) | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | ||
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1⁄18 (5.56%) | ||
| Average | 2 (2.00) | 5⁄2 (2.50) | 3 (3.00) | 7⁄2 (3.50) | ||
| Drops | 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mob | Expected Number of Kills | ||||
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||
| Squid | 0.50 | 0.40 | 0.33 | 0.29 | |
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Squid | 1–3 | 100.00% | 2.00 | 1–4 | 100.00% | 2.50 | 1–5 | 100.00% | 3.00 | 1–6 | 100.00% | 3.50 | |
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Squid | 1–3 | 1 | 2 | 1–4 | 1 | 5⁄2 | 1–5 | 1 | 3 | 1–6 | 1 | 7⁄2 | |
| Mob | Amount | Probability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | |||
| Squid | 1 | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | 1⁄12 (8.33%) | 1⁄18 (5.56%) | |
| 2 | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄4 (25.00%) | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | ||
| 3 | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 1⁄3 (33.33%) | 5⁄18 (27.78%) | ||
| 4 | 0 | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | 1⁄4 (25.00%) | 5⁄18 (27.78%) | ||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1⁄12 (8.33%) | 1⁄6 (16.67%) | ||
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1⁄18 (5.56%) | ||
| Average | 2 (2.00) | 5⁄2 (2.50) | 3 (3.00) | 7⁄2 (3.50) | ||
| Drops | 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mob | Expected Number of Kills | ||||
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||
| Squid | 0.50 | 0.40 | 0.33 | 0.29 | |
Generated loot
| Item | Structure | Container | Quantity | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedrock Edition | ||||
| Storeroom chest | 1–3 | 40%{ "item": "Ink Sac", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.40018245990447665, "structure": "Stronghold", "container": "Storeroom chest" }
| ||
Fishing
A stack of 10 ink sacs can be obtained as a "junk" item from fishing. Ink sacs are the rarest fishing loot, with a 1⁄1000 chance of obtaining them from fishing with an unenchanted fishing rod. The Luck of the Sea enchantment decreases the chances of obtaining ink sacs.
Compound creation
Ink sac can be created from its base elements, using the compound creator.[Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education only]
| Name | Elements | Example recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Ink sac | 1 Iron 1 Sulfur 4 Oxygen |
Usage
Crafting ingredient
In Bedrock Edition, ink sacs can be also used in banner patterns:
| Name | Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Black Banner pattern | Ink Sac + Banner |
|
| Black Banner image | Ink Sac + Banner + Vines or Bricks or Creeper Head or Wither Skeleton Skull or Oxeye Daisy or Enchanted Golden Apple |
Loom ingredient
Dye
In Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education, ink sac can be:
- Applied to sheep to dye their wool, which can then be sheared for 1–3 blocks of black wool.
- Applied to tamed wolves to dye their collars.
- Applied to tamed cats to dye their collars.
- Used to dye or stain wool, leather armor, beds, glass, terracotta, shulker boxes, candles, and harnesses.
- Combined with gunpowder to make a firework star.
- Combined with a firework star to create a fade-to-color effect.
- Used to add patterns to banners.
- Used to dye shulkers in Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education.
- Used to dye water contained in cauldrons in Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education.
- Combined with sand and gravel to craft concrete powder.
- Combined with compounds to craft balloons or glow sticks in Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education.
- Used to change the color of text on signs or hanging signs.
Trading
| Villager | Probability | Villager wants | Player receives | Trades in stock | Villager experience | Price multiplier | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JE | BE | |||||||
| 67% | 100% | 5 × | 12 | 20 | 0.05 | |||
Signs
Ink sacs can be applied to signs or hanging signs to revert glowing text back to default.
Sounds
| Sounds | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Closed captions | Source | Description | Identifier | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Ink Sac splotches | Blocks | When an ink sac is used on a sign | item | subtitles | 1.0 | varies [sound 1] | 16 | |
- ↑ Each sound can be 0.85, 0.88, or 0.9
| Sounds | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Closed captions | Source | Description | Identifier | Translation key | Volume | Pitch |
| ? | Sound | When an ink sac is used on a sign | sign | ? | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Data values
ID
| Name | Identifier | Form | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|
ink_sac | Item | item |
| Name | Identifier | Alias ID | Numeric ID | Form | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ink_sac | dye / 0 | 413 | Item | item |
Videos
History
Java Edition
| Java Edition Beta | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | |||||||
| 1.2_02 | "Ink Sack" has been renamed to "Ink Sac". | ||||||
| Java Edition | |||||||
| 1.3.1 | 12w17a | Ink sacs are now used to craft books and quills. | |||||
| 1.4.2 | 12w34a | Added the ability to dye leather armor and wolf collars. | |||||
| 1.4.6 | 12w49a | Ink sacs can now be crafted with gunpowder to create a firework star. | |||||
| 1.6.1 | 13w19a | Stained clay can now be crafted. | |||||
| 1.7.2 | 13w36a | Ink sacs can now be obtained by fishing. | |||||
| 13w41a | Stained glass can now be crafted. | ||||||
| 1.8 | 14w25a | Ink sacs are now used to craft dark prismarine. | |||||
| 14w30a | Added banners, which can be dyed with ink sacs. | ||||||
| 1.11 | 16w39a | Ink sacs can now be used to dye shulker boxes. | |||||
| 1.12 | 17w06a | Ink sacs are now used to craft black concrete powder. | |||||
| 17w15a | Ink sacs can now be used to dye beds. | ||||||
| 1.14 | 18w43a | Ink sacs can now be used to craft black dye. | |||||
| Ink sacs can no longer be used as a dye. | |||||||
| All of the dye-related functions and crafting recipes of ink sac (except books and quills and dark prismarine) have been transferred to black dye. | |||||||
| 19w11a | Librarian villagers now buy 5 ink sacs for 1 emerald. | ||||||
| 1.15 | pre1 | Ink sacs are no longer used to craft dark prismarine. | |||||
| 1.17 | 21w03a | Ink sacs can now be used to remove the text's glowing effect of a sign. | |||||
| 1.19.3 Experiment | 22w42a | Ink sacs can now be used to remove the text's glowing effect of a hanging sign. | |||||
Bedrock Edition
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v0.3.0 | |||||||
| v0.8.0 | build 1 | Ink sacs can now be used to craft cocoa beans. | |||||
| build 3 | Ink sacs are now available in Creative. | ||||||
| v0.9.0 | build 1 | Ink sacs now generate in village and stronghold chests. | |||||
| v0.11.0 | build 1 | Ink sacs can now be obtained from squid. | |||||
| Ink sacs can now be obtained as a junk item from fishing. | |||||||
| v0.14.0 | build 1 | Ink sacs now can now be used to dye water in cauldrons. | |||||
| v0.16.0 | build 1 | Ink sacs are no longer used to craft cocoa beans. | |||||
| Ink sacs can now be used to craft dark prismarine. | |||||||
| Pocket Edition | |||||||
| 1.0.0 | alpha 0.17.0.1 | Ink sacs can now be used to dye shulkers. | |||||
| 1.1.0 | alpha 1.1.0.0 | Ink sacs are now used to re-dye beds. | |||||
| Ink sacs can now be used to dye shulker boxes. | |||||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| 1.2.0 | beta 1.2.0.2 | Ink sacs can now be used to craft book and quills. | |||||
| Added banners, which can be dyed with ink sacs. | |||||||
| Ink sacs can now be crafted with gunpowder to create firework stars. | |||||||
| Ink sacs can now be used to craft black concrete powder. | |||||||
| Stained glass can now be crafted. | |||||||
| 1.4.0 | beta 1.2.20.1 | Ink sacs can now be crafted from iron, sulfur, and 4 oxygen in the compound creators. | |||||
| Ink sacs can now be used to craft balloons and glow sticks. | |||||||
| 1.8.0 | beta 1.8.0.10 | Ink sacs can now be used to craft black dye. | |||||
| 1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | Ink sacs can now be bought from wandering traders. | |||||
| 1.11.0 | beta 1.11.0.4 | Ink sacs can now be sold to librarian villagers. | |||||
| 1.16.210 | beta 1.16.210.59 | Ink sacs can now be used to revert glowing text on signs to normal. | |||||
| 1.20.30 | Preview 1.20.20.21 | Wandering traders no longer sell ink sacs. They can sell black dye instead. | |||||
Legacy Console Edition
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | Xbox One | PS3 | PS4 | PS Vita | Wii U | Switch | |
| TU1 | CU1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | Patch 1 | 1.0.1 | |
| TU14 | 1.04 | Ink sacs can now be used to dye leather armor and wolf collars. | |||||
| TU19 | CU7 | 1.12 | 1.12 | 1.12 | Ink sacs can now be used to craft black stained clay.. | ||
| Ink sacs can now be crafted with gunpowder to create a firework star. | |||||||
| TU25 | CU14 | 1.17 | 1.17 | 1.17 | Ink sacs can now be used to craft black stained glass. | ||
| Ink sacs are now used to craft books and quills. | |||||||
| TU31 | CU19 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | Patch 3 | Ink sacs can now be obtained by fishing. | |
| Ink sacs are now used to craft dark prismarine. | |||||||
| TU43 | CU33 | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.36 | Patch 13 | Added banners, which can be dyed with ink sacs. | |
| TU53 | CU43 | 1.49 | 1.50 | 1.49 | Patch 23 | 1.0.3 | Ink sacs can now be used to dye shulker boxes. |
| Can now be used to craft black concrete powder. | |||||||
| TU54 | CU44 | 1.52 | 1.52 | 1.52 | Patch 24 | 1.0.4 | Added the ability to dye beds. |
| TU60 | CU51 | 1.64 | 1.64 | 1.64 | Patch 30 | 1.0.11 | Ink sacs can now be used to dye leather horse armor. |
| Ink sacs can now be used to dye water in a cauldron to dye leather armor. | |||||||
| Ink sacs can now be found in chests in strongholds. | |||||||
| 1.83 | Ink sacs can now be used to craft black dye. | ||||||
| 1.90 | |||||||
| 1.91 | Ink sacs can now be bought from wandering traders. | ||||||
| Ink sacs can now be sold to librarian villagers. | |||||||
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
| New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1.0 | |||||||
Data history
Java Edition
| Java Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.13 | 17w47a | The different data values for the dye ID have been split up into their own IDs.
| |||||
| Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 351. | |||||||
Bedrock Edition
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.16.100 | beta 1.16.100.56 | The ID of ink sacs has been changed from dye/0 to ink_sac. | |||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Ink Sac" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Gallery
In other media
-
An ink sac as it appears in Minecraft Earth
External links
- "Taking Inventory: Ink Sac" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, July 12, 2018.







