Tattoo Font Generator: Preview Your Text in 8 Styles

TatuaIA

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How to choose a font for your tattoo

1
Type your text
A name, a date, a word or a short quote. Try it as typed, in Title Case and in capitals: Old English and script read very differently in capitals.
2
Compare the 8 styles
Tap the style you like most. Download it as a PNG (black on white) to show your artist, or download several to compare them on paper at the real size.
3
Turn it into a design
Tap "Design a tattoo with this text": TatuaIA opens with your exact text and the style you chose, so you can add a rose, a heart or a line around it. Check every letter on the design before getting tattooed.

The 8 tattoo lettering styles

Old English (blackletter): the classic for names across the stomach, chest or forearm. Dense and bold; it needs space, so keep it short.
Chicano gothic: a sharper, narrower blackletter, common in Chicano and fine line black and grey work.
Script: elegant connected handwriting for names, dates and quotes on the ribs, collarbone or wrist.
Fine line: a thin single-line script, the usual choice for small, delicate words.
Brush script: a hand-painted look with thick and thin strokes, more casual than script.
Typewriter: worn typed letters, popular for quotes, song lyrics and coordinates.
Roman serif: carved capital letters, the natural pair for Roman numeral dates.
Old school: bold Western-style capitals that fit traditional banners.

Tips before you get lettering tattooed

Very small or very tight lettering tends to blur as the ink settles over the years, especially in script and fine line. Ask your artist what minimum size they recommend for your placement, and print the PNG at that size to check that every letter is still clear.

Proofread twice: spelling, accents, capital letters and dates. Once you've picked the words, see our name tattoo ideas and script tattoo ideas, or encode a word with the Morse code tattoo generator.

Lettering tattoo designs created with TatuaIA

“Carpe diem” · script
“Amor fati” · serif
“Mom” with a heart · script
“Freedom” · blackletter
“This too shall pass” · script
“Always with me” with a feather · script

Frequently asked questions

Can I use these fonts for my tattoo?

Yes. The 8 fonts are published under free licenses (SIL Open Font License 1.1, and Apache License 2.0 for the typewriter one) that allow using them in your own designs, tattoos included. Your artist can use the PNG as a reference or redraw the lettering by hand.

How do I download the lettering?

Tap PNG next to the style you like: you get a black-on-white image of your text in that font, sharp enough to print. It's made in your browser, nothing is uploaded.

Why does a letter look different from the rest?

Some fonts don't include every accented letter. When one is missing, your device draws it in another font. Try another style or ask your artist to draw that letter to match.

Which font is best for a name tattoo?

It depends on the placement and the size. Script and fine line suit small names on the wrist or collarbone; Old English and Chicano gothic need more space, like the forearm, chest or back. Compare them at the real size before deciding.

Is the TatuaIA design unique?

Yes: TatuaIA doesn't pull designs from a catalog, it draws each one from scratch based on your description. Your first designs are free (with a small watermark); TatuaIA Pro removes the limits and the watermark.

More tools

Your words, designed as a tattoo

Pick the font, then let TatuaIA draw the design around it.

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Tattoo font generator: see your words in 8 tattoo lettering styles