Graffiti glossary
Graffiti has its own vocabulary. A tag is a signature, a throw-up is a quick two-color piece, a piece is a full painting, and wildstyle is lettering so complex it is hard to read. Here are 32 common graffiti terms in plain English. New to the topic? Start with what graffiti is.
- All-city
- A writer whose work appears across every part of a city, not just one neighborhood.
- Arrow
- A pointed extension on a letter that adds movement. A signature of wildstyle. Wildstyle →
- Blackbook
- A writer's sketchbook, used to plan pieces and collect tags from other writers. What is a blackbook? →
- Blockbuster
- Large, square, readable block letters, often painted to cover a big area quickly.
- Bombing
- Painting many tags or throw-ups quickly in many places.
- Bubble letters
- Round, inflated letters with soft corners, usually outlined in black. The common first style for beginners. Bubble letters →
- Buff
- The removal or painting-over of graffiti by property owners or a city.
- Burner
- An outstanding piece, so good it "burns" the work around it.
- Can control
- A writer's skill at handling a spray can: clean lines, even fills and no unwanted drips.
- Cap
- The nozzle on a spray can. Fat caps spray wide lines; skinny caps spray thin lines for outlines and details.
- Character
- A cartoon figure painted next to the letters of a piece.
- Crew
- A group of writers who paint together and often share a name or initials.
- Drip
- Paint running down from a letter. Sometimes a mistake, often added on purpose for style.
- Extension
- A stroke stretched past the normal edge of a letter.
- Fill-in
- The color inside the letters of a throw-up or piece.
- Getting up
- Getting your name seen in as many places as possible.
- Halo
- An outline around the whole piece that separates it from the wall. Also called a force field.
- Handstyle
- The way a writer forms the letters of their tag. A good handstyle is fluid and personal.
- Highlight
- Thin light lines on the edges of letters facing the light source, which make them shine.
- Hit a book
- To draw your tag, throw-up or a sketch in another writer's blackbook, with their permission. A sign of respect between writers. What is a blackbook? →
- King
- A writer respected as one of the best in a style or a city.
- Legal wall
- A wall where painting graffiti is allowed by the owner or the city. The right place to practice.
- Old English
- Gothic blackletter lettering with thick strokes and thin hairlines, central to chicano lettering. Old English letters →
- Outline
- The line around each letter. It defines the shape and is usually painted after the fill, so it can sharpen the edges.
- Piece
- Short for masterpiece: a large, detailed, multi-color painting with 3D, highlights and often a background.
- Straight letters
- Clean, readable block letters without much distortion. The foundation for wildstyle.
- Tag
- A writer's signature, done quickly in one color with a marker or spray can.
- Throw-up
- A quick two-color piece, usually bubble letters with one fill and one outline. Throw-up →
- Toy
- A beginner or unskilled writer. Often used as an insult.
- Wildstyle
- Complex, interlocking letters with arrows and extensions, hard to read on purpose. Wildstyle →
- Writer
- What graffiti artists call themselves: people who write their name.
- 3D
- A block drawn on one side of the letters so they look solid. 3D graffiti letters →
Put the words into practice
How to draw graffiti