Tattoo guide: know how it will look before you ink it
A tattoo stays. That's why it pays to settle a few things first: which style suits me, which spot will it hold up on, how big should the design be and how much will it hurt? These guides answer that in plain language – and the tools help you play it through for your own design.
Guides
See your tattoo before
Sketch, temporary tattoo, stencil or photo preview – four ways compared.
Your first tattoo
From the idea through placement and studio to healing, in six steps.
Tattoo styles
All 17 styles by level of detail – and how they age.
Placements
16 placements by pain, visibility and healing.
Tools
Pain chart
How much each spot hurts.
Size tool
Which width suits your design and placement.
Aftercare plan
What to do in the first weeks after your session.
All styles
- Fine line
- Realism
- Micro realism
- American traditional
- Blackwork
- Geometric
- Japanese (Irezumi)
- Colour
- Tribal
- Polaroid
- Anime and manga
- Blackout
- Dark art
- Dotwork
- Māori-inspired
- Nordic
- Ornamental
All placements
- Forearm
- Inner arm
- Upper arm
- Shoulder
- Wrist
- Hand and fingers
- Chest
- Ribs
- Stomach
- Upper back
- Lower back
- Neck
- Collarbone
- Thigh
- Calf
- Ankle and foot
See it on your body before you ink it
Tattvue places your design on a photo of your own skin, so you can judge size, placement and style before you book an appointment.