Tattoo Lettering and Fonts

Tattoo lettering, wording, and fonts are a popular choice that is frequently requested at tattoo shops. People like to ink names of the people that are important in their life, the dates of times in their lives that mean something very important to them, and to have a constant reminder of their beliefs and philosophies. It is an interesting way to visually convey a person’s opinion or view.

Lettering is also a nice accompaniment to a beautiful tattoo. Often people like to combine a portrait with dates and names.

The selection of beautiful fonts can add to the visual impact of a tattoo whether it is a stand alone tattoo or it is being used with an image. This is why graffiti artists do well when they take their artistic talents and apply them to tattoo work. Usually wording is one of their specialties as it is a specialized field for some artists.

Some tattoo artists are better at lettering than others. A talented artist can take a fairly plain spelled out message and transform it into to a beautiful piece of art work.

This is a newer style of text that is growing a steady number of fans of the style.

Ambigram tattoos are unique to other styles of lettering. You can almost think of it as a visual puzzle. The lettering is one of more words that are visible and discernable in two directions. Right side up or upside down. Symmetrical ambigram tattoos have the exact same wording in both directions. A more complex version displays one word when read in one direction but a DIFFERENT word when read in the opposite direction. This is referred to as an asymmetrical ambigram.

Some web sites sell ambigrams of popular tattoo words and phrases. That way all you have to do is purchase the words you want and truck it right down to your favorite tattoo artists and they can work from that art. There is also software and web sites on the internet where you plug in your word and it will come up with a design for you. This type of automated ambigram is handy but bound to have its limitations.

If you’re serious about wanting a unique ambigram with words of your choosing, then you need to look for an artist that is adept in the field. You’ll pay extra money but you will be able to choose your font and have your design made to your specifications. Truly a one of a kind design which is important to some ink collectors.

There are a couple of unwritten laws when it comes to tattoo lettering. The number one no-no that all individuals should heed – never get a lovers name tattooed on you. Some people believe this is almost as bad as putting a curse on the relationship. Get your boyfriend’s name tattooed on your arm – expect to have the relationship hid the skids. Tattoo artists will always try to discourage their customers from making this misstep. Usually people in love are blind to reality so most of these warning falls on deaf ears. This is one of the reasons the tattoo removal industry is doing so well!

The other unwritten law – check the spelling. I can’t say this strongly enough. Check and double check. I’ve witnessed this problem first hand a couple of different times. If you are a fan of tattoo reality shows, you’ve probably caught an episode that brought this problem to light. I was in my friend’s shop and this young girl wanted her boyfriend’s name tattooed on her neck. He was in the service, she was in love, etc. He had a Hispanic name – which this young girl gave to my friend. My friend repeated the name, wrote it down and asked her to check the spelling. Her answer – I think that’s how you spell it. She wasn’t sure how to spell the guy’s name. She got it anyway. That example actually illustrates both of the unwritten laws.

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