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When they are used for highlighting, white ink can makes a tattoo pop.
Or if they’re used by itself, it can create a delicate image that’s barely visible.
If you’re a tattoo artist looking to make some serious money you can think about specializing in white ink.
But is getting white tattoos a good idea?
And does white ink fade quickly?
We’ll go over those questions and much more in our review of the best white tattoo inks.
Best White Tattoo Inks (2021 Reviews)
Dynamic Heavy White Tattoo Ink – 8oz. Bottle
Dynamic’s Heavy White ink is a vibrant white shade that’s ideal for highlights, black on white tattoos, or lining white tattoos. It doesn’t look creamy or translucent once the skin has healed.
This ink should stay visible and vibrant for years to come.
Dynamic Tattoo Ink, White, 8 oz
Dynamic Inks is an American company that has been around for more than two decades. The plain-looking labels on their ink bottles might deceive you into thinking that these are low quality products.
This is not true though, these are some of the most trusted inks in the business. Also, they sterilize each bottle before it goes out the door.
One thing we like most is that they sell the ink in 8-ounce containers, which is convenient if you use a lot.
You can use their regular white ink for portraits and blending colors.
POWER WHITE Millennium Moms 1/2oz Tattoo Ink
Mom’s ink is one of the most popular inks on the market. It’s made by an American company called Technical Tattoo Supply that have been in the business for over two decades.
This ink is vegan-friendly and has a highly concentrated pigment that’s homogenized for even dispersion. It flows smooth and stays bright after healing, unlike some white inks.
Power White is best used for highlights and white ink tattoos.
Authentic Radiant Colors U Pick Tattoo Ink SUPER WHITE
Radiant Colors is from Mexico, where they have a tattoo studio. With the help of local artists, they developed their line of ink. Each is sterilized before shipping.
Unlike other inks, this white flows quickly into the skin.
You can choose from a variety of sizes depending on your needs.
Kuro Sumi Tattoo Ink, Samurai White, 2 Ounce
Kuro Sumi ink got started in Japan but is now manufactured in the USA. It’s an organic and vegan-friendly ink. You can even download safety data sheets and other information from their site for free.
Tattoo artists who try out this brand of ink claim that tattoos heal fast and the colors stay bright.
Something to take note of: if the bottle you receive has a black and white label, it may be fake. Unfortunately, counterfeit ink is a major problem for all the major brands these days.
Knockoffs are cheaper but more likely to be full of toxic chemicals and heavy metals as well as being unsterile. If the price looks too good to be true, it usually is. If there’s any doubt, contact the manufacturer directly for more details on how to tell what’s real.
StarBrite Colors Tattoo Ink Brite White, 4 oz
StarBrite Colors is made by Tommy’s Supplies in America. It’s highly pigmented and easy to use. Each batch is sterilized by irradiation.
Intenze Tattoo Ink Snow White Opaque, 1 oz
Intenze’s ink is manufactured according to both USA and European Union standards of quality. An external laboratory even verifies its purity once it’s sterilized.
The White Opaque ink good for mixing with other colors. As a standalone ink for white tattoos, it’s fairly subtle.
Authentic Intenze Bob Tyrrell Specialty Ink High White
Artist Bob Tyrrell specializes in doing portrait work. He created this shade of High White to accompany black and gray ink to make more realistic portraits.
White Bowery Series – Intenze Tattoo Ink
“Bowery Stan” Moskowitz created this shade of white early on in his career. It’s great for retro and classic styles.
Element Tattoo Supply White Tattoo Ink
Element Tattoo Supply is a very popular tattoo brand. They are based in California where they make water-based inks that are vegan-friendly.
Because the rich pigment in this Heavy White ink is dispersed in water, it helps tattoos heal faster.
Artists who’ve tried it say that the texture is thick and the color is bright on the skin.
World Famous Ink — White House
World Famous has been in the tattoo business for over 50 years. They make non-toxic, sterile, vegan inks that are used by artists like Lydia Bruno who appeared on Spike TVs Inkmaster.
Bloodline Tattoo Ink – All Purpose White
Using Portrait White ink from Bloodline will make your portraits stand out from the rest.
One benefit is that this compact 1-ounce bottle is TSA-approved for flying.
Dynamic White Tattoo Ink – Long Lasting Ink
You might notice that Italian artist Michele Turco uses this shade in his portrait work. Check out his Instagram feed to see examples of this.
Shine White – Nocturnal Tattoo Ink – Pick Your Size
Nocturnal Tattoo Ink was started by artists Franco Vescovi and Jack Rudy. The goal was to create a line of inks that shade smoothly and feel as fluid as drawing inks.
Shine White ink has just three ingredients: sterilize water, ethyl alcohol, and organic pigment. It blends with other brands if necessary.
Choose from one, 2, 4, or 8-ounce bottles.
VIKING INK USA Tattoo Ink, White Ultra
Viking Ink is made in the USA with vegan ingredients.
Their White Ultra shade works well for lining white tattoos, filling, and highlighting. It saturates well and has a bright look.
Viking Tattoo Ink, White from the ARTIST SET by Javier Obregón
This white was created by tattoo artist Javier Obregón.
Something else that you might not know about Viking Tattoo Ink is that it’s one of the few legal brands that can be used in Spain.
White Henna Temporary Tattoo by Dearbeauty
These temporary tattoos are hand-drawn by the artist Dearbeauty. They’ve been featured in numerous popular magazines. Plus, they’re sold at retailers like Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.
Different from the inexpensive Asian-made temporary tattoos that only last for just a day or two, this white ink can last up to two weeks. It’s non-toxic and waterproof.
Similar to a kid’s fake tattoo, you’ll need to wash and dry the skin first. Peel the plastic off and put the tattoo face down on your body. Then use a damp sponge on top to soak the paper. Hold it for up to 20 seconds, and then peel off the paper.
Ta-da, you’ve got an instant white tattoo!
To keep it looking good, don’t use oil-based lotions or sunscreens over top.
Body Paint – ProAiir White Temporary Tattoo Ink
It’s also possible to airbrush temporary tattoo ink in order to get long-lasting results.
This brand is made in America. It uses FDA-approved cosmetic-grade alcohol and pigments and has a long shelf life.
The thin texture flows smoothly to help avoid clogs.
Once on the skin, the ink is waterproof and can last up to two weeks. It can fight humidity, high heat, sweat, and swimming.
If it needs to be removed, you can use alcohol or oil in order to dissolve it.
Custom Body Art Airbrush Temporary Tattoo Ink Kit
If you want to try out this white ink from Custom Body Art, you’ll have to buy the entire set with all sixteen colors. Each bottle is good for several applications though. Also, the ink is water-resistant and can last up to 10 days.
Tips and Ideas for Using White Ink
When you’re a novice artist, you’ll probably spend a lot of time working with black ink. But it’s important that you take the time to practice with white because it adds visually stimulating dimensions to ordinary images. Just have a look at the geometric designs done by artist Nathan Mould. He specializes in white on black designs.
White on black tattoos can take a long time to complete. Once everything is shaded black, the skin has to heal before any white ink can be added.
On the other hand, a white tattoo may be pretty fast for an artist to complete. Once healed, it’s like it’s hardly there. In other words, white ink is good for folks who want a private tattoo that doesn’t stand out too much.
As one tattoo artist pointed out, white ink could also represent a painful memory that will fade in time.
You may find that blending a minimal amount of color with the white ink can help it hold onto it’s visibility better once the skin is healed.
One friend of ours also suggested working with a black-light to make the white ink stand out slightly better.
But you might wonder, if white ink is light reactive will it glow under black light? No, not really.
At this time, we couldn’t find any light-reactive white ink that we could recommend. The closest we got was the Invisible Fallout color in the Nuclear collection from Mom’s. But because it has a sort of greenish glow under black light, it might not have the effect you’re trying to achieve with the white ink.
How to Keep a White Tattoo from Fading
As we mentioned earlier, white ink fades faster than other colors. It may also look not true to color as the client’s own skin tone is what affects the results.
If you want to keep a white tattoo from fading, then protect it from sunlight. UV radiation is the number one reason for why tattoos fade.
Tell your clients to protect their tattoos with sunscreen or clothing to keep their ink as bright as possible.
Why You Need White Tattoo Ink
Here are just a few reasons why you should have white tattoo ink on hand.
White ink tattoos are popular among people who want body art that doesn’t stand out.
Plus, white ink highlights boost portraits and geometric designs to create a whole new level of artistry.
Of course, mixing white ink with other colors makes for unique shades.
Or you might get a client that wants to alter an old tattoo by lightening it with white ink first.
And let’s not forget, white on black tattoos are simply stunning.
Do White Ink Tattoos Fade?
Yes, white ink tattoos fade faster than other colors. They might also look yellow or look like scars more than tattoos.
But it’s not the ink that changes the color. It’s actually because you’re viewing the ink through the pigment of your skin. That’s what makes it harder to predict how a white tattoo will look on a particular person once it’s healed.
Fortunately, white tattoos are quite easy to cover up with makeup if necessary.
Why Does White Ink Hurt More than Other Colors?
You shouldn’t blame it on the ink. The main reason why those white highlights are causing you agony is that your skin is already raw from all the work done before.
Luckily, you can spare your client some of the pain. Be sure to use a richly-pigmented white ink so that you won’t need to go over it multiple times.
Conclusion
Have you used white tattoo ink already? We’d like to know how it went for you. Let us know in the comments.
In the meantime, it’s best to try different brands of white ink so that you can get an idea for which works best for your art. We hope we helped you find what you need today.
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