Recognition and Interpretation by Sergeant Ken Whitley Tats, Tacs or Ink, whatever slang term you use to describe tattoos there's one thing you can't get around. Tattoo recognition and interpretation is a valuable tool when dealing with state prison parolees. A convict's ink will tell you three sweet pieces of info about him. Who he is, what he's done and where he's been. Lets first talk about joint tats in general.
Joint ink starts out as one color.
It may turn black or purple according to the sun and the skin pigment but it usually starts out blue. If you see other colors besides blue, or it's variations, the tat probably is not a true joint tat. There are two ways of giving a tat. Free hand, which most are, or machine. Free hands a no brainer.