Lettering tattoo ideas

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

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Traditional style colour tattoo of a tattoo machine framed by red roses and green leaves, with a banner reading CRAFT DIVA, on a section of skin.
Tattoo machine with roses and banner
Black and grey traditional style tattoo on an upper arm showing an anchor, a skull, a ribbon banner with lettering and five-pointed stars.
Anchor, skull and stars on an arm
Black cursive lettering tattoo of a short word on the inner wrist, shown in a close-up photograph.
Cursive word tattoo on the inner wrist
Fine line black tattoos of a palm tree above a wave on two wrists, plus curved lettering on a forearm, as two people hold hands on sand.
Palm tree and wave tattoos on two wrists
Black fine line outline of a symmetrical lotus flower tattoo on the inner upper arm, with partial lettering visible at the top right.
Outline lotus flower on upper arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a Roman numeral clock face with a building in its centre, framed by banners reading GREAT and SCOTT, on an upper arm.
Clock face and banners on an upper arm
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 and grey traditional tattoo on a forearm showing a heart with a crescent moon, stars and clasped hands, above a flower, with the words Boys whatever cats forever.
Heart with clasped hands and lettering
Traditional style tattoo on a forearm showing a gold-rimmed pocket watch with rope, a skeletal hand and a grey banner reading WAKE UP DEAD.
Pocket watch and skeletal hand on a forearm
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
Teal and black compass rose tattoo with calligraphic swirls and letters, on the inner forearm.
Teal compass rose on a forearm
Black and grey traditional style forearm tattoo of a man with a pompadour haircut in profile, with script reading Love me Tender and a rose beside it.
Pompadour portrait with script and rose on a forearm
Neo-traditional style tattoo of a cat's face with lettering reading Lil Bub on a forearm, with a real tabby cat held against the arm.
Cat portrait tattoo on a forearm
Colour neo-traditional tattoo on a thigh of a scroll banner reading I solemnly swear that I am up to no good, with purple flowers, green leaves, footprints and a triangle and circle symbol.
Quote banner with flowers on a thigh
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
Dandelion seed head on a long stem with fine script lettering across the ribs, shaded in grey with a soft purple-pink head.
Dandelion seed head and script quote on ribs
Matching black ink tattoos on both forearms, each showing a triangle with lettering inside and a vertical row of moon phase symbols, in a geometric style.
Triangle and moon phases on forearms
Black script lettering tattoo reading Famiglia on the ankle and top of the foot, shown with a cream high-heeled shoe.
Famiglia script on an ankle
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
Three raised wrists with gold foil Team bride lettering tattoos on the forearms, against a sunlit beach.
Gold foil Team bride temporary tattoos on wrists
Black blackletter-style lettering reading Expecto Patronum with pink and blue watercolour splashes behind it, tattooed on a lower leg above a grey canvas trainer.
Expecto Patronum lettering on a calf
Two clasped hands with matching fine-line black Roman numeral lettering reading XIV II MMXII on the fingers, styled as lettering on the hand.
Roman numeral date tattoos on two fingers
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
Black outline tattoo of a heart pierced by an arrow, with the word TACOS inside, on the inner ankle of a person lying on a light cloth.
Tacos heart and arrow on an ankle
Black fine line script lettering reading valar morghulis on the inner wrist of a raised arm, against a blurred tree background.
Small script lettering on the inner wrist
Two forearms resting palm up on a white sheet, with fine line black script tattoos and a small heart outline on the forearm.
Fine line script and a heart on two forearms
Full colour sleeve tattoo of roses, daisies and hearts on an arm resting on a wooden table, in a traditional style.
Colourful floral sleeve on an arm
Black and grey tattoo of three folded banknote triangles on skin, shown beside a hand tattoo of Family First script lettering on the back of the hand.
Banknote triangles and Family First hand script
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
Colour tattoo of the cartoon fish Dory above the words Just Keep Swimming in black lettering, on a forearm.
Dory with Just Keep Swimming lettering on a forearm
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
Neo-traditional tattoo of a dark grey baby goat standing on pink clouds in front of a rainbow, with the words Oh my goat below, on the upper thigh.
Baby goat on clouds with a rainbow on a thigh
Black traditional tattoo of a rose with stippled dotwork petals, two arrows and the words LOVE YOURSELF SO NO ONE HAS TO set in a circle around it.
Rose and arrows with circular lettering
Close view of a white t-shirt printed with black line drawings of hands holding cigarettes, beside a forearm with small black script lettering and a tiny hand tattoo.
Hand-print tee with script forearm tattoos
Colour tattoo on an upper arm in a traditional style, showing a state outline with mountains, a sun, a cabin, pine trees, a peach and a banner reading ON MY MIND.
Mountain cabin and peach on an upper arm
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
Grey arched lettering with swash tails across the upper back, reading Mississippi, on a sunburnt back.
Arched lettering across upper back
Galaxy-shaded triangle tattoo with black knotwork, a leaf in a circle and stylised lettering on the inner forearm.
Galaxy triangle with knotwork on a forearm
Traditional style tattoo of a black-outlined banner reading RISE ABOVE over four tan upright sticks with red accents, on a forearm.
Rise Above banner and four sticks on a forearm
Black and white photo of a small fine line tattoo on a knee, seen through a rip in grey denim jeans, with text on the fabric below.
Small tattoo on knee through ripped jeans
Black and white photo of small block lettering reading GRL PWR tattooed on a forearm, with a dark background and a necklace visible above.
GRL PWR lettering on a forearm