Types of graffiti in Seattle (2023 Update)

Ever wonder if there are different types of graffiti when they sometimes just look like a bunch of squiggles?

I’ve wondered about that question myself, and did some digging.

The concept of tagging appears to have started in Philadelphia in 1965. And since then, graffiti has continued to evolve, and Art Supply Guide from the UK has a great description of 18 different types of common graffiti. Despite its evolution, you can still effectively remove pretty much anything even on very sensitive building materials or even trees! Here are some examples of the types of graffiti found around Seattle showing the before and after.

As we continue to curate and catalog the various types of graffiti we encounter, we will continually update this post to share what the graffiti means and how we can remove it.

Type 1: Tags

Tags are where most graffiti artists start, which is generally a stylized version of their name or pseudonym, and typically done in a single color very quickly. Vandals can tag just about any surface. Sometimes unpainted brick, sometimes glass, metal signs, or even more sensitive surfaces like limestone. Regardless of the surface, we can remove the graffiti fairly quickly.

Before and after photo of a graffiti tag in Downtown Seattle.

Type 2: Throw-ups

Eden-Gallery notes that a throw-up is a more advanced version of a tag that involves more stylized letters and is usually larger than a tag. A throw up uses a lot more paint than a tag, and usually all the letters plus the background are filled with paint, making it a more time-consuming removal. Regardless of how much paint the graffiti artists used, we can still get your surface back to how it should look.

Before and after of a graffiti throw-up removal on painted concrete bricks.