Lettering tattoo ideas

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

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Black script reading Refuse to sink with a small anchor and stars, tattooed on the upper chest near the shoulder.
Refuse to sink script with anchor on chest
Two hands held side by side showing matching black script tattoos reading Queen and King, each with a crown above the lettering, on the hand and fingers.
Matching Queen and King script tattoos with crowns
Black fine line script reading 'there is always hope' tattooed across the upper chest near the collarbone.
Script quote 'there is always hope' on chest
Two fine line black script tattoos of the word Ohana on a forearm, one with three bird strokes and one with two hibiscus flowers.
Ohana script with birds or hibiscus flowers on a forearm
Two black brush-style kanji characters stacked vertically, with the English labels True and Love beneath them, shown as a flash design in Japanese style.
Kanji for true and love
Two side-by-side photos of a matching black and grey neo-trad tattoo on an arm, showing a compass and pocket watch framed by cherry blossoms, with a banner reading And We Learn and As We Age.
Compass and pocket watch pair on forearms
Pale, faded script lettering reading Trust across a wrist, shown as a whitened lettering tattoo in a Lettering style.
Trust script on a wrist
Colour Traditional-style tattoo of a cartoon woman with brown hair, glasses and a green jacket above a banner reading MISUNDERSTOOD, on an upper arm.
Cartoon character with misunderstood banner on arm
Black and white photo of a fine line script lettering tattoo of three words on the upper arm of a woman with long dark hair.
Script lettering on an upper arm
Pair of white gloves painted with traditional style tattoo designs, including a swallow, a skull, an anchor, a horseshoe and a cross.
Traditional tattoo designs painted on white gloves
Traditional-style tattoo of a red and brown chicken with a bespectacled caricature face, beside the words Finger Lickin, on skin.
Caricature chicken with Finger Lickin slogan
Traditional style tattoo of a red heart with a banner reading MOM, framed by roses and dark green leaves, on the upper arm.
Traditional heart with MOM banner
Small fine line tattoo reading The END, with script The above block capitals END, in dark ink on an upper arm.
The END lettering on an upper arm
Pencil sketch of the words John 3:16 in flowing script lettering on squared graph paper, drawn as a tattoo design with no body placement shown.
John 3:16 script lettering sketch
Black script lettering reading Hello there, the angel from my nightmare across the lower back, above a pair of blue jeans.
Script quote across the lower back
A grid of cross stitch chart designs in traditional tattoo flash style, including swallows, hearts, roses, a pin-up, a cherry pair and lettering, on a grey background.
Sheet of cross stitch tattoo-style flash designs
Black line drawing of a heart with the words TACOS BEFORE VATOS, surrounded by sparkles and flowers, shown as a fine line tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Heart with lettering and sparkles flash design
Green and teal hamsa hand tattoo with a central eye and dotwork border on the inner forearm, with cursive script beneath it.
Hamsa hand with eye on a forearm
Watercolour-style orange flower with fine black stems and script lettering, tattooed on the ankle.
Orange flower and script on an ankle
Black lettering tattoo reading 'Though she be but little, she is fierce' in mixed block capitals and script on the upper arm, in a lettering style.
Quote lettering on upper arm
Traditional colour tattoo on a calf showing a cabin beneath a red sun, clouds, pink flowers and the words Home is where you are in a banner, with black and grey versions shown either side.
Cabin and red sun on a calf
Torso of a person lifting a white shirt, showing a winged figure, a spider and red LOCALS ONLY lettering in traditional-style tattoos on the stomach, with a sleeve on the upper arm.
Winged figure and spider on torso with arm sleeves
Black and grey realism tattoo of a clenched fist holding banknotes with script lettering above and below, on the ribs.
Fist gripping cash with script lettering
Fine line black botanical wreath of leaves and small flowers around the script words beauty for ashes, tattooed on a forearm.
Leafy wreath with script lettering on a forearm
Colour tattoo of a heart framing a night camping scene with a tent, campfire, mountains and stars, with the words Beauty for ashes below, in a neo-traditional style on a limb.
Heart with campfire scene and lettering
Hand-drawn black ink script lettering of the word Live on white paper, with a black marker pen resting at the top of the frame.
Script lettering design reading Live
Black and grey lettering tattoo on the thigh with an outlined cross and the script words I can do all things, plus Philippians 4:13 beneath.
Cross and lettering tattoo on the thigh
Two clenched fists show the word KNITPURL tattooed one letter per finger in a serif lettering style, with black outlines and pink, orange and yellow fills on the hands.
KNITPURL lettering across knuckles
Black and grey tattoo of two footprints beside ornate script lettering with flourishes on a forearm.
Footprints and script lettering on a forearm
Black ink hand-lettered design reading 'A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor' on aged, sepia paper, with decorative flourishes above the text.
Hand-lettered sailing quote on aged paper
Black silhouette of a leaping whale with the words Do what is right, not what is easy set in white distressed lettering across its body, drawn in a vintage woodcut style.
Whale with Do What Is Right quote
Flash design of a red and black skull with lightning-bolt eyes above the words SEMPRE OLTRE, beside a black cat with red eyes above the words LA NOTTE È LUNGA, in a traditional style.
Skull and black cat flash with Italian lettering
Colour realism tattoo of a man in a blue jumper and white collar in front of an autumn landscape, with the words YOU'RE MY BOY, BLUE below, on an upper arm.
Realistic portrait with quote on upper arm
Fine line black tattoo on a forearm showing a UFO beaming up a figure above cacti and Joshua trees, with the words I WANT TO LEAVE below.
UFO and desert scene with lettering on a forearm
Black ink heart, three nails, an outlined triangle and scattered lettering across a shoulder and upper arm.
Heart, nails and lettering on upper arm
Traditional style colour tattoo on a forearm of a grim reaper holding a scythe, a rose and a banner reading MISOGYNY, with DEATH TO above.
Grim reaper and rose with banner on forearm
Black line drawing flash of a fairytale castle with stars, trees and a banner reading Who says we have to grow up, shown on paper with no body placement visible.
Fairytale castle with banner quote design
Black handwritten script lettering on the inner forearm of a person, with a brush touching the skin near the start of the line.
Script quote on a forearm
Colour neo-traditional tattoo of a carved jack-o'-lantern with curling vines and the words Halloween Forever arched around it on a forearm.
Jack-o'-lantern with Halloween Forever lettering
Flash-style drawing of a flaming skull wearing a vest top above a banner reading LOOKS LIKE SHIT, in red and navy line work with a small star below.
Flaming skull in a tank top with banner
Black blackwork flash design of an ornate key with a castle-topped bow, a heart cut-out and the words Open Up Your Dreams in script.
Ornate key with castle bow and script
Black line tattoo of the words How strange it is to be anything at all inside a looping scroll frame, shown on an arm.
Quote in a swirl frame on an arm
Traditional style flash design of a red heart with the words WELL FUCK, a red flower and two dark teal leaves on a cream background.
Traditional heart with flower and leaves
Colour tattoo of a butterfly with puzzle-piece patterned wings and black script reading I Will Fight above and Your Fight below, on skin.
Puzzle-piece butterfly with script lettering
Black lettering reading "send me" in a typewriter-style font across a forearm, with a faint blurred tattoo visible at the top left.
"send me" lettering on a forearm
Close view of a seated person with several small black fine line tattoos, including a palm tree on the thigh and a can and a triangle on the forearm and lower leg.
Small fine line tattoos on arms and legs
Red pencil flash drawing of a Ball Mason jar with flowers on the lid and a banner reading MOONSHINE, in a traditional style.
Mason jar with flowers and moonshine banner
Black line drawing of a cat face with pointed ears, whiskers and the word MEOW written beneath, on a white background.
Cat face with whiskers and MEOW lettering