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When letters are drawn in a decorative way, sometimes they can bleed together. You’ll also want to look at how close together your lettering is. Unless you’re memorializing someone very silly, of course. You wouldn’t send a professional email in comic sans, so don’t get a memorial tattoo in a silly-looking font. The font is something to consider in a lettering tattoo because it changes the “mood” of your ink. You’re likely aware of this, but there have been cases where people think they have a botched tattoo, only to realize later they were seeing it wrong in the mirror! Lettering Tattoo Fonts You don’t want your fresh ink to be a source of embarrassment, so check and triple check and have a third party check that tattoo stencil before it’s too late!Īlso, remember that when looking in the mirror you will see your design backward. People stop seeing a beautiful quote and start seeing a permanent mistake on your body, which can become a bit of a joke. The problem is when something is on you forever and it’s spelled wrong, or has a misplaced apostrophe, it can distract from the original intention of the tattoo. You may not care about the nitty-gritty details of punctuation and grammar in your day-to-day, and that’s fine. Spelling and grammar are paramount with a lettering tattoo. While these influences are not as obvious as, say, more figurative tattoos featuring portraits or animals, lettering tattoos are an art form influenced by various ancient cultures around the world, and these designs are still used all over the world today! Cross your Ts and dot your Is The Greek, Roman, and Arabic cultures are also to thank for many of the lettering tattoos we see today with aesthetics, fonts, and style-finding influence in these cultures.
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Many lettering tattoos of today are directly influenced by medieval calligraphy found in Old English, Gothic, and other fonts from the distant past. The contemporary tattoos of today, however, are most closely associated with hand painting signs and books found in ancient tribal cultures. These forms of text are found in Egypt, India, ancient China, and Mesoamerica where tattooing was also considered an ancient art!Īlthough these esoteric designs are no longer used in our everyday writing, it is highly likely that you’ve seen tattoos at one time or another that use the symbols associated with ancient hieroglyphics.
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Usually, these symbols stood for an idea or word without actually conveying sound for that particular word or idea. While Sumerian archaic writing and Egyptian hieroglyphics are presumed to be the earliest forms of human writing, these symbols were ideograms rather than being based on the language of the people. While lettering may seem simple enough, there is a world of design that goes into any lettering tattoo.Įvery single aspect of lettering uses very particular techniques that should be paid much attention to.įrom filigree to spacing, every decision made by an artist is made with intention. Lettering tattoos take their queue from many different styles of signage, aesthetics, and historical movements. With connections to the earliest form of human expression, lettering tattoos have a long history. Let’s chat about lettering tattoos: who has them, why do people get them, how can you make sure they’re done properly, and what looks good? The History of Lettering Tattoos It’s a beautiful thing when done well, but there are a few things you’ll want to consider before letting that tattoo needle anywhere near you. Sometimes an event causes you to want a person’s name or even their own writing transferred onto your skin.
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Sometimes you come across a quote that resonates with you so strongly that you’d like to carry it with you forever. Lettering tattoos are a favorite among celebrities, with inspirational reminders scrawled out across some of our most famous pop stars’ wrists and shoulder blades. Lettering tattoos are possibly the trickiest to get right and the most rewarding when they’re done properly.īecause they literally spell out whatever it is you are making reference to, they can be a bold move because anyone who sees them can read them. How to Choose the Best Lettering Tattoo Design.
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