How to Decide if Black & Grey or Color Tattoos Are Right For You

   Getting a tattoo is a big deal. It’s a commitment that takes time, money and it’s there forever.  At our Toronto Tattoo Shop, a big decision people face when getting inked is deciding between black and grey tattoos or colored ones. There are pros and cons of both styles and to make your decision easier we’ve laid them all out for you.

 Pros of Black and Grey Tattoos

Black and grey tattoos are the traditional colors of the art. The first two major benefits of black and grey tattoos are that they take less time to complete and cost less money. Black and grey tattoos will fade from sunlight, but the fading is much less pronounced than it is with colored tats. The neutral color palate means that your tattoo won’t be clashing with the color of the clothing you wear. The dark ink also shows up on every skin tone. Color ink has a hard time showing up and staying vibrant on dark skin, which is frustrating since so much time, money and effort went into the image.

Cons of Black and Grey Tattoos

            It takes a skilled tattoo artist to make an image come to life through black and grey ink. It takes special skills and techniques to get shading, tone, shape, composition and texture to come across. You should never get a tattoo you’ll think you’ll regret but we’re only human. Sometimes we want to remove or cover existing ink. Unfortunately, black ink is significantly harder to remove and it’s also harder to cover with newer tattoos. Make sure the design is really something you love so you don’t face this struggle down the line.

Pros of Colored Tattoos

            Colored tattoos are bright, bold and vibrant. One advantage of colored ink is the increased possibility in terms of creativity. With the multiple tones, shades and color variations available it becomes a lot easier to make certain images seem more life-like and real. Like we said above, sometimes at the end of the day, certain tattoos are a mistake. Thank god for colored tattoos then. They are significantly easier to get removed and cover up (with the exception of blue ink). Color ink is also the preferred choice to cover up old or unwanted tattoos among artists. 

Cons of Colored Tattoos

            As striking as colored tattoos are, a definite downside to them is that colored ink doesn’t show up well on every skin tone. You should definitely talk to your artist and get their opinion on how well a colored tattoo will show up and stay on your skin. Listen to their opinion too- they are the professionals after all. There’s nothing worse than spending so much time and money on it only for it to disappear not long after. Color ink is also more prone to fading than black and grey tattoos. Colored tattoos also have cons when it comes to cost, time and pain. The process is more costly than black and grey tats due to the level of details and colors needed to make the image come to life. This is also why they cost more. Colored tattoos can also be more painful due to the irritations of repeatedly layering colors on skin.

Which to Chose?

There are definitely pros and cons to both black and grey and color tattoos. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. Always be sure to check out an artist’s portfolio to see if they specialize in certain colors so that you get the best work done possible.