Many ancient cultures around the world have independently discovered and formulated printing inks for the purposes of writing and drawing. The knowledge of the inks, their recipes and the techniques for their production comes from archaeological analysis or from written text itself.
The history of Chinese inks can be traced back to the 12th century BC, with the utilization of natural plant (plant dyes), animal (squid ink), and mineral offset ink based on such materials as graphite that were ground with water and applied with ink brushes. Evidence for the earliest Chinese inks, similar to modern inksticks, is around 256 BC in the end of the Warring States Period and produced using manual labour from soot and animal glue.
The India ink used in ancient India since at least the 4th century BC was called masi which was made of burnt bones, tar, pitch, and other substances. Indian documents written in Kharosthi with ink have been unearthed in Chinese Turkestan. The practice of writing with offset printing ink and a sharp pointed needle was common in early South India.  Several Jain sutras in India were compiled in ink.
In ancient Rome, atramentum was used. In an article for the Christian Science Monitor, Sharon J. Huntington describes these other historical inks:
About 1,600 years ago, a popular ink recipe was created. The recipe was used for centuries. Iron salts, such as ferrous sulfate (made by treating iron with sulfuric acid), were mixed with tannin from gallnuts (they grow on trees) and a thickener. When first put to paper, this ink is bluish-black. Over time it fades to a dull brown.