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What Colour Ink Is Best for Tattoos? Black and Grey vs Colour

Tattoo Colour

What colour ink is best for tattoos? Now, that's a question anyone getting their first tattoo will ask themselves. Choosing the right colour is considerable because it'll get inked onto your skin for life. 

In 2022, the most commonly found tattoo colours are the traditional black and grey. However, we shouldn't count out colour tattoos yet. These were popular back in the day but have decreased in popularity over the years. 

In this post, we'll be answering the question, "what colour ink is best for tattoos" regarding traditional (black & grey) and coloured tattoos. To find out which option is best for you, become knowledgeable on the below. 

Coloured Tattoos Vs Black & Grey Tattoos

From being heavily invested in the Tattoo numbing cream market, we have expert knowledge within this area. To begin with, let's discuss why the reasons why you should and shouldn't get a coloured tattoo. 

Coloured Tattoo 

As you can imagine, coloured tattoos use different ink colours ranging from yellow, green, blue, orange, etc. Before receiving a coloured tattoo, the artist pre-mixes the right shades based on the art requirements. 

Generally, people love or hate coloured tattoos. However, those that do commonly mention that this is because it emphasises their expression or meaning of the art. Without question, colour comes with more detail and interest, making it desirable for some people.

But, that doesn't answer the question of what colour ink is the best for tattoos? Compared to traditional tattoos, colour has some pros and cons. To see what these are, you'll want to become knowledgeable on the following: 

Advantages of Coloured Tattoos

  • When considering a coloured tattoo, your options of designs expand massively. For instance, traditional Japanese, watercolour, Americana, and old-school sailor tattoos get dominated by colour. Although this can get designed in a black and grey format, it isn't traditional. 
  • Do you want to make a bold statement and emphasise or add even more meaning to the tattoo? Then colour is the way to go. In today's world, they stand out because not many get coloured tattoos, which adds to the overall detail. 
  • Tattoo artists recommend coloured tattoos for medium to large procedures in most circumstances. Without question, the artist can expand their tattooing knowledge, explore colours, and create something you'll love. 

Disadvantages of Coloured Tattoos

  • When comparing coloured to black and grey tattoos, they don't last as long. Typically, coloured tattoos fade quicker, especially if you expose them to sunlight regularly. 
  • Because of the fading, many people get touch-ups on their tattoos. Although this isn't a requirement, you might need to consider this to maintain the visual appeal of the artwork - costing you more money and time. 
  • If you're looking for a small tattoo design, colour isn't recommended. Despite these looking excellent on medium to large-sized tattoos, it doesn't compliment smaller ones. Over time, the colours can merge and make the artwork look like a blob of ink. 
  • As you become older coloured tattoos tend to make wrinkles appear larger and more defined. If this is a worry for you, you might want to reconsider getting a coloured tattoo. 
  • A new, freshly creamed coloured tattoo appears to burst with colour. But coloured tattoos don't look as bold without cream or good lighting in a standard setting. Instead, it becomes vivid, which might disappoint those with them. 

Without question, coloured tattoos are fantastic and look excellent. Although they might have some flaws, they should still get considered when you're trying to choose between coloured and black and grey tattoos. 

Black & Grey Tattoos

Black and grey tattoos are undeniably the most popular option. Whether you're strolling through a UK city or town, you'll likely see a black & grey tattoo. The popularity of these is insane, so more tattoo artists specialise in this area. 

Undoubtedly, the reason for their popularity is that black and grey tattoos look excellent in almost every design style. Including this, they're high quality, last longer, and are cheaper because they don't require as much time. 

However, despite them sounding like the perfect tattoo ink colour, it does have their pros and cons. To see if a black and grey tattoo is suitable for you, see the below: 

Advantages of Black & Grey Tattoos

  • At TattooNumbx, we believe that black & grey tattoos are better with complex designs. This allows the art to focus on contrast, providing a sense of depth to the image. 
  • Black & grey tattoos can be used for all designs, small, medium, large, Japanese, old-school, etc. Practically, you can get any tattoo style with black and grey ink. However, this will depend on the artist. 
  • Compared to coloured tattoos, black and grey ones don't fade as fast. If cared for adequately before, during, and after the procedure, they'll rarely need re-visiting for years to come. 
  • Black and grey tattoos are safer (kind of). Although all tattoos are safe, some ink colours have more toxic chemicals inside them - for instance, red. However, black and grey have the least amount of harmful chemicals and are considered the safest. 

Disadvantages Of Black & Grey Tattoos

  • Being in the tattoo numbing cream industry, we've seen many different pieces of artwork. Black and grey tattoos can quickly become boring if the right individual doesn't create them. 
  • Without colour, you limit options for expressing your "meaning" behind the tattoo. However, it's undoubtedly possible with the right expert advice and dedication. 

The final takeaway 

So, what colour ink is best for tattoos? Well, it depends. There isn't a winner in this competition. Instead, the winner is whichever tattoo option you're happy to use. Colours are the go-to option if you want colour and don't mind topping it up. In contrast, black and grey are better for tattoo longevity and price. 

If you're considering a tattoo, you might want to use our tattoo numbing cream, TattooNumbx. It's a specialised formula that helped hundreds receive pain-free tattoos. For more information about this, consider checking out the product page.