Colour lettering tattoo: best ideas and inspiration

Colour lettering: when colour makes sense

In lettering the text carries the message and colour sets the tone. That is why it rarely works as a fill for the whole text and usually works as an accent instead: one highlighted word in an otherwise black quote, a watercolour wash the letters rise out of, a small coloured symbol at the end of a line, or a soft transition from one shade to another.

Colour also tends to carry its own meaning and is often the personal layer of the whole piece – red for love and courage, blue for calm, green for a fresh start, yellow and orange for energy, purple for remembrance. Sometimes it is a colour from a family flag, the favourite colour of someone close, or a shade tied to one specific memory. That is what separates colour lettering from black: the text says what, the colour says why.

How colour lettering ages

This is the most important part of the decision and we will put it plainly. Coloured pigments fade faster than black – pastels, yellow, orange and white are the least stable, while dark blue, green and saturated red hold up considerably better. In thin lines the colour also covers less area than in a large piece, so the change shows sooner. Expect colour lettering to want a touch-up after a few years, where black would go longer untouched.

Colour's worst enemy is the sun. Forearms, shoulders and calves take the most UV, so colour lettering does better on more covered areas – the inner arm, ribs, back. Once healed, protect it with a high-factor sunscreen; it is by far the cheapest way to keep the colour. Worth knowing too: white ink yellows or disappears entirely over time, so do not rely on it as the main element.

One last note on skin: if you have sensitive skin or known allergies, tell us beforehand – we will do a small test spot and agree how to proceed. This comes up most often with red pigments, which have their own page on red lettering.

Styles, designs and placement

Watercolour leads our gallery – patches and streaks of colour behind the text that look like ink bleeding into water. Ombré is common too, where the letters shift smoothly from one shade to another, as is a coloured outline around otherwise black text, and lettering combined with a coloured flower, bird or heart.

We choose the typeface according to how much colour you want: delicate fine line suits a discreet accent, while stronger calligraphy and script can carry a fuller treatment. We most often tattoo colour lettering on the forearm, collarbone, ribs, back and ankle.

Our artists will advise which shades will last best on your skin and design the lettering to look good not just the day after the session, but years later. We work in English, Czech and Russian.