Carbon Black was a favorite of the Ancient Egyptians, dating back over 4,000 years ago. At times, referred to as Lamp Black, it was the carbon that was collected as soot from candles made of beeswax or tallow that captured this deepest of blacks. The trick was in using a cold surface suspended above a black and oily flame. The main use was for painting tombs and murals. The deepest and most fine grained of the blacks available at the time, they preferred it over the grey-black that charcoal produced. Throughout the ages, the usage of carbon black would extend to make writing and drawing inks.

Carbon