Ink marbling generator for suminagashi-style art
This ink marbling generator lets you swirl liquid ink across digital paper and watch it flow like drops floating on still water. Drag to stir the ink, drop new rings with a tap, then download the finished marbling as a PNG. It is free, runs in your browser and needs no signup.
How to make ink marbling art online
You make marbling art by choosing an ink, dragging across the canvas and downloading the result. The steps below take about a minute.
- Pick a row in the Ink Palette. The line under the list shows which HEX code you are painting with.
- Tap the Ink Marbling Canvas once to drop a still ring of ink.
- Drag slowly through the ring to pull fine veins, or drag fast for turbulent swirls.
- Switch to another ink and repeat. Layer as many as you like.
- Press Auto flow if you want the canvas to paint itself using every ink in the palette.
- Choose a PNG resolution, then click Download PNG.
Click Wash canvas at any time to start again on clean paper.
Ink marbling generator controls you can adjust
- Ink palette: start with six traditional-style inks (
#1A1A1A,#3F51B5,#E34234,#2E6E4E,#9A4A7Cand#C98A2D). Edit any row with the color picker or HEX field, add inks with Add ink up to 10, remove them down to 1, and drag the handle to reorder. - Brush size: a slider from 10% to 100% (default 50%) that sets how wide each drop or stroke is.
- Flow strength: a slider from 10% to 100% (default 50%) that sets how strongly your movement pushes the ink.
- Paper tone: choose Washi cream, Pure white or Morning mist as the paper under the ink.
- Auto flow: lets the canvas paint on its own with every ink in your palette.
- Fullscreen: opens the studio at full screen for a larger canvas.
- Quick actions: Copy HEX, Copy palette, Copy CSS (the inks as custom properties), Download PNG and Share link.
The Share link copies a web address that restores your inks, paper tone, brush size and flow strength. It does not save the painted artwork itself, so download the PNG for that.
What is suminagashi and how does digital marbling compare?
Suminagashi means "floating ink". Suminagashi is a Japanese technique in which ink is floated on still water, shaped into rings and ripples, then transferred to paper. It is generally considered the oldest form of paper marbling.
Digital ink marbling copies the look without the tray, water and cleanup. You get the same concentric rings, feathered veins and soft spirals, and you can undo a bad pass by washing the canvas. The result is a flat image, so you can reuse it as a background, texture or print file.
Still drop vs drag in digital ink marbling
A single tap places a round drop that spreads as a soft ring. Dragging pulls the ink along your path. Slow drags create thin, even marble veins, while quick drags throw the ink into curls and eddies.
How does subtractive ink mixing change your colors?
Overlapping inks on this canvas darken instead of blending toward a new bright color. The canvas treats each ink as something that absorbs light from the paper, the same way subtractive color works with real pigment. Layers deepen toward black.
The Washi cream paper is roughly rgb(244, 239, 227). A thin layer of blue ink on it reads as a pale wash, and a second pass of red over the blue gives a dark violet-brown rather than a clean purple. For the difference between light-based and pigment-based mixing, read the guide to additive vs subtractive color.
Choosing ink colors for marbling that stay readable
Very pale inks look like diluted ink and may disappear on white paper. Pick mid-tone to dark colors for strong veins, and keep one dark ink such as #1A1A1A for outlines. To test how a marbled background works behind text, use the contrast checker on your darkest and lightest areas.
PNG export sizes for marbled paper texture
The PNG resolution menu has four options, and higher settings re-render the artwork rather than stretching it. Choose the size that matches where you will use the file.
| Option | Width | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (on-screen) | Same as the canvas on your screen | Quick previews and sharing |
| 2x (sharper) | Twice the standard size | Blog images and social posts |
| Wallpaper | 2560 px | Desktop and laptop wallpapers |
| 4K | 3840 px | Large screens, posters and packaging mockups |
PNG files use RGB color. If you plan to print, convert key colors with the RGB to CMYK converter and expect some saturated inks to look duller on paper.
Ink marbling tips for finer veins and cleaner swirls
- Drop first, drag second. Place two or three still rings of different inks, then drag through them in one direction for classic parallel veins.
- Lower the brush size for delicate lines. Raise it for bold, graphic bands.
- Keep flow moderate. At 100% the ink moves a lot and the pattern can turn muddy quickly.
- Limit your palette. Three or four inks usually look more refined than ten. Build a harmonious set with the color harmonies generator.
- Stop early. Overworked marbling loses its crisp rings, so download a PNG while the pattern still looks good.
- Use Auto flow for ideas, then take over with your own strokes.
Keyboard and touch ink marbling controls
On a phone or tablet, drag a fingertip across the canvas. With a keyboard, focus the canvas, press Enter or Space to drop ink and use the arrow keys to stir. The tool needs a current browser with WebGL support, and it shows a message if your device cannot run it.
How to use ink marbling with your brand colors
You can marble with any colors by editing the Ink Palette. Type a HEX code into a row or use its color picker, and that ink is ready to paint immediately. The palette holds from 1 to 10 inks.
If you already have a photo or logo, pull its colors first with the palette from image tool, then paste the HEX codes into the ink rows. Brand palettes with several light tints often work best when you add one dark ink, because subtractive mixing needs some depth to show the marble veins.
When you like a setup, click Share link. Anyone who opens the link gets the same inks, paper tone, brush size and flow strength, which is handy for teammates and clients.
Why digital ink marbling behaves like real liquid
The canvas runs a real-time fluid simulation, so ink moves with your pointer instead of being painted on as a flat brush stroke. Fast movement pushes ink further, and swirls form where the flow curls back on itself. Flow strength changes how hard your movement pushes.
That is why no two marbled pieces come out identical. Treat each pass as an experiment, and keep a PNG of any result you want to return to.
Where to use digital ink marbling art
Marbled images work well wherever you want an organic, hand-made texture. Designers use them as website hero backgrounds, presentation covers, book and album art, and packaging mockups. Social media creators use them as story backdrops and quote cards.
You can also use the palette. Click Copy CSS to get your inks as --ink-1, --ink-2 and so on, ready to paste into a stylesheet. Click any chip under Marbling Inks Used This Session to open its full color breakdown, or use the HEX to RGB converter for quick conversions.
Next, try the mesh gradient generator for smooth blurred backgrounds, or the gradient generator when you need a clean CSS gradient to sit beside your marbled artwork.