PachoSome people have no idea where to start when they begin researching the best white ink tattoo ideas and designs. White ink tattoos might be growing in popularity, but they can be very difficult to pull off well. They can create a beautifully subtle image or accent a full-color illustration much better than a traditional black ink would. However, when used on its own, the tattoo artist may choose to use the stark white or add a muted pigment to allow it to blend with the skin. The white ink is much less saturated and less dense making the skin raise ever so slightly with the puncture of the needle. A tattoo artist will use this to their advantage to create a 3D effect within the tattoo.
60 White Ink Tattoo Ideas to Express Yourself Elegantly
If you decide to move forward with a white ink tattoo, you will want to make sure that you have the quality small tattoos design that you are working with. A small intricate white tattoo design might end up looking more like a bug bite or a scar if it’s not done properly. No two people respond to the ink in the same way. You may find uneven fading or that your white ink tattoo design now looks like a scar on the skin. If you plan ahead to take care of your skin, it should help with your healing process.
1. Delicate Rose with Leafy Detail White Ink Tattoo
This rose forearm tattoo is carefully designed with all of the Beauty and the Beast vibes. It is placed along the length of the inner forearm, and the leaves gently move along the sides. The soft white hue adds to the delicate nature of the white tattoo design with minimal contrast.
2. The Power of Change, Resurrection, and Rebirth White Ink Tattoo
The butterfly is known for completely transforming from one thing to another. That is why it is often associated with rebirth and resurrection. The pale white color against the skin could symbolize the journey of changes that are being made in one’s life. It could also mean freedom or confidence. This is a great alternative to classic black ink tattoos.
3. Who Knows Where the Compass Rose Goes White Ink Tattoo
Traditionally, the compass correlates to a journey in the past, present, or future. A compass will guide you to your destination as it continues to point north no matter how it is positioned. A white ink tattoo design completed in such a soft tone may symbolize a past journey and preserve its memory.
4. Fearless. Fashionable. Filigree on the Physique White Ink Tattoo
The presence of filigree in artwork has been dated all the way back to 2500 B.C.E. This white ink tattoo design element is added as a flourish to many modern tattoo designs, but it is strong enough to stand on its own. When used with a light color, such as white, and wrapped around the body, it eventuates the physique.
5. Text With A Hidden Meaning White Ink Tattoo
Cool tattoo ink designs are usually meant to interpret something for the person wearing it. Whether appearing in an image or in text, the white tattoo design’s placement and context can symbolize the message. Here you see a play on words as the contrast in the pigments relays an intricate message to the reader. Try this instead of a simple black ink tattoo.
6. He Loves Me. He Loves Me Not. White Ink Tattoo
Daisy typically has a feminine nature when portrayed in art and love tattoos. Known to symbolize loyalty, love, and purity, this flower often appears in floral designs that have an innocence about them. Often in white, we can imagine the petals drifting to the ground questioning one’s true love’s path.
7. Power and Strength of a Tribal Horse White Ink Tattoo
Tribal white ink tattoo designs are very iconic when it comes to symbolizing power, protection, and strength. However, a horse tribal tattoo will often pull influence from a Native American or South American culture. Without a bold contrast, this design in white could lend to the idea of the inner strength of a person without a big personality.
8. Honor For Creation with Om White Ink Tattoo
It is not uncommon for people to use their religion for inspiration when it comes to designing artwork for their bodies. The ohm is often used to symbolize deep respect for life and to show honor for creation. When conveyed in a muted color scheme, this white tattoo comes off more personal and not showy. Jesus cross tattoos also work really well in this style.
9. Delicate Lace Flourishes on the Skin White Ink Tattoo
This white tattoo ink design is so delicate that it’s almost feminine. The placement of each element dances down the skin to create a visual and playful movement for the eyes as they descend. The pale pigment and thin lines make it appear almost fragile to the touch.
10. Celebrating Wealth and Delicacies in Lace White Ink Tattoo
If you’ve ever held a piece of handmade lace in your hand, you know the amount of work that goes into creating it. There is so much detail in every stitch. In history, only the wealthy could afford it, and they flaunted it. This soft lace design screams attention to detail.
11. Geometric White Ink Tattoo
Geometric white tattoo ink design interpretations can differ. Traditionally, a prism tattoo with three sides could have a religious context. However, today many use it to represent stability and symmetry. Here we see the sides of the shape almost acting like glass to house another object.
12. The Colorless Lilly White Ink Tattoo
Lillies come in a wide variety of colors that all carry different interpretations to different people. They could be expressing purity, passion, confidence, or wealth. This depiction without color and only an outline leans into the fragility of these characteristics and may show the absence of them.
13. Simple Statement White Ink Tattoo With Text
Some of the simplest words can have the biggest meanings. Soft and curved letters have a sense of whimsy about them whether they are written in chalk or the snow. Here they are embellished with little flourishes that create movement under the simple tattoo design.
14. Delicate Like the Fallen Snow White Ink Tattoo
We know that no two snowflakes are the same, and we know there is a uniqueness to every single one. The thin lines and light hues against the skin give off a sense of cold because we know they are snowflakes.
15. Intricate and Elegant Floral Placement White Ink Tattoo
White ink tattoos don’t always appear stark white. This is often intentionally done by the tattoo artist by mixing it with a small bit of pigment. When used in a design, such as a floral, the contrast from the skin is removed and creates a softer image. This is a great alternative to black ink tattoo.
16. Minimal White Ink Tattoo
Minimal white tattoos designs can speak just as loudly as bold and complex pieces do. A small monotone design, simple in nature, can be interpreted in many different ways. They can serve as a reminder of complex thoughts or experiences to the canvas or tattoo artist. This would also be a great ankle tattoos idea.
17. Celestial White Ink Tattoo Design with Flourish Embellishments
Celestial bodies bring on a feeling of something bigger than yourself. While they can often have a spiral symbolism, they can also have a sense of immortality or magic. Thin white line embellishments create a bit of whimsy and fantasy as they pass through the design.
18. Understated Expression of Zodiac White Ink Tattoo
For some, the characteristics of their zodiac sign ring true to their core. They embody the ideals that their birth date can dictate who they are as a person. A small, lightly pigmented image placed on the skin serves as a reminder.
19. Embracing the Light From the Sun White Ink Tattoo
Much like the popular butterfly tattoo, many turn to the sun to portray a sense of rebirth in their life. Often partnered with an awareness of truth and peace, a simple sun white tattoos design brings light to the skin. Sun and moon tattoos also work well with this style.
20. The Key to Unlocking the Heart White Ink Tattoo
Skeleton key white tattoos designs come in all shapes and sizes. Some opt for an intricate design down the shaft, while others appear in the boldness of a line. Keys often open the doors to opportunities or possibilities. When paired with a heart shape you can see it unlocking love.
21. Modern Take on White Ink Tattoo of Family
It isn’t uncommon for someone to be proud of their culture or to want to show off something that is important to them. The infinity symbol in artwork shows the viewer a never-ending cycle in its figure-eight movement. When paired with text, the word is meant to continue on.
22. Accessorize Without the Flashy Jewelry on this White Ink Tattoo
Some people choose to enhance their features or outfits with flashy or showy jewelry. This often shows status, wealth, or style. These flourishes to the hand not only create movement, but they also enhance the form that they are wrapped around by drawing attention from the eye to it.
23. In Memory of Your Lost Pet White Ink Tattoo
For animal lovers, our pets make an impression on our hearts that never goes away. When we lose them, we feel that loss just as we would losing a family member. A pale paw white tattoos design serves as a reminder of the love we have for them.
24. Biblical Expressions in Text White Ink Tattoo
At some point, we all have something that we want to share with the world. For some, messages with a religious context speak the loudest. Curved text on the hands could serve as a delicate reminder of prayer or message. Yin-yang tattoos also work well with this artstyle.
25. Juxtaposition of Word vs. Contrast White Ink Tattoo
People love to make bold statements with their white tattoos designs whether it’s with an image or a phrase. However, when the saturation of hue does not match the phrase, it creates an intangible movement of progression toward the end result.
26. Floating Flower Tattoo with Infinity Symbol White Ink Tattoo
Much like the text that was represented with the infinity symbol, the feather shows a never-ending cycle. However, a feather brings more of a sense of freedom, bravery, and travel with it. The intricate line work shades it perfectly as it wraps around the form.
27. Sticking With Tradition and Making it Permanent White Ink Tattoo
A popular Indian tradition is the Mehndi design that is placed on the skin using henna. Often adorning the hands and feet, the white tattoo design offers protection to the canvas. You can see the delicate lines move throughout the design is very intricate detail. While traditionally temporary, the foot tattoo design is now permanent.
28. Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts White Ink Tattoo
Our genetic makeup attributes to who we are as people. When you look at the chemical compounds of our pieces, you get this profound sense of curiosity. There is so much that we don’t know. Lightly pigmented against pale skin and thin lines make a soft statement of just that.
29. Modern Jellyfish White Ink Tattoo With Waving Tentacles
Jellyfish may seem soft and squishy to the naked eye, but these fierce little guys have one heck of a reputation. Known for being immortal, they can actually turn back to stages in their earlier life and clone themselves. The white lines in the design lend to their transparent bodies seen in the water. A dragonfly tattoo could also work well in the same style.
30. Hidden Message in a Finger White Ink Tattoo Design
Some people speak softer than others, and some people don’t need everyone to hear their message. A finger tattoo can serve as a personal message of protection. A simple word in a thin, curved text can depict a quiet message for the reader.
31. See What You Want To See White Ink Tattoo
We play with the text once again as the juxtaposition of phrasing toy with the mind of the reader. The contrast of color lays out two different messages within the text. The body text can be seen from a distance, but the lighter text must be read up close.
32. Liberation in a Pair of Wings White Ink Tattoo
Wings, no matter how they are portrayed in a design, serve as a symbol of freedom. Whether you are moving on in your life or freeing yourself from something that has been holding you back, wing symbolism can show the strength you had to move forward.
33. Object Permanence in the Abstract White Ink Tattoo
As humans, we understand that something can exist, even if it’s hidden. We know of things such as wind, freedom, and love are all real even if we can’t see them. An abstract design to portray something such as love is perfect for such a profound idea.
34. Royalty of the Monarch White Ink Tattoo
The monarch butterfly carries multiple meanings throughout various religions. The symbolism can range from royalty to afterlife, to rebirth, and transformation. The pale pigmented outline of this depiction lends more to the afterlife or rebirth with its lack of color.
35. Communication Through Small Symbols White Ink Tattoo
Long before the day of the written word, stories were told through small images, also known as hieroglyphs. Here you see pieces of inside into who the person or canvas is. the bold contrast against the skin shows that the message is to be heard and not grazed over.
36. Accessorize the Skin Without Jewelry White Ink Tattoo
Butterflies can act as a reminder that our lost love ones are still will us. Butterfly kisses are sweet sentiments to connect with those we have lost along the way. Here we see the white accents glistening on the skin for embellishment.
37. Hand Tattoo Idea: Heart Outline on the Right Hand White Ink Tattoo
A small heart design on the right hand could be as simple as a shared image with someone else. It could also play into the motion of the right hand covering the heart for prayer or to show allegiance.
38. A Modern Floral White Ink Tattoo Design on the Chest
Chest pieces, especially white ink tattoos tend to be bold statements. An intricate floral design brings on a sense of felinity and empowerment when used for embellishments. Some women use a similar design to mask mastectomy scars and bring subtle beauty to something they don’t find so pretty.
39. A Statement As Big as a Whale White Ink Tattoo
Whales bring about a very big presence to themselves. They also have a sense of power and gentleness to them that is almost peaceful as they move through the water. Some use the blowhole as an interpretation of removing the negative energy from themselves.
40. Putting Your Neck Out With White Ink Tattoo Design
A neck tattoos design is one of the boldest statements that could be made. Besides a turtleneck or a wardrobe full of scarves, there aren’t many pieces of clothing that will completely cover the piece. These people tend to be daring and poignant with their intentions.
41. Playing With Good Vibrations White Ink Tattoo
There may have been a moment in your life where you felt like throwing in the white flag or a scary medical emergency that you overcame. The waves of a heart monitor remind us that there is still life in a beating heart.
42. Creating the Complexities of the Rose in White Ink Tattoo
A rose is one of the neatest phenomenons that happen in nature. The petals display in a Fibonacci sequence that spirals around the flower. The amount of detail that goes into pulling off this design is immaculate, and the thin linework adds to the delicate nature of the design.
43. Motivation to Keep Your Chin Up White Ink Tattoo
Seen as a rite of passage for Māori Mono Kauai females, the under-the-chin white ink tattoo design was a way for young women to show their identity and confidence. Here you see a subtle floral-inspired design that lends itself to the same intention.
44. Journey Through Phases Like the Moon White Ink Tattoo
We all go through different journeys in life that we may or may not be proud of. Much like the phases of the moon, we hope to circle through these stages and move on to a new chapter in our lives. The contrast of the pigment and skin could show completion.
45. Sun Shining on Top of a Mountain White Ink Tattoo
There is so much imagery in this one image. The sun depicts light or truth in something, and the mountain could mean travel or an obstacle in your life. The simplicity of the outline here in the monotone design is breathtaking.
46. Cascading Flowers in a Subtle Hue White Ink Tattoo
Some white tattoos are created for the added aesthetic that the elements provide. These cascading flowers provide a sense of femininity as they move down the side and onto the hips. The selection of the flowers may be personal to the canvas.
47. Anchor Down and Keep Adrift White Ink Tattoo
Traditionally a symbol for sailors who had survived a shipwreck, anchor white tattoos designs have now manifested into a more modern meaning. The anchor represents stability and determination as it grounds us and holds us down. This is a small reminder of that journey.
48. Slivering Snake Up the Arm White Ink Tattoo
A snake is another symbol of rebirth as they tend to shed their skin over time. While not as delicate as the butterfly, the snake shape still creates a movement with its s-like wriggle. Using the leafy detail down the back takes away some of the intensity. This is a great arm tattoos idea.
49. Wish Upon a Star White Ink Tattoo
Stars make us hopeful. Their glistening white bodies flickering in the sky hold the weight of our wishes as we cast them above. The constellations show us connectivity from one star to the next creating images in the night sky.
50. Abstraction in Dashes and Dots White Ink Tattoo
Sometimes you can find meaning in the simplest forms. Small and thin dashes and dots fill the image to make it whole. The piece accents the back with a low-back top instead of revealing a blank canvas.
51. Tree Tattoos Idea: Laying Down Your Own Roots White Ink Tattoo
Roots provide stability for the tree as they grow deeper into the ground. For many people, this is a sign of showing stability in their own life or lineage. The double-ended image here gracefully reveals what you normally can see and the growth that you can’t. This is a great black ink tattoo alternative.
52. A Realistic Take on Moon Phases White Ink Tattoo
Many people favor a realistic view over a geometric or abstract version to represent tangible things in life. The pale pigment used against the skin in the piece creates a subtle image as it moves through the phases. This shows a journey to the viewer.
53. Lace Embellishments on the Chest White Ink Tattoo
If you’ve ever picked up a piece of lace and examined the detail that goes into the shapes then you know the intricate line work that would be used to recreate the image. Visibly fine white lines delicately dance across the skin with class and sophistication. Try this instead of a simple black ink tattoo.
54. Play With Juxtaposition of Size in White Ink Tattoo
Dinosaurs are known for the behemoth size and rough, leather-like skin. When a creature of this magnitude is reduced to a small image, it takes away a lot of the intensity from the mass, and it becomes playful.
55. Magic Is in the Making White Ink Tattoo
There is a whimsy about the memories that come from our childhood, and adults enjoy the nostalgia. Using a cursive font in a faint hue to create a spell along the length of the arm makes us a part of that fantasy world.
56. Embellish the Movement To Add Magic White Ink Tattoo
Lines can draw the eye around the image to create an additional movement piece. These thin, little curved lines create a sense of magic to Cinderella as she is getting dressed for the ball. The small stars are the perfect touch to add glitter to the magic.
57. Where Will Your Journey Take You White Ink Tattoo
This unsaturated white ink tattoo design for girls lacks the boldness that would come with confidence. A faint image of a plane and globe could suggest a reminder to not stand still and to keep the journey moving forward. It could also mean love for travel.
58. A Thin Arrow for Direction White Ink Tattoo
At some point in our lives, we have all felt lost to some degree. The modern-day interpretation of an arrow brings us strength and direction in our life. The placement of this arrow on the pointer finger is very fitting to depict direction.
59. Contrast of Bold vs. Soft White Ink Tattoo
You wouldn’t think of a ferocious lion making the same soft meow that a domesticated cat would, but you would understand the innocence in it. Much like the lion tattoo, a bold word with bold font in a soft pigment does the very same thing.
60. For the Musically Inclined White Ink Tattoo
We’ve all seen notes dance across a music staff, but we always see them as black images on a white page. Here we see a more muted statement as the treble clef appears in white against pale skin. This makes the music seem softer.
60 Best White ink Tattoo Ideas To Decorate Your Skin
White ink tattoos are a subtle way to enhance your beauty while keeping your skin look natural. They do tend to be paler than traditional tattoos, and these tattoos fade quicker too. However, due to their tenuous lines and appearance, they do come across a little more classy in a professional setting. This makes them a more acceptable option to employers who aren’t a fan of the traditional ink showing.
White ink is a popular option for both first-timers and veterans alike. They are an alluring way to accent a blank canvas or a full-color design with minimal presence.
