Pigment-based inks are provided. The inks include a non-polar carrier fluid and pigment particles suspended in the non-polar carrier fluid. The pigment particles have tri-block copolymer grafts. Each tri-block copolymer graft comprises a tri-block copolymer having three portions: an inner block attached to the pigment particle, a middle block, and an outer block, wherein the inner and outer blocks each contain bulky organic groups to help facilitate solubility of the functionalized polymers in the non-polar solvent and to provide steric stabilization of the resulting particle dispersion in the non-polar solvent, and wherein the middle block contains either acidic or basic functionalized side groups that facilitate charging of the pigment particle. A combination of an electronic display and an electronic ink employing the pigment and a process for making the pigment-based inks are also provided.