Tag (graffiti)

Tags are a simple type of graffiti. Most people who learn graffiti do tags first. Tagging is usually illegal and many people think that tags are a kind of vandalism. A tag is a bit like a graffiti signature.

 Form 
Tags are usually written with spray paint or marker pens. They are smaller than other types of graffiti. People practice them a lot so they can write their tag quickly, because they do not want to be seen tagging.

A tag is like a signature, but is not usually the writer's real name. It is not good when two people in a town use the same name, or if someone uses the same name as a famous writer or famous tagger. Usually the names people tag are short (only 3-5 letters) so they can write them quickly. Tags usually use letters from the latin script even in countries where people don't use them in normal writing. Writers tag in their own special style, called a handstyle.

 History 
People have written their names on things for a very long time. but tags in the modern style started in the 1960s in Philadephia and New York. One of the first people to tag wrote Cornbread in Philadelphia. TAKI 183 and Julio 204 were writers in New York who did a lot of tags, and many people saw and wanted to copy them.

 Reason for tagging 
People like to tag so that lots of people will recognise their tag. People who have lots of tags where they live are called "all city". Some people write tags on stickers and put stickers on things. This is faster than writing a tag onto a public service and the writer will be less likely to be seen. Many people use "my name is..." stickers to tag on.

 References 

Category:Graffiti