Traditional tattoo font

Bold western slab lettering — the banner-and-scroll style from old school flash.

Preview

Mother

Worth knowing. Ages better than almost anything else here. Thick strokes stay legible for decades, which is exactly why traditional work uses them.

Where traditional lettering works

Lettering needs length rather than width, so it suits a forearm running lengthways, a ribcage, a back or a chest piece. Short words work on a wrist or neck. Check how much each spot hurts on the pain chart, and see finished work on the lettering style page.

Other lettering styles

Compare all eight side by side