How to Choose Tattoo Designs and Lettering Styles

What to Consider When Choosing a Tattoo Design

Choosing a tattoo design is an entirely personal process, but a few basic criteria always lie behind a good decision. The tattoo you choose should reflect a memory, a feeling or your philosophy of life. Designs chosen just because they're popular can lose their meaning and originality over time.

Choosing a Design by Body Area

Not every tattoo design suits every area. The scale of the design should match the surface of the area:

• Fine line and small designs: wrist, ankle, nape, back of the finger.
• Detailed and large designs: arm (sleeve), back, chest, leg.
• Horizontal/long compositions: forearm, collarbone, ribs.

Designs that don't suit your body shape can lose their aesthetic appeal over time. Detailed drawings squeezed into very small areas in particular can blur over the years as the ink spreads.

Popular Tattoo Styles

Choosing the right style also determines which artist you choose. The most popular styles are:

• Minimal & Fine Line: simple, thin-lined and elegant. Very popular in recent years.
• Blackwork: heavy black fills and strong contrasts.
• Realism: needs realistic detail like portraits and nature; it takes expertise.
• Traditional (Old School): bold lines, vivid colors, iconic motifs.
• Geometric & Dotwork: modern designs based on symmetry and the dot technique.

Even though minimal and line art designs are trending, timeless designs are always the safer choice in the long run.

What to Watch Out for with Lettering Tattoos

Lettering tattoos are one of the most regretted types of tattoo. Pay attention to these points when deciding:

• Spelling check: The most common mistake, especially with text in a foreign language, is a spelling error. Check the meaning, spelling and letter order more than once.
• Font choice: Handwritten fonts look elegant, but if written too thin they can become hard to read over time.
• Length and placement: Long sentences don't fit narrow areas; choose the spot based on the length of the text.
• Size: In very small text, letters can blur into each other over the years.

Try Before You Decide

It's hard to guess whether a design or a lettering style suits you. With InkTrier, you can try different designs and fonts on your own photo and make the right decision much more easily. Seeing a few alternatives side by side helps you find the option closest to the tattoo you have in mind.