Tag up a perpetual wall.
Never get buffed.

Leave one phrase — your name, a shout, a memory — in a graffiti font on an endless concrete wall. $1. Stays up forever.

A writer spray-painting NEVER BUFFED on a graffiti wall at night

Tag vs. Throw-Up vs. Piece: What’s the Difference?

Tag, throw-up, and piece are the three core forms of graffiti, ranked by speed and complexity. Here’s a clear side-by-side comparison.

The three forms at a glance

Almost all graffiti falls somewhere along a ladder of three forms. Each trades speed for complexity:

Tag — a quick one-color signature. Seconds to write.
Throw-up — large bubble letters, usually two colors. A minute or two.
Piece — a full multi-color artwork with effects. Often hours.

How they differ

Form	Speed	Colors	Skill ceiling
Tag	Seconds	One	Style & flow
Throw-up	1–2 min	Usually two	Speed & coverage
Piece	Hours	Many	Full artistry

The trade-off is always time versus impact. A tag gets your name down anywhere; a piece turns a wall into artwork but needs a safe spot and time to paint.

Why the ladder matters

Most writers move up the ladder as their hand gets faster and their style sharpens. The progression also shapes reputation: tags prove you’re around, throw-ups prove you’re everywhere, and pieces prove you can really paint.

Never Buffed is a permanent graffiti wall. Put one line up for $1 — in a graffiti font, kept up forever.

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