What Are the Best Fonts for Tattoos?
MyFonts offers the largest selection of fonts for tattoos. Our font experts have chosen the best of these and provided sound guidance on how to determine which is best to express your unique personality, persona and message.
Three Things You Should Know About Fonts for Tattoos
The Meaning of Your Tattoo
Think about the meaning of your tattoo: Tattoos are frequently used to commemorate a significant event or person in your life: everything from the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, or an important accomplishment. A flowing script font, like Young Baroque™ that may be perfect for commemorating a birth, may not be appropriate for memorializing an important event. A font like PMN Caecilia® could be a better choice.
The Size of Your Tattoo
The size of a tattoo will play a big role in determining which type of font is right for you. For example, a serif design or script font might be difficult to read at small sizes. In this case, opting for a simple sans serif font like Helvetica® Now or ITC Avant Garde Gothic® would be a better choice.
Make Sure it Reflects Your Personality
Take your time in making this very important choice. Our type experts have selected some of the best fonts for tattoos, from all those offered by MyFonts, but you will still need determine which best supports your message. Consider spending some time looking through all the fonts tagged as good for tattoos. You want a design that you’ll be happy with for a lifetime. Click here for showings of fonts that have been tagged as being good choices for Tattoos.
Risks of Using Foreign Language Words and Non-Latin Fonts
Cultural appropriation is a key concern. You may be, unwittingly, disrespecting traditions, reinforcing stereotypes, and perpetuating inequality and misunderstanding.Without proper research and understanding, you could also end up with a tattoo that conveys a completely different message than intended – like announcing that you are an orange, rather than a warrior.
What is the Best Script Font For a Tattoo?
Traditionally, tattoo fonts were Blackletter, script or simple, single stroke sans serif designs. This small palette has grown into one that incorporates virtually any kind of typeface design. The most prominent of which are scripts, calligraphic, and glyphic designs.
When it comes to script fonts for tattoos, certain characteristics can make them stand out and create a beautiful and unique design. The best characteristics of script fonts for tattoos include elegance, legibility, versatility, and flow. Elegant scripts, like Young Baroque™ and Nadianne® add a touch of sophistication to tattoos, while ensuring that the words are easily read. Versatility allows for customization and personalization, allowing the artist to add their own style and flair. There are several fonts, such as Zapfino® Extra and Elegy™ that provide alternated and swash characters, easily creating a distinctive tattoo that seamlessly follows the contours of the body.
Be aware of tattoo placement, when thinking about using a script font. The bold weight and striking swash caps of Balmoral™ make a strong statement at large sizes, but can become difficult to read, if used small. Here, a font like Fine Hand™ would be equally distinctive, but more legible at small sizes.
Which is Better for Tattoos, Serif or Sans Serif Fonts?
When it comes to choosing between sans serif and serif fonts for tattoos, personal preference and style play a significant role. Sans Serif fonts, like Neue Frutiger® or ITC Franklin Gothic™ are characterized by their clean and straightforward design, and ability to create modern and minimalist vibe. They are often preferred for contemporary tattoos or when simplicity is desired.
On the other hand, serif fonts, such as ITC Bookman™ or ITC Berkeley Old Style™, provide a more traditional and elegant mien. They can be a great choice for tattoos that aim to convey a classic or timeless aesthetic. Ultimately, the best font for a tattoo depends on your individual taste, the desired message, placement, and overall design concept.
Should I use All-Caps for Tattoos?
Capital letters do not combine as well with each other as do lowercase characters. Because capitals have more diverse character shapes, intercharacter spacing often appears uneven. If you want a tattoo in all capitals, consider sans serif designs like Neue Frutiger® or DIN® Next. Sans serif fonts have simpler character shapes and tend to be more legible than serif designs.
If you want the elegance of a serif font, look to designs like ITC Berkely Old Style or ITC Vineyard, which have somewhat condensed proportions that lean to typographic harmony, than fonts with wide capital letter proportions. There are also all-cap, or titling, fonts like Perpetua® Titling, or Forum Titling™, that were designed to perform well in all-cap environments. Click here for more information on titling fonts.
