White Ink Tattoos: Good or No Good?

We hate to break it to you, but No. White ink tattoos are no good at all. Professional Tattoo Artists would not recommend it.

They don't want to tattoo it, and even if you're convinced that the "scar" effect looks cool, it wouldn't stay that way for long. Here's why:

1. White ink Tattoos don't look strong.

White Ink tattoo "Stronger"

Imagine this "Stronger" tattoo in black ink. The Black ink will always look stronger. It would make much more statement in relation to the word than with white. With White ink, the visual aspect of the tattoo looks half-hearted, and it would sometimes absorb with it the purple carbon stencil. And if that happened (like in the tattoo above), you definitely gotta be strong enough to accept that it's gonna stay like that for the rest of your life.

2. White Ink tattoos are not meant for outlining.

White Ink tattoo

White tattoo inks are used and concocted by tattoo artists for the purpose of highlights and shading. Using it for outlines compromise the look of the whole tattoo, because it would be confusing to look at, no matter how beautiful the design is. In the example above, the tattoo's been photographed close-up, but we couldn't figure out in an instant what it is. What more if this was viewed from afar? Do you think it would look like a "cool" scar? ...We didn't think so either.

3. White inks sometimes end up looking like Skin disease.

White Ink Tattoo


Star Tattoo

Always consider the design. Visualize how they would end up looking and think about it real hard. Would they look like cute, twinkly stars.... or a constellation of pimples from afar?

4. Some White Inks turn Yellow.

White Ink tattoo

Or green. Or whatever color it absorbs with it (if the artist or client is not careful). In the picture above, not only did it turn green but it sadly faded as well. The tattoo is gone, and all that's left is unwanted stain. One artist notes that White is a transluscent pigment. It isn't opaque. This means that once the open wound with white ink accidentally gets in contact with green or black, it would be permanently stained. Simply because darker colors are stronger than white. Not only that, white inks turn yellow when the skin is in constant exposure to sunlight. Or simply because the client has unhealthy skin and didn't heal well. There could be a lot of factors.

5. White ink Tattoos are inconsistent.

Linework with white ink

For the reason that white ink pigment is not opaque, as mentioned earlier. Unlike black, which is a heavy, opaque pigment, the darkest color of all, White ink wouldn't fill up as much. It wouldn't line as efficiently. It could on small tattoos, but to use it for the big ones? We suggest you just get a real tattoo. Your skin is precious. Think before you ink.