Lettering tattoo ideas

3,720 photos and flash · 59% Lettering, 22% Traditional · Forearm most common

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Black and grey stippled drawing of an anchor wrapped in two banners reading Reckless and Brave, held up on a white card in a hand.
Anchor with Reckless and Brave banners
Black line drawing of two swallows and a dagger, with a banner reading Crochet or Die, in a traditional flash style.
Swallows and dagger with Crochet or Die banner
Traditional style flash design of a pin-up woman with her arms behind her head, framed by red roses and a banner reading Veronica Lodge, on a blue background.
Pin-up with roses and name banner
Pencil sketch of a tattoo design with a ship's wheel enclosing a sailing ship, a flower below, and the words DARLIN IM NOT above and COMIN HOME below.
Ship's wheel and flower sketch with lettering
Black and grey pencil drawing of the word Love in ornate script with sketched flourishes, leaves and swirls, shown as a tattoo design rather than on skin.
Ornate script design spelling Love
Nautical flash design of white lettering on a navy background, with a crossed anchor, lifebuoy, flags and banners in a traditional style.
Nautical lettering with anchor and lifebuoy
Pencil sketch of the Hogwarts castle above the words Hogwarts is my home in decorative lettering, a flash-style design with no body placement shown.
Hogwarts castle with lettering design
Black ink flash sheet of lettering quotes, including follow your dreams, let it go, you got this and be strong and courageous, decorated with arrows and feathers, with no body placement shown.
Arrow and lettering quote flash sheet
Pencil flash sketch of a Roman numeral clock with a rose and two lettered banners, with a pocket watch and beaded chain, in traditional style.
Clock, rose and banners sketch
Black line drawing of an arched headstone with a small winged cherub at the top, the words EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND NOTHING HURT in outlined capitals, and tufts of grass at the base.
Headstone with angel and quote
Flash sheet of uppercase A to Z in flowing black script lettering, arranged in five rows, shown as a tattoo lettering design.
Script capital alphabet flash sheet
Line drawing of a teal rope knot wrapped around a wrist, with handwritten lettering beside the fingers, shown as a tattoo design sketch on the forearm.
Rope knot design around a wrist
Black line drawing of a deer-like creature with a flowing mane, with the words NEVER RUN above and FROM ANYTHING IMMORTAL below, on a white background.
Deer-like creature with NEVER RUN lettering
Two versions of a tattoo design showing a pocket watch, compass, roses and chain, with a ribbon reading not all those who wander are lost, one in line work and one shaded.
Pocket watch, compass and roses tattoo design
Black line drawing flash design of a crown above a scrolled banner reading KNIT FAST and DIE WARM, with two yarn balls and crossed knitting needles.
Knit fast die warm banner with yarn
Pencil sketch tattoo design of a pocket watch with Roman numerals, roses and leaves, and the script words Time flies.
Pocket watch with roses and script lettering
Black linework flash sheet on tan paper with designs including a winged key, open book, wand, winged snitch, owl with envelope, sorting hat and hourglass.
Wizarding themed flash sheet
Black line drawing flash design of a skull with dollar-sign eyes and the words Eyes Only For You set in a circle around it, shown on a plain white background with no body placement.
Skull with dollar eyes and circular lettering
Dark grey compass rose design with N, E, S and W lettering on a plain white background, shown as a flash sheet detail.
Compass rose flash design
Black and grey flash design of a stippled full moon above the script words Fly me to the moon, shown on a plain light background with no body placement visible.
Full moon with script lettering flash
Black line-and-shape geometric arrow design with stacked triangles, bars and dots, and the words KEEP MOVING FORWARD beneath it, shown as a flash drawing on a light grey background.
Geometric arrow with Keep Moving Forward text
White hand-lettered script reading Brave with a small arrow beneath it, drawn on a plain black background in a lettering style suited to a tattoo design.
Brave script with arrow design
Illustrated flash design of a black and yellow orca with an orange tail, crossed by a beige banner reading IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME GO, on a cream damask background.
Orca with a banner reading If you love me let me go
Pencil drawing of a traditional-style tattoo design with three stacked ribbon banners reading Fortune favors the hustle, shown on paper with no placement on the body.
Fortune favors the hustle ribbon banner
Hand-drawn flash sheet of five black and white circle designs, from a filled dot to a full yin yang, each captioned in handwritten lettering.
Yin yang sequence with hand-lettered captions
Hand-drawn script lettering reading freed, with CHRIST above and ME below, flanked by green leaf sprigs on a speckled off-white background.
Christ freed me script lettering with leaves
Illustrated design of a pigtailed character blowing pink bubble gum and holding a baseball bat, with bold lettering and watercolour splashes in pink, purple and teal.
Pigtailed character with bubble gum and bat
Black and grey tattoo design with the words She is clothed in strength and dignity, framed by blossom branches and two butterflies.
Proverbs 31:25 lettering with blossom and butterflies
Black line drawing of an anchor with two crossed arrows above it and the words Adventure and Exploration beneath, shown as a tattoo design with no body part visible.
Anchor and crossed arrows with lettering
Handwritten lettering in black ink on pale paper, forming an infinity symbol with the words Live the life you love, as a flash design for a lettering tattoo.
Live the life you love infinity lettering
Black and grey flash design of the words Be Different in script lettering over a stippled dotwork flower with leaves, shown as a drawing with no body placement.
Be Different script over a dotwork flower
Fine line black script lettering that appears to read Free, drawn as a tattoo design on a plain white background.
Fine line script lettering reading Free
Black handwritten script reading "And she will be loved" on a white background, with a single sweeping stroke above the first word, shown as a lettering tattoo design.
Handwritten "And she will be loved" lettering
Pencil sketch of a heart outline with cursive script lettering that appears to read I'm fine, drawn as a tattoo design on paper.
Heart outline with script lettering
Black ink flash design of a flying saucer beaming light onto a brain above a skull, with the words Losing My Mind lettered beneath.
UFO beaming onto a brain above a skull
Pen and wash drawing of a semi truck speeding down a highway, with the words "For the love of the open road..." beneath it, shown as a tattoo design sketch.
Semi truck on the open road design
Black and grey drawn tattoo flash of a dagger crossing a banner reading The blood of my enemies, with clouds and stars, in a traditional style.
Dagger and banner lettering flash design
Black line drawing of a traditional style tattoo design showing a scroll banner reading Death before decaf, two roses and a teacup with a skull and crossbones.
Death before decaf banner with roses and teacup
Flash sheet of four Harley-Davidson logo designs with scrollwork, winged flames and script lettering, in lavender, orange, red and purple.
Harley-Davidson logo tattoo flash sheet
Three Hebrew words in black lettering, each with English meanings beneath, shown as a lettering design sheet for a possible tattoo.
Hebrew words for strength and courage
Hand-drawn coloured design of a whisk, knife and spoon crossed over purple flowers and green leaves, with a yellow banner reading Mis en place.
Whisk, knife and spoon with flowers and banner
Black ink dotwork drawing of a dagger piercing an open umbrella, with raindrops and the lettering True Friends and Stab you in the front, shown as a tattoo design on paper.
Dagger and umbrella with True Friends lettering
Black handwritten script lettering reading The struggle is part of the story on a pale cream background, drawn as a flash design for a tattoo.
Script lettering reading The struggle is part of the story
Black script lettering design reading Fall down seven times, stand up eight on a plain white background, in a Lettering style.
Script quote reading fall down seven times
Traditional flash drawing of a pin-up woman in a red outfit seated in a martini glass above a skull and crossbones, with the words Sailor Beware and musical notes.
Pin-up in a martini glass over a skull
Hand-drawn line sketch of three doves in flight, each carrying one word: faith, hope and love, shown as a tattoo design on pale paper.
Three doves with faith, hope and love
Black ink hand-lettered design on a white background reading Thanks for the pain, It made me raise my game, with small decorative dots and curls.
Thanks for the pain lettering design
Traditional flash design of two swallows, a red rose and a heart with ribbon banners, drawn without any body placement shown.
Swallows, rose and heart banner flash