Vinta Inks Singapore: The Complete Guide — All Collections, Founder Interview & Where to Buy (2026)

Some inks are just ink. Vinta Inks are time machines. Each bottle carries the name of a Philippine place and a year — and behind that name is a moment in history: a blood compact on a Cebuano beach in 1565, a midnight disco on Ermita Street in 1979, a fisherman's catch on Lake Taal in 1935. Open the bottle and you are, for a moment, there.

The brand was founded in the Philippines by educator and designer Jillian Tan, who named it after the vinta — the colourful outrigger sailboats of Mindanao, striped in patterns that are uniquely, unmistakably Filipino. At Cityluxe, Singapore's authorised Vinta retailer, the full catalogue of 74 inks is in stock — every bottle gift-wrapped by hand, every Awareness Project ink still contributing to Philippine wildlife conservation.

We know Jillian personally. During her PhD at NUS, she came to Cityluxe and we filmed the only founder interview in Southeast Asia. You can watch it embedded below — it remains the most direct window into why these inks are made the way they are.

Quick Verdict: Which Vinta Ink to Start With?

Brand History: Every Ink, a Story

Vinta is a young brand with a very old subject. Its inks don't just look beautiful — each one points to a specific moment in Philippine history, chosen by a founder who believes the stories of her homeland deserve to travel, one carefully written letter at a time.

2017

Founded in the Philippines — every ink, a story

Designer and educator Jillian Tan founds Vinta Inks in the Philippines on a single conviction: fountain pen ink should tell the stories of her homeland. She names the brand after the vinta — the colourful outrigger sailboats of Mindanao — and every ink after a Philippine place plus a year, each pointing to a specific historical moment. From the Spanish galleon era to the 1990s Manila disco scene, the inks are named as time capsules.

2021

The Capsule Collection — and a Singapore founder interview

The Capsule Collection brings the 15ml Neon Nights and the 30ml Vintage series together as a cohesive debut. During Singapore's Covid period, Jillian is here completing her PhD at NUS. She meets the Cityluxe team and records an exclusive Q&A interview — the only in-depth founder interview filmed in Southeast Asia. Vinta also formalises its social mission: ₱25 from every bottle goes to Teach for the Philippines.

2024

The Awareness Project — ink as conservation

Vinta launches The Awareness Project, naming each bottle after an endangered Philippine species — Haribon (Philippine Eagle), Tandikan (Philippine Cockatoo), Nahan (Visayan Warty Pig). A portion of proceeds goes to wildlife conservation. This is the brand stepping beyond storytelling into advocacy.

Today

74 in-stock inks — at Cityluxe Singapore

The complete Vinta catalogue — from the SGD 3 ink sample through to flagship 30ml bottles, shimmer formulas, limited seasonal editions and gift sets — is available at Cityluxe. Every bottle ships with gift wrapping and a gift card. For Awareness Project inks, your purchase still contributes to Philippine conservation.

Design Philosophy: Place + Year = Memory

Every Vinta ink has two parts to its name: a place and a year. Sandugo 1565 — the blood compact between Cebuano chieftain Sikatuna and the Spanish explorer Legazpi, symbolising friendship between peoples. Ermita 1979 — the golden age of Manila's entertainment district, captured in a rich antique gold shimmer. Haribon 1994 — the Philippine Eagle, listed as critically endangered, its Tagalog name given to a silver-sheening ink as a quiet act of witness.

The naming convention is not decoration. Jillian Tan researched every entry — which year a species was first classified as endangered, which year a neighbourhood was at its cultural peak, which year a sailing route made history. The result is a catalogue that reads like a condensed almanac of Filipino memory. Writing with a Vinta ink is, in a small way, an act of cultural preservation.

Sikatuna · Sandugo 1565

Gold Dust · Piloncitos 1521

Apex Silver · Haribon 1994

Watch: The Founder Interview — Jillian Tan, Filmed at Cityluxe

In June 2021, while Jillian was completing her PhD at NUS, we sat down with her at Cityluxe for an exclusive Q&A. She talks through the inspiration behind Vinta, the Capsule Collection, how the inks are formulated, which nib sizes work best with each type, and what her personal favourite colours are. This is the most candid, in-depth Vinta Inks interview filmed in Southeast Asia.

15ml Neon Nights Collection — SGD 15

The Neon Nights series is Vinta in miniature — five 15ml bottles capturing Manila's "Electric 80s": the neon signs of Ermita, the sunset palettes of Roxas Boulevard, the golden glow of Quiapo at dusk. Each ink is a neon-bright or deep-saturated colour with strong shading and, in some cases, a dramatic sheen. At SGD 15 they are an ideal entry point — enough ink for months of regular use in a smaller, giftable format.

Electric Cyan · SGD 15

Technicolor Night · SGD 15

Golden Hour · SGD 15

Matinee Rose · SGD 15

Disco Gold · SGD 15

30ml Vintage Classics — SGD 18

The Vintage Classics are the backbone of the Vinta catalogue — 25 inks in 30ml bottles, each a carefully researched colour tied to a specific Philippine place and year. They are the inks that introduced most of the world to Vinta: deep blues, saturated greens, earthy neutrals, and the occasional unexpected tone (that ochre, that harlequin, that violet). All are well-behaved dye inks — excellent shading, fast-drying by fountain pen standards, and trouble-free in most nibs.

Featured inks (a representative cross-section of the range):

Deepwater Blue · Lucia 1952 · SGD 18

Mermaid Green · Sirena 1952 · SGD 18

Blue Floss · Perya 1820 · SGD 18

Harlequin · Bodabil 1920 · SGD 18

Sulu Blue · Tubbataha 1993 · SGD 18

Violet · Maskara 1890 · SGD 18 ⚠️ 1 left

The complete Vintage Classics in stock (SGD 18 each, unless noted):

• Aegean — SGD 18.00
• Azure — SGD 18.00
• Black Onyx — SGD 18.00
• Blue Blood — SGD 18.00
• Blue Floss — SGD 18.00
• Bronze Yellow — SGD 18.00
• Deepwater Blue — SGD 18.00
• Elysium Green — SGD 18.00
• Emerald — SGD 18.00
• Harlequin — SGD 18.00
• Heritage Brown — SGD 18.00
• Malayan Apple — SGD 18.00
• Mermaid Green — SGD 18.00
• Mulberry — SGD 18.00
• Ochre — SGD 18.00
• Sea Kelp — SGD 18.00
• Sikatuna — SGD 18.00
• St. John's — SGD 18.00
• Sulu Blue — SGD 18.00
• Summer Green — SGD 18.00
• Sunrise — SGD 18.00
• Teal — SGD 18.00
• Terracotta — SGD 18.00
• Vineyard — SGD 18.00
• Violet ⚠️ 1 left — SGD 18.00
• Crimson Confession — SGD 19.00

Shimmer Series — SGD 20

Vinta's shimmer inks add a micro-particle metallic sheen to the standard dye formula — the particles catch the light as the ink dries, leaving a glinting surface that shifts in different lighting conditions. All seven shimmer colours are in 30ml bottles at SGD 20. In the interview, Jillian explains the shimmer formula: the particles are added by weight ratio after the base colour is set, which is why every shimmer bottle benefits from a gentle shake before filling. A broad or stub nib maximises the visual impact.

Cosmic Blue, Shimmer · SGD 20.00

Gold Dust, Shimmer · SGD 20.00

Mother of Pearl, Shimmer · SGD 20.00

Night Sky, Shimmer · SGD 20.00

Pastel Blue, Shimmer · SGD 20.00

Pastel Pink, Shimmer · SGD 20.00

Pink Sands, Shimmer (Santa Cruz 1983) — SGD 20.00

Homeroom Collection — SGD 18

The Homeroom collection is a love letter to the Filipino classroom — five inks named after the smells, sounds and feelings of school days. Classroom Crush is a warm blush; Paper Mint is the exact colour of mimeograph paper; Twilight is the end-of-day blue of a shutting schoolroom. Each ink carries a Tagalog subtitle that condenses the memory: Sulyap (a glance), Pitik-Papel (flicking paper), Takipsilim (dusk). At SGD 18 they are the same price as the Vintage Classics, and just as well-behaved on paper.

Classroom Crush [Sulyap] · SGD 18.00

First Day [Unang Araw] · SGD 18.00

Last Bell [Huling Kampana] · SGD 18.00

Paper Mint [Pitik-Papel] · SGD 18.00

Twilight [Takipsilim] · SGD 18.00

Hello Rain Collection — SGD 22

Rain in the Philippines is not a mild British drizzle. It is the amihan (northeast monsoon), the sudden tuwing umuulan (whenever it rains) of storms that change the sky in ten minutes, the smell of arnibal (burnt sugar and caramel) rising from street stalls as vendors scramble for cover. Vinta's Hello Rain collection captures five moods of Philippine rain — from petrichor grey to the indigo of a Badya (weather bureau) sky. All five are 30ml at SGD 22, with excellent shading properties.

Marbles (Holen 1946) · SGD 22.00

When It Rains (Tuwing Umuulan 1980) · SGD 22.00

Rainshower (Amihan 1901) · SGD 22.00

Burnt Sugar (Arnibal 1856) · SGD 22.00

Overcast Blue [Badya 1865] · SGD 22.00

Summer Cocktails Collection — SGD 22

Three inks, three drinks, three centuries of Philippine history. Bahalina 1521 is a deep crimson named for the coconut wine the Visayans drank before the Spanish arrived. Salud 1565 is a sunrise amber-orange, the toast at the first Mass in Cebu. Kaisa 1854 is a rum-blue island ink — the colour of the Sulu Sea where the last great trading fleets moved. Vivid, playful, and rich with cultural depth.

Rum Blue Island [Kaisa 1854] · SGD 22.00

Tequila Sunrise [Salud 1565] · SGD 22.00

Red Sangria [Bahalina 1521] · SGD 22.00

The Awareness Project — SGD 22

The Awareness Project is Vinta at its most purposeful: five inks, five endangered species, each bottle a quiet act of witness. The inks are named after Philippine creatures whose populations have been pushed to critical levels by habitat loss and hunting — the Haribon (Philippine Eagle), the Tandikan (Philippine Cockatoo), the Isabela Oriole, the Tamaraw, the Visayan Warty Pig. A portion of every purchase goes to conservation. Every ink in the collection has exceptional properties — the silver of Apex Silver, the clear elusive blue of Tandikan, the earthy sepia of Isabela — as if Vinta wanted these bottles to be as worth owning as the animals are worth saving.

Apex Silver [Haribon 1994] · SGD 22.00

Elusive Blue [Tandikan 2000] · SGD 22.00

Liquid Sepia [Isabela 1999] · SGD 22.00

Sailfin Green [Ibid 1829] · SGD 22.00

Solitary Teal [Nahan 2010] · SGD 22.00

Holiday Collections — SGD 22

Vinta releases seasonal holiday editions around Christmas, each carrying the imagery of a Filipino Christmas: the parol (star lantern), the Simbang Gabi (nine-day dawn Mass), the smell of buko pandan in the kitchen. These are not generic red-and-green Christmas inks — they are specifically, beautifully Filipino. All are 30ml at SGD 22.

Holiday Collection 2025

Ethereal Blue (Liwayway 1901) · SGD 22.00

Silent Night (Simbang Gabi 1669) · SGD 22.00

Skyburst (Kutitap 1983) · SGD 22.00

Earlier Holiday Editions (still in stock)

Carol Red (Karol 1990) — 3 left · SGD 22.00

Jewel Green (Parol 1908) — 1 left · SGD 22.00

Yuletide Green (Buko Pandan 1854) · SGD 22.00

Note: Vesper Blue (Bisperas 1669) is currently out of stock — notify me when available.

Capsule & Archive Inks — SGD 22

These nine inks are from Vinta's earlier capsule releases and standalone collections — each as carefully researched as the named collections, but without a collection prefix in the title. They represent the depth and variety of the Vinta catalogue beyond the flagship series: moody greys, delicate lavenders, warm sepias, and the brand's love of nature imagery (a plume of bird of paradise, the midnight-blue of an open sea).

The Maiden [Lakambini 1950] · SGD 22.00

Plume (Salimbay 1949) · SGD 22.00

Mystical Eve (Saysay 1925) · SGD 22.00

Sea and Sky (Lakbay 1861) · SGD 22.00

Clouds of Gray (Pagtangi 1958) · SGD 22.00

Lilac Dawn (Simulan 2015) · SGD 22.00

Blue in Bloom [Tojoman 1935] · SGD 22.00

Pink Afterglow [Pusan 2000] · SGD 22.00

Umber [Haldan 1986] · SGD 22.00

Ink Properties Guide: Shimmer, Sheen & Standard

In the Cityluxe interview, Jillian walks through exactly how to choose the right Vinta ink for your pen and writing style. Here is what she recommends:

Gifting with Vinta Inks — Thoughtful by Design

Every Vinta ink order at Cityluxe includes gift wrapping with a handwritten gift card — no extra charge. That alone makes a single bottle of Deepwater Blue or Apex Silver a ready-made gift, complete with the brand story attached to every Vinta name.

For a more complete gift, we recommend pairing a Vinta ink with one of the fountain pens we carry. A LAMY Safari (from SGD 42) or a Kaweco Sport (from SGD 65) in Medium nib gives the ink room to show its full shading — and both can be laser-engraved at the WorkRoom with a name or date. A bottle of Vinta + an engraved pen is one of our most-requested gift combinations.

Using Vinta Inks in Singapore: Tips for Our Climate

Singapore's high humidity (70–90% RH year-round) is generally kind to fountain pen inks — ink dries more slowly on the page, which means you get slightly more shading and sheen time before the puddles of ink set. This works in your favour with Vinta inks, which are designed to shade.

A few local considerations:

• Storage: Keep bottles upright and away from direct sunlight (avoid desks near south-facing windows). Vinta inks are dye-based and UV light can cause colour drift over months.
• Shimmer settling: In Singapore's ambient temperature, shimmer particles settle quickly. Shake before every fill — 10 seconds is enough.
• Pen care: If you leave a Vinta shimmer ink sitting in a pen for more than two weeks, flush before the next use. Shimmer inks + high humidity = faster evaporation at the nib, which concentrates the particles.
• Paper: Rhodia and Clairefontaine are available at the WorkRoom. For a locally-made option, Papier Tigre and the Kokuyo Campus notebooks (available from us) work well with wet-flowing inks like Vinta's shimmer range.

Collections at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

Christine Joy

Stationery Specialist · Cityluxe Singapore

Christine Joy is Cityluxe's Stationery Specialist. She tests every pen, fills every ink, and advises Singapore's writers, collectors and corporate gift-buyers from the Sims Drive WorkRoom.