What do you know about white ink tattoos?

Question

I've heard that they work better on people with fair skin, so that's good for me because im very pale.

Do they work and look good?

Answer 1

First and foremost, when it comes to tattoos, never EVER listen to advice that begins with "I heard that..." Very similarly, "I saw it on (such and such tv show)..." isn't exactly well informed information.

Second, all white tattoos can work, and can work really well. It's true that it works best on fair skin (and "fair skin" has NEVER meant "dark"...geez, WTF?). However, there are no guarantees as no two artists are alike and no two clients' skin is exactly alike, so results can only be discussed in generalities and previous examples.

First of all, white tattoo pigment is pure titanium dioxide in a suspension of water and glycerin. It tends to have (on a microscopic scale) a larger particle size than that of other colors' pigments. This lends to a little more difficulty in application for tattoos. It's also the reason why white ink separates in the bottle before any of the other colors...and over time, if another color has been mixed with white, you'll actually see the white separated from the color. Be sure your artist shakes their white extra well.

Second, tattoo ink is deposited in the layer of skin that's below the layer that contains your natural pigment. As such, the more pigment a person has (the darker the skin) the harder it is to see the ink. Therefore, as the complexion gets darker, higher contrast colors (black, red, blue, green) show up better than lighter colors (white, yellow, gray). This is why lighter, more gradual colors show up more clearly on light (fair) skin.

So, if you opt for a white ink tattoo, the primary consideration is that you don't want an overly complex design, nor do you want one that would incorporate any tonal gradations (shading). Designs with distinct, bold, solid lines are preferable. Similarly, you don't want large areas of solid fill. White ink has a peculiar nature of making the area tattooed bleed more (above simply being able to see the blood better). The more you bleed, the more likely you are to develop a scab which has a higher likelihood to cause a loss of pigment in that location. Again, no guarantees, just generalizations.

Kanji designs, fairly simple Celtic knotwork, bold outlined text, and small/fine tribal designs are examples of styles that tend to work out fairly well in white only. I've seen some nifty looking crop-circle designs well executed in white only as well.

What you will find, after sitting down with your chosen tattoo artist, is that if you present your idea in a lucid, well thought out fashion...showing that you've done your homework and understand the nature of the tattoo and that there are chances that it won't work out perfectly irrespective of the tattoo artist's skill, then you're more likely to get what you're asking for.

I have a solid white, backwards "S" (how I sign my artwork) on my hand that's been there for 9 years. White (being notoriously finicky) on my hand (which is notorious for losing ink due to location, use, exposure, etc) and it's still clean. What does this mean? It's not a guarantee that it will work for you in your chosen location, but it tells me that there is a good chance it can work...and work well even.

Answer 2

yes they do look nice. ifyou google white ink tattoos then you can see some work. the down fall is, is that most tattoo artists dont do white tattoos since they are so hard to see and you need to go in for multiple appointments for it to look really nice. aslo white ink tattoos can have a yellowing effect on them (they can turn slightly yellow) white ink is usually only used for highlighting tattoos.

I asked a question abotu white ink tattoos on here not to long ago and tattoo artists suggested a pale violet. or a very light brown or a shade darker than your skin tone. i also have very fair skin. lol but the pale violet sounds like the best for me!

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/White_Ink


white ink tattoos CAN fade over time. or virtually disappear alltogether...

Answer 3

White is used all the time for shading and effect. Both of my tattoos have a significant amount of white in them. They look great, but there's a black outline and other colors as well. A tattoo that is entirely white would be pretty boring. Are you talking about the glow-in-the-dark ink? I know a few people who have those...but as you may expect, you can't really see them in daylight.

Answer 4

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RE:
What do you know about white ink tattoos?
I've heard that they work better on people with fair skin, so that's good for me because im very pale.

Do they work and look good?

Answer 5

white ink tattoo

Answer 6

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Answer 7

are you talking about a tattoo that is completely white? what is even the point of that? all of the white ink i have is mixed in with color to add hilites and depth to a tattoo. whit ink doesn't show up as well on dark skin but as a tattoo alone it just seems dumb.

Answer 8

White ink is usually a no-go for most tattooist. I would suggest going very light grey, very light violet, very light blue, ect...

Answer 9

Actually I heard from the tattoo artist that they don't do white ink because it doesn't come out well! I wouldn't suggest it!!!
But if one trys to tell you he can!! DONT!!

Answer 10

I have never heard of white ink tattoos. That sounds interesting. By fair skin they mean people that are medium to dark not pale.