Gateron Ink Black V2 review and buying guide 2024

The Gateron Black Ink V2 has been gaining a reputation for being an incredibly quiet and seamless switch in the keyboard community for years.

Yet, some people are skeptical about the quality of Gateron Ink Black switches.

With that in mind, we've put up a comprehensive review of Gateron Ink Black switches to answer some frequently asked questions about the switches.

Let's check to determine whether Gateron Ink Black switches are your smart investment!

Gateron Ink Black Switch Specs

Gateron Ink Black is produced by Gateron, which is based in Huizhou, Guangdong, China. In the Gateron family series, these switches are regarded as premium switches.

You can see their specs in the table below:

Switch Name	Gateron Ink Black
Switch Type	Linear
Housing & Stem	Smokey-Transparent Housing
Pre-Travel	2mm
Total Travel Distance	4mm
Actuation Force	60g
Compatibility	PCB Mounted, 5-Pin Support
Sound Profile	Quiet and Bassy Sound

Typing experience

When buying keyboard switches, the first thing that springs to mind may be the typing experience.

The Gateron Ink Blacks offer an extremely smooth and tactile feel. That is all you may expect in a linear switch -  fast reaction time and excellent smoothness.

Although the Gateron Ink Black switches provide such a smooth typing experience, some users may first suffer scratchiness as a result of the switches' stem wobble.

This is the only downside of most Gateron switches. They have a minor stem wobble because of little inaccurate tolerancing and reduced stem size. The experience of typing won't be much impacted by it, though.

If you want greater smoothness and a better typing sound, you can lubricate these switches to reduce the wobbling. Before doing so, you should ensure which lubrication that works best with your Gateron Ink Black switches.

We recommend using a thick lubricant like Krytox 205g0 because it increased the overall feel more than using a thin lube. Yet, it totally depends on how you would perceive the typing experience.

Overall, Gateron Ink Black switches will not let you down. These switches will provide you with a remarkable typing experience with an incredibly smooth feel.

Sound test

The sound that Gateron Ink switches generate is among the most important aspect that a user may notice while pressing a key.

These Gateron Ink Black have a very low and quiet pitch profile and a bit of scratchy sound when typing. This can be proven by their technical specs with a strong actuation force of 60g.

Thanks to their dominant characteristic, a lower pitch tone with a few bassy clicky sounds during typing, these switches truly stand out from traditional and non-Ink Gateron switches.

However, if you first hear or feel any scratchiness and want to remove it, lubing is a fantastic way to go. As we recommended above, you can apply Krytox 205g0 to the stem, spring, lower housing, and upper housing. This way, the sound will undoubtedly be richer and clearer after lubing.

Indeed, the Inks sound great post-lube with hardly any scratchiness. The higher-pitched sound on a non-Ink Gateron switch is distinguished from the excellent bassy click sound on the bottom out.

Besides, the bounce back generates a sound that is quite similar to the bottoming out and is just as pleasant. 

Overal, Gateron Ink Black produces a very stunning sound that will satiate your ears, especially after lubing. Watching the following video to hear how Gateron Ink Black switches sound:

Appearance

As a type of special switch from the Grateron brand, the Gateron Ink Black switches have a really unique appearance.

The housing is colored with a black smokey tone (matching the name) as if the ink had spilled within a transparent housing switch. The stem has a jet black tone that looks quite attractive in comparison to the remaining build.

The black stem and smokey housing look extremely modern and unique. Moreover, a little tint of purple coming from the Durock stabilizer makes your keyboard appear very nice from the inside out.

However, in terms of aesthetics, some people don't think the Ink Black would look much better than Ink Red, Ink Blue, or Ink Yellow design. With that in mind,  we will review other Gateron Ink switches on other posts to help you compare them.

After all, Gateron Ink Black switches still satisfy many people who like the virtual black smoke that it brings.

Gateron Ink Black Price

Actually, Gateron Ink Black switches are not really expensive. With such high-quality switches, the pricing is fairly reasonable.

There are no platforms that sell single switches, thus you must buy them in packs of 10 or more. You will need to pay $7.5 for 1 pack of 10 switches, so 1 switch will cost you $.075.

Where can you find Gateron Ink Black Switches?

You can get Gateron Ink Black Switches from the following websites:

• Amazon
• Keychron
• kbdfans

Please keep in mind that the above platforms are trustworthy and reliable, so you can get your preferred Gateron switches from them.

Lubing and filming Gateron Ink Black

As we have mentioned above, Gateron Ink Black switches initially give a scratchy sound; therefore, lubricating them is an excellent way to improve switches and raise their level of smoothness and feel during typing.

You can lubricate Gateron Ink Black switches with any lubricant; however, a thick lubricant such as Krytox 205g0 is recommended to get rid of the scratchy sound and boost performance.

For filming switches, you can purchase a slightly thinner switch film at the Kebo Store. We found that it helped the Gateron Ink Black switches operate more steadily by enabling the switch to sit more securely on the plate.

If you don't know how to lube or film switches, check out these articles:

• How to Film Switches on a Mechanical Keyboard?
• How to Lube mechanical keyboard switches?

Other Gateron Switch Recommendations: Ink Red/Yellow

You may find the weights of the Gateron Ink Blacks spring too heavy causing tired fingers. So if you are looking for a more smooth, bassy linear switch feel, Gateron Ink Yellow and Red switches will be the two best alternatives for their Black counterparts.

Gateron Ink Red and Yellow switches are identical in terms of shape and sound; however, they are a little bit lighter so that it can handle a lighter keystroke better.

In addition to the reduced weight, the most obvious difference is their color. They seem to have a slightly nicer appearance and may help you match the colorways of your build in extremely unique ways. However, the style is personal and ultimately depends on your choices.

In addition to Ink Red and Yellow, Gateron has released a Grateron family lineup with various switch types. Check out this post Gateron Mechanical Switch: A Helpful Guide to learn more.

Conclusion

In summary, Gateron Black Ink is an excellent switch. The majority of keyboard fans think of them as the next switches thanks to their unique look, great sound, and feel.

The main characteristics that set them to stand out from the others are their heavier actuation and lower-pitched sound.

We recommend lubricating these switches for the optimum experience because using them without lubrication may cause a slight spring crunch and scratchy feeling.

After all, as excellent linear switches, Gateron Ink Black switches will astound you with their outstanding performance and upscale feel.

FAQs

What is Gateron black ink?

Gateron Ink Black switches are linear switches that provide a smooth feel when typing with an operating force of 60g, actuation travel of 2mm, and bottom-out force of 4mm.

Should you lube Gateron black inks?

You should, indeed. The Gateron Ink Blacks are rather scratchy and noisy right out of the box if you use them without lubrication. So lubricate them for a smoother typing experience!

Are Gateron Black Inks good for typing?

For typists, it truly is a great option. The performance of Gateron Ink Black switches is outstanding across the keyboards. They provide a smooth, relatively heavy, and low-pitched, quiet sound.