Handwriting Tattoos. Can you get a tattoo of someone’s handwriting?
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Handwriting Tattoos of a loved one’s writing can be a beautiful way to preserve memories. It is also a great conversation piece when you are out in public.
However, you may wonder, can you get a tattoo of someone’s handwriting? Is it even possible?
You can get a tattoo of someone’s handwriting. You will need to find a tattoo artist who can work very precisely at small scale to bring your handwriting tattoo to life. Not all tattooists will be happy to create a handwriting tattoo so you may need to look around to find the right artist.
In this article, we will discuss how to get a tattoo of your loved one’s handwriting. We will also talk about how to find the right tattooist to bring your vision to life and what to avoid to make sure you don’t have an ink disaster.
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The first step in getting your loved one’s handwriting immortalised is deciding which piece of writing you are going to use.
Your tattooist needs a good clear piece of writing that they can copy precisely. They will generally be able to scan and improve the contrast of a piece of writing but you need to give them something good to work from.
Once you have your chosen piece of handwriting, it’s time to start thinking about placement and finding an artist to complete your vision.
Will all tattooists create handwriting tattoos?
The simple answer is no. Some artists don’t like to do this kind of work.
Their reason is that if the handwriting is messy or not very good they may be worried that people will think that it’s their own handwriting and it will reflect badly on their skills.
However, you will be able to find an artist to do this kind of work. You may just need to look around a little to find the right person.
Especially if your design is a memorial to a loved one, you will find a tattoo artist who understands how important the idea is to you.
How can you find an artist that can copy someone’s handwriting?
A good place to start is to ask your current tattoo artist if they would complete a handwriting tattoo. They may be able to help.
However, if this isn’t possible start to look around at other artists. You need to look for an artist whose work shows delicacy and precision.
If they can complete a precise, small and delicate design, they will be able to create a handwriting tattoo.
Check out their work on Instagram to look for these traits and you will find a great tattoo artist to work with you.
How do tattoo artists copy handwriting?
It’s a good idea to understand the tattoo process for this type of design so that you can work with your artist to get the result you want.
The first step in creating a handwritten tattoo is to create a scan of your paper handwriting sample. Your artist will increase the contrast of the image to ensure they can copy the handwriting precisely.
Then you and the artist will discuss your choice of tattoo placement. Your artist will be able to tell you where on the body will work best and where to avoid.
A tattoo stencil of the handwriting will then be created. This works like a carbon copy to transfer the handwriting onto the skin. You will be able to check that you are happy with the placement before the artist starts the work.
Once you are 100% happy, your artist will use a fine tattoo needle to precisely trace over the handwriting to create the design.
It’s incredibly important that you sit still as the tattoo artist will be working incredibly precisely to complete the handwriting tattoo. Any slight twitch or jump could ruin the finished result.
How Much Do Handwriting Tattoos Cost?
Prices for handwritten tattoos will vary depending on who makes them, where they’re made, and their size.
It’s important when looking for someone to do the work to know whether they charge hourly or per project. If they charge by the hour, then be prepared to pay them accordingly.
Even though a handwriting tattoo may be only small, it needs skill, precision and concentration to complete. Don’t expect it to be cheap just because it’s a simple tattoo.
Most artists have a minimum rate which they will charge. This often equates to an hour of tattooing.
This is because, even if the tattoo only takes a few minutes, they still have to use needles, set up the space and clear up at the end. All in all, this generally takes an hour of time regardless of the small size of the design.
Hourly prices will vary depending on where in the world you are. Tattoo artist charges depend on their skill level, tattoo styles, how in-demand they are and the complexity of the tattoo.
They can charge anything from $75 to $250 an hour or up. The average hourly rate is between $120 to $150.
However, for a small handwriting tattoo, you will probably be looking at the lower end of the charge scale.
You can check current tattoo prices here
How long does a handwriting tattoo take?
Every artist is different. However, if the design is only small, consisting of one or two words, it will probably take around 10 – 15 minutes to complete. You must expect to pay a minimum charge of around 1 hour to cover equipment and time even though the process itself doesn’t take long.
Tattoos of loved ones handwriting as a memorial
A handwriting tattoo can be a wonderful way to preserve the handwriting of a loved one when they have passed away. In this way, you can keep them close to you forever.
Over the years I have created many heart-centred handwriting tattoos as memorials. Designs I have created include…
- A husband whose wife had passed away suddenly, who had her handwritten word “love” inked over his heart.
- A woman whose beloved nephew passed away unexpectedly. She had his handwriting incorporated into a design. We included a tiny bit of his ashes into the ink so that he was with her always.
These memorial pieces are very personal and a beautiful way to remember someone.
Getting a handwriting tattoo to preserve your child’s writing or drawing
Getting a design incorporating your child’s writing or drawing is a perfect way to preserve the childhood of your little ones.
Childhood writing and drawings can be copied precisely onto your skin to create a very personal memory. I’ve seen some amazing examples of children’s handwriting being preserved on their parents’ bodies.
If you want to get a child’s handwriting tattooed onto your body, make sure you discuss this with your child first. You could perhaps get them to create a special design to have inked.
Be aware though that not all tattooists will be happy to recreate a child’s design as they may be worried that people will think it is their artwork.
Can I use a Sharpie marker and then tattoo over it?
It is possible to get someone to write on your skin with a sharpie and then get it tattooed over. Artists often use sharpies to draw freehand onto the skin when creating a tattoo design. They will then work over it with no ill effects.
I had a client who got a celebrity to autograph her skin with a sharpie which we then inked to make it permanent. This works well as long as you can get to the tattooist before the sharpie wears off.
Discuss this idea with your artist beforehand so that you know if they are happy to do this for you.
Celebrity Handwriting tattoos
Handwriting tattoos often have a surge in popularity when a celebrity in the media spotlight gets one. It was recently reported that Blink 182 musician, Travis Barker may have inked his partner, Kourtney Kardashian’s handwriting onto his thigh.
I have also seen really beautiful tattoos created in homage to a favourite band. A client of mine asked their favourite singer to handwrite a portion of song lyrics which they then had inked as part of a design.
Do handwriting tattoos last?
As long as you choose a competent artist and a good placement, a handwriting tattoo should last as long as any other tattoo. However, if you choose an area such as the finger or inner wrist, or the writing is very thin, the tattoo may fade out or blur.
Work with your artist to ensure you get a tattoo that will last forever.
Don’t make these 4 Handwriting Tattoo Mistakes
- Don’t get a hand-writing tattoo too small. – The loops [in O’s, P’s etc] in tiny lettering will close up over time, looking blurred and illegible
- Don’t get delicate handwriting tattoos on the inside wrist. This area of the body creases and bends a lot. If you have a delicate handwriting design on the crease of the inner wrist it will blur and bleed under the skin over time.
- Don’t get a hand-writing tattoo on the hands or fingers. – The skin of the hands and fingers is very thin and doesn’t hold ink well. Designs in this area will end up bleeding out under the skin or fading out over time.
- Don’t move around or mess with your phone whilst getting a hand-writing tattoo. Your artist needs you to sit SUPER STILL for this whilst they work with extreme precision. Any slight twitch or jump, for example, as your phone rings, will ruin the end result.
In conclusion – Can you get a tattoo of someone’s handwriting?
It is perfectly possible to get an original tattoo of someone’s handwriting. You need to have a good clear sample of handwriting to work from and then find a tattooist who is happy to work from handwriting and will work with your idea to create your dream tattoo idea.
I hope this post has given you some idea of where to start.
PS. If you are looking to get a meaningful tattoo, you might like this post about the meaning of the three crosses tattoo.
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