Tattoo Colors: Here’s What You Should Know About Ink Shades

Tattoos are incredible works of art, and people choose to get them for a number of reasons. They can be symbols of milestones in life and/or extremes such as grief or sheer delight. Many people get their favorite quotes, fictional characters, significant dates (wedding, the birth of their first child, etc.), and plenty of other designs inked. In some cultures, they are downright symbolic.

Wherever they are in the world, people getting tattoos have one thing in common: they want a stupendous piece.

Needless to say, a tattoo that's hardly visible or fades quickly is nowhere near ideal. 

What’s the Best Way to Get a High-Quality Tattoo?

As with most other things in life, preparation is key, especially if it is the person's first tattoo ever. The design has to be decided on wholeheartedly, and proper communication with the artist is crucial. A step that's often overlooked, but very important, is picking out the best possible ink color.

So how do you pick tattoo ink shades? Read on for more information.

Skin Tone Makes a Huge Difference

When it comes to ensuring that a tattoo will be long-lasting while looking great, the right ink color makes all the difference. It's particularly important because skin tones and tattoo ink colors vary in terms of the way they react. Much like picking out makeup products, the skin's overtone and undertone both need to be taken into consideration. 

Overtone

This is basically skin color overall, also known as skin pigment. Some colors don't appear on some overtones, so this is important when planning a tattoo. A good rule of thumb is to pick shades that are either considerably darker or lighter than the actual skin color. Moreover, some colors are a better match for some pigments than others, as follows:

• Fair (Light) Skin: Light colors like pale blue or pastel pink are perfect for people with this skin color. White also falls under this category.

• Medium Skin: Olive or tan skin will do very well with blues, green, red, and orange.

• Dark Skin: For this skin tone, the color spectrum's darkest colors are the supreme choice. This includes black, crimson, and dark blue.

Undertone

A person's skin color relies on melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin in skin. It's largely how much melanin the skin has that decides the undertones, while carotene and hemoglobin amounts are responsible for undertone variations.

The two types of undertones are warm and cool. People who are on the extremes of the scale (fair/light and dark) can have either of them. Knowing one's undertone matters because it can affect the tattoo ink color's shades. A bright, sunny, nearly-blinding yellow on one person can look dull or closer to orange on someone else.

It's absolutely imperative that the tattoo ink matches a person's skin tone as closely as possible.

Conclusion

Tattoos are absolutely wonderful pieces of art and, in some cultures, serve as important symbolism. It's important to prepare before getting one, including picking out the best color/s. Consider your skin’s overtone and undertone because colors appear differently on people’s skin, depending on these factors.

Looking for watercolor tattoo artists in Denver? Get inked at Certified Tattoo today! We’re Colorado’s premier tattoo destination, and we welcome anyone wanting art on their skin, no matter your overtone and undertone.