Aviationtag Color Guide: When Is an Aircraft Tag Truly Two-Colored?

Aviationtag Color Guide: When Is an Aircraft Tag Truly Two-Colored?

One Color or Two? Let’s Talk About Aviationtag Colorways

Welcome aboard – today’s flight takes us deep into the colorful world of Aviationtag. Over the years, we’ve received a fair number of questions about our color classifications: When is a tag considered single-colored, and when do we call it two-colored? Buckle up – it’s time for some clarity!

At first glance, it might seem like a simple distinction. But when you're working with authentic aircraft skin – with all its imperfections, paint layers, and structural details – things can get a little more complex.

Aviationtag Blog - When is an Aviationtag two-colored? Examples of two colors.
When is an Aviationtag "two-colored"?

For us at Aviationtag, a tag is considered two-colored when there is a clearly visible and significant amount of a second color on its surface. That means you can spot both colors without having to squint, tilt, or guess. The contrast must be noticeable and recognizable at a glance.

It’s not about precise square centimeters or scientific percentages – we don’t (and realistically can’t) measure the surface area covered by each color. Instead, we focus on the visual impression: Does the tag tell a two-colored story? If the answer is yes – then welcome to the multi-tone club.

What doesn’t count as two-colored?

If a tag has only a small strip or a tiny corner in a second color, it doesn’t qualify as two-colored in our book. That’s because the second shade doesn’t meaningfully define the look of the tag – it’s more of an accent than a feature.

Even if technically there are two paint tones present, we consider the tag single-colored.

Aviationtag Blog: Example of one colored tags with little bit of second color

And yes – even single-colored tags can be a little mixed

Here’s where it gets interesting: Sometimes even a tag classified as single-colored may contain traces of a second paint layer. These variations can happen during the aircraft’s operational life (think of partial repaints or logo overcoats), or while cutting the panels during production. But as long as the dominant visual impression is defined by one color, it remains a single-colored tag.

Why does it matter?

Because many of you love hunting for specific variants – whether that’s vibrant two-tones, clean mono finishes, or something in between. We want to be as transparent as possible, without overcomplicating the system.

So while there’s no mathematical formula behind it, we promise: If a tag is labeled as two-colored, you’ll be able to tell immediately. No microscope needed.

And yes – just like your favorite snack might "contain traces of nuts", even our single-colored tags may contain traces of a second color.

By the way: The classic two-colored variants are usually the first to sell out. So by classifying tags with only a small second-color accent (sometimes even nicknamed mini two-colors by you!) as single-colored, you might still have the chance to grab one of these subtle gems – at the price of a regular single-colored tag. Win-win!

What do you think?
We actually ran a poll on this not too long ago, and the majority of you agreed: This approach strikes the right balance between clarity and collectability.

Still, we’d love to hear your thoughts – drop us a comment below!

    1 out of ...