White ink tattoos

White ink tattoos do not follow the usual tattoo process of stenciling and outlining in black. Instead, the tattoo itself is completely done with white ink - leaving a ghostly image that looks quite different from a traditional tattoo. These tattoos can look like brands (or scarification), or they can appear to be very subtle - a good idea for someone who wants a tattoo but can't have something obvious in their work environment. The white ink used for white ink tattoos is not the same ink you might have seen used for mixing shades in a color tat - instead, it is a thicker, high quality white ink that is specially made to stand out on its own.

A stencil can be used with a white ink tat, or the tattoo can be done freehand. If a stencil is used, the artist must be careful to make sure that the ink from the stencil does not mix with the white ink being used - this can dull the brightness of the ink. Also, white tattoos can require several passes over the area to make sure that the white ink sinks fully into the skin. White is not as likely to be absorbed by skin as black or colored inks are.

Source: tattoos.lovetoknow.comAdded: 16 September 2008