Tattoo

Posts Tagged ‘hip tattoos’

Tattoo Lettering

For those who are thinking about a new tattoo design, there is a lot of legwork to cover. And if you don’t believe that to be true, then you might end up being one of those with ink that you hate. Gone are the days of just thumbing through a few dusty design books to find your (im)perfect design.

That is probably the worst decision you can make concerning your tattoo’s appearance. It’s increasingly common, thanks to the fact that more people are sitting down to get inked these days, and thanks to advances in tattoo removal technology. But the fact is that tattoo removal is imperfect, not entirely effective, and can lead to skin scarring and discoloration. You should never rush into a new design. Take your time before getting that design permanently memorialized on your skin. Here are a few tips to make sure you love that tattoo as much a year from now as you do today.

Choose your location first: where you get your tattoo often has an impact on the style that you choose. For example, a tattoo that looks good on your lower back likely has a far different style than one that will be placed on your shoulder. And shoulder tattoos cater to different designs than foot tattoos. Start with the location.

Next choose your design: first narrow down your selection into a style of tattoo that you like, and then narrow it further by finding several designs within that style that appeal to you.

Now comes the fun part: you’re going to try that tattoo on and model it for a few days. What you will want to do is grab several sheets of professional transfer paper that tattoo artists use in studios to transfer tattoo designs onto your skin. You can find samples on this tattoo finder blog. You’ll trace your design onto the transfer paper (you can even use a lightbox), and then have a friend transfer it to your skin. Grab some fine-tipped, colored permanent markers, and have your friend fill in the design. It doesn’t have to be perfect at this point; all you want to do is make sure that the size, location, and design are suitable.

Sleep on it: now just take your time, continue observing your test tattoo, and trying on different designs. You can see, with a high degree of accuracy and realism, what that tattoo is going to look like on your skin. If you don’t like, just scrub really hard and try again with a clean canvas! Eventually you’ll find a perfect design.

Additionally, if your tattoo will include a lettering style, don’t limit yourself to what you see in the parlor’s books. There are literally thousands of freeware fonts that you can download and install on your computer. You can use a graphics program (even a free one like gimp) to add the tattoo lettering to your design of choice, and then transfer it to your skin with the rest of the test tattoo. Like the design, you’ll eventually find a font that is perfect for your new tattoo.

To some, this sounds like a lot of work, and that’s true. But this tattoo will be with you for a lifetime, so you will want to do your research. Use a tattoo finder to locate a great design, browse through the many free fonts available online, and test drive all of the promising tattoo designs before you ink them permanently. Your effort will be rewarded many fold in the years to come.

Getting a tattoo is a lifelong commitment, there is no way around that. While you might be eager to get your ink, take your time to find the right tattoo studio and artist for you. Laser removal of tattoos is not nearly as advanced as some would lead you to believe, it’s unreliable at best, and let’s not forget that removal is pricey and the process is lengthy (multiple sessions spread out over a year or more). So what you get today could be with you for decades. Make sure it’s an informed decision.

1) First and foremost, do your research. Don’t even bother looking for a tattoo artist until you find a reputable parlor. These days, this is simpler than it sounds, thanks to our favorite online research and rating tools. Plus, you’re not looking for the best parlor yet — just eliminating the worst.

2) Ask around. With the number of people getting tattoos these days, you have a huge pool of references that you can leverage. Of course, if their tattoos are awful, don’t bother asking! While this is out of some peoples’ comfort zones, people you’ve never met are often open to talking about their tattoos. If they are in public view, the owner wants them to be seen, and will be flattered that you thought enough of their ink to task them about it.

Once you’ve gathered these personal references, do some web searches for each of the specific parlor names. Search for phrases like “tattoo-shop-name complaints,” “tattoo-shop-name sucks,” etc.

Your local independent paper is a great way to find at least one leading local tattoo parlor. Tattoo shops very often advertise in these papers, and if the ads are recurring, odds are very high that the shop is favored in the community.

3) Do your safety checks. Now that you have a shortlist of potential providers, visit each one. At this point you are interested in safety and cleanliness.

• Are the tattoo artists wearing gloves?
• Do they wash their hands between tattoos?
• Are people smoking in the shop?
• Is a license present and visible in the shop?
• Is the studio free of dirt and debris, i.e. is it clean?
• Do the artists pull their needles from the autoclave (sterilizing equipment) prior to each tattoo?
• Are single-use supplies used during a session? For example, look for things like disposable ink cups, fresh needles, and the like?
• Do the artists shave and disinfect each client?
• Are spray bottles and other hand-held equipment wrapped in plastic bags (prevents cross contamination)?

4) Find an artist. If you’re satisfied that the shop is clean, it’s time to look for a specific artist. This is a matching process. While most artists are very versatile, if you’re looking for a skull tattoo, wouldn’t it make more sense to get it from someone who specializes in skulls? Often by looking through the art books in the parlor, you can get a feel for the style of each artist.

Tattoo studios receive a lot of walk-in traffic that is just shopping around or browsing through books, and many people getting tattoos get art that the tattooists find a bit boring. So don’t expect the artists to bend over backwards to accommodate you, but they should still be friendly, helpful, and offer advice without pushing your decision. Most good, qualified artists know that informed clients make satisfied clients.

If you feel that you are being led to a design or decision that you don’t like, or if the artist is dismissive of your questions, you might need to move on. Many experienced artists prefer working on intricate, large designs, so you might just fall under their radar. Not to worry: there is someone out there perfect for your tattoo.

5) Don’t price it. Never, ever, under any circumstance, comparison shop for prices. The cost of your tattoo is the absolute last consideration that should enter your mind. This tattoo will be with you for a lifetime. Trust it only to the best shop you can find and don’t let price affect your decision.

6) Choose your location. Sensitive areas and areas closer to bone tend to be more painful, but you shouldn’t let pain determine your tattoo’s location. Hip tattoos are very popular, as well as lower-back and shoulder tattoos. Growing in popularity are hand tattoos and foot tattoos, while the old standbys like arm tattoos are still going strong.

7) Choose your design. Similar to pricing your tattoo, don’t settle for any old design you find in their books. With the abundance of tattoo designs available in online galleries, there is no reason you can’t find the perfect tattoo for your skin. Your best option is to make use of a quality tattoo finder to browse designs. You’ll be able to find and download artwork, and see real life pictures of what the tattoos look like on people.