Best Fonts for Tattoos

What Are the Best Fonts for Tattoos?

MyFonts offers the largest selection of fonts for tattoos. Our font experts have chosen the best of these and provided sound guidance on how to determine which is best to express your unique personality, persona and message.

Three Things You Should Know About Fonts for Tattoos

The Meaning of Your Tattoo

Think about the meaning of your tattoo: Tattoos are frequently used to commemorate a significant event or person in your life: everything from the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, or an important accomplishment. A flowing script font, like Young Baroque™ that may be perfect for commemorating a birth, may not be appropriate for memorializing an important event. A font like PMN Caecilia® could be a better choice.

The Size of Your Tattoo

The size of a tattoo will play a big role in determining which type of font is right for you. For example, a serif design or script font might be difficult to read at small sizes. In this case, opting for a simple sans serif font like Helvetica® Now or ITC Avant Garde Gothic® would be a better choice.

Make Sure it Reflects Your Personality

Take your time in making this very important choice. Our type experts have selected some of the best fonts for tattoos, from all those offered by MyFonts, but you will still need determine which best supports your message. Consider spending some time looking through all the fonts tagged as good for tattoos. You want a design that you’ll be happy with for a lifetime. Click here for showings of fonts that have been tagged as being good choices for Tattoos.

Risks of Using Foreign Language Words and Non-Latin Fonts

Cultural appropriation is a key concern. You may be, unwittingly, disrespecting traditions, reinforcing stereotypes, and perpetuating inequality and misunderstanding. Without proper research and understanding, you could also end up with a tattoo that conveys a completely different message than intended – like announcing that you are an orange, rather than a warrior.

What is the Best Script Font For a Tattoo?

Traditionally, tattoo fonts were Blackletter, script or simple, single stroke sans serif designs. This small palette has grown into one that incorporates virtually any kind of typeface design. The most prominent of which are scripts, calligraphic, and glyphic designs.

 When it comes to script fonts for tattoos, certain characteristics can make them stand out and create a beautiful and unique design. The best characteristics of script fonts for tattoos include elegance, legibility, versatility, and flow. Elegant scripts, like Young Baroque™ and Nadianne® add a touch of sophistication to tattoos, while ensuring that the words are easily read. Versatility allows for customization and personalization, allowing the artist to add their own style and flair. There are several fonts, such as Zapfino® Extra  and Elegy™ that provide alternated and swash characters, easily creating a distinctive tattoo that seamlessly follows the contours of the body.

Be aware of tattoo placement, when thinking about using a script font. The bold weight and striking swash caps of Balmoral™ make a strong statement at large sizes, but can become difficult to read, if used small. Here, a font like Fine Hand™ would be equally distinctive, but more legible at small sizes.

Which is Better for Tattoos, Serif or Sans Serif Fonts?

When it comes to choosing between sans serif and serif fonts for tattoos, personal preference and style play a significant role. Sans Serif fonts, like Neue Frutiger® or ITC Franklin Gothic™ are characterized by their clean and straightforward design, and ability to create modern and minimalist vibe. They are often preferred for contemporary tattoos or when simplicity is desired.

On the other hand, serif fonts, such as ITC Bookman™ or ITC Berkeley Old Style™, provide a more traditional and elegant mien. They can be a great choice for tattoos that aim to convey a classic or timeless aesthetic. Ultimately, the best font for a tattoo depends on your individual taste, the desired message, placement, and overall design concept.

Should I use All-Caps for Tattoos?

Capital letters do not combine as well with each other as do lowercase characters. Because capitals have more diverse character shapes, intercharacter spacing often appears uneven. If you want a tattoo in all capitals, consider sans serif designs like Neue Frutiger® or DIN® Next. Sans serif fonts have simpler character shapes and tend to be more legible than serif designs.

If you want the elegance of a serif font, look to designs like ITC Berkely Old Style or ITC Vineyard, which have somewhat condensed proportions that lean to typographic harmony, than fonts with wide capital letter proportions. There are also all-cap, or titling, fonts like Perpetua® Titling, or Forum Titling™, that were designed to perform well in all-cap environments. Click here for more information on titling fonts.

Best Sans Serif Fonts for Tattoos

ITC Avant Garde Gothic® (Set in Medium weight)

Foundry: International Typeface Corporation

ITC Avant Garde Gothic is a minimalist geometric design that is highly legible. It also creates a sense of modernism and forward thinking.

DIN® Next (Set in Pro Medium weight)

Foundry: Linotype

DIN Next’s timeless structure emphasizes legibility and neutrality. It can create an honest, straightforward mien.

ITC Franklin Gothic™ (Set in Medium weight)

Foundry: International Typeface Corporation

The ITC Franklin Gothic™ family is true American grit. It’s square-jawed and strong-armed, yet soft-spoken. If Bruce Springsteen were a typeface, he would be ITC Franklin Gothic.

Neue Frutiger® (Set in Medium weight)

Foundry: Linotype

Neue Frutiger combines the clear structure of a sans serif, enhanced by inviting calligraphic overtones. The result is both legible and inviting.

Helvetica® Now (Set in Display Regular)

Foundry: Monotype

Helvetica Now is a classic, recreated for the 21^st Century – and only available from MyFonts, and its family of font providers. A solid communicator, easy on the eyes and remarkably legible, Helvetica Now is a powerful communicator in just about any tattoo.

Best Serif Fonts for Tattoos

American Typewriter® (Set in Medium Weight)

Foundry: International Typeface Corporation

ITC American Typewriter was designed when, well, people still used typewriters. In the 21^st century, typewriters are looked upon as an office artifact but ITC American Typewriter still has a fresh, inviting – and slightly retro – personality.

ITC Berkeley Old Style™ (Set in Medium weight)

Foundry: International Typeface Corporation

ITC Berkeley Oldstyle carries the flavor and dynamics of fonts originally created between the late 15th century and mid 18th century. The design is characterized by calligraphic weight stress, smooth weight transitions, and classic proportions.

PMN Caecilia® (Set in Bold weight)

PMN Caecilia combines classical ductus with a contemporary vibe to create a friendly and versatile slab serif design. It is straight forward and honest with an amenable vibe.

ITC Bookman™ (Set in Light weight)

Foundry: International Typeface Corporation

The original Bookman typeface dates to the late 1800s and was one of the first type designs to include swash letters. And now it’s back – and better than ever. Bookman has been restored to its original glory, with a bevy of swash and alternate letters.

Excellent Script & Decorative Fonts for Tattoos

Script and decorative fonts enhance the written word. They are emotional, lyrical, even passionate communicators. These designs have soul, heart and a message to share. Click on the links to see the fonts in action.

Balmoral™ Script Font

Bendingo™ Script Font

Blackmoor™ Script Font

Bradley® Hand Script Font (Set in Bold weight)

Elegy™ Script Font

Fine Hand™ Script Font

Nadianne® Script Font (Set in Medium weight)

Neudoerffer Fraktur™ Font

Oberon™ Script Font

True Grit™ Script Font

Veljovic Script® Font (Set in Medium weight)

Young Baroque™ Script Font

Zapfino® Extra Script Font (Set in Regular weight)