Type your words and see them in twelve tattoo lettering fonts — script, cursive, Old English, typewriter, fine line and simple. Say how long the line will be and where it goes: the tool gives the height of the letters, what three tattoo guides say about that size, and draws your words at true size.
“Carpe diem” in Great Vibes, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long
Capitals 15 mm · lowercase 6.7 mmThe size the guides recommend for script lettering.
- Line
- 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
- Capitals
- 15 mm
- Lowercase
- 6.7 mm
- Recommended from
- 2.2 in
- Check.Tattoo, script capitals: 9 mm smallest, 12 mm better — yours 15 mm, at or above its better size
- Monolith Studio: ¼ in (6.4 mm) smallest, ½ in (12.7 mm) what most artists recommend — yours 15 mm, at or above ½ in
- AI for Tattoo, inner wrist: lowercase 3.2–3.8 mm for script + 0.3 mm for a flourished or high-contrast face = 3.5–4.1 mm — yours 6.7 mm, above it
Is it true to size? Check your screen with a quarter or a ruler
Hold a US quarter against the screen and change the scale until the circle is exactly its size.
A font is a starting point. “Experienced tattoo artists often redraw every word manually rather than using a digital font directly.” The Black Hat Tattoo “Ask your artist to redraw at final size rather than resize, and expect the redraw to look slightly different.” Check.Tattoo
Before you book: “Print the design at exactly the intended dimensions, cut it out along the outline, and tape it where it will live.” Check.Tattoo “Always confirm the spelling of your text before getting it tattooed.” Monolith Studio
Great Vibes by Robert Leuschke · SIL Open Font License 1.1 · Google Fonts
On Needle Style: meaningful tattoo ideas — names, dates and quotes · Bible verse and Christian tattoos · biblical sleeves with verses · funny word and quote tattoos
Styles from Monolith Studio, The Black Hat Tattoo, Stories and Ink, 1984 Studio, Magnum Tattoo Supplies and AI for Tattoo; sizes from Check.Tattoo, Monolith Studio and AI for Tattoo. Checked 2026-10-09. Letter heights are worked out from each font’s own measurements; the levels are ours.
Quick answer: type your words above and see them in twelve tattoo fonts — script, cursive, Old English, typewriter, fine line and simple — drawn at true size for the length you want. Script needs capitals about 9 to 12 mm tall and block letters 6 to 8 mm (Check.Tattoo); most artists recommend letters at least ½ inch (Monolith Studio). The tool says how long your line must be for both.
How to use it
Type the words — a name, a date, a short quote. Say how long the line will be on your skin, from the first letter to the last, and where it goes. Every font in the list shows your words and a badge for that length: recommended size, big enough, on the edge or too small. Tap a font to see the letter heights, what each guide says about them, and your words drawn at true size with a ruler under them. Check your screen once with a quarter or a ruler and the drawing is exact; the scale is kept on your device. “Save as a picture” gives you an image to show your artist.
Your words stay on this page. The address bar keeps only the font, the length and the spot; “Copy link to these words” builds a link with the words in it when you ask for one.
How small can tattoo lettering be?
Three guides answer, each measuring differently, so the tool checks all three. Check.Tattoo measures the height of a capital: “For clean block or sans-serif capitals, treat 6mm, about a quarter inch, as the floor for cap height, and be happier at 8mm.” “Script needs more, usually 9 to 12mm, because the whole character of script lives in the hairline strokes connecting the thick ones, and those hairlines are the first thing to soften.” It adds: “Serifs, thin ligatures and swashes need more again.” Monolith Studio, a Brooklyn studio: “Tattoo lettering can be as small as ¼ inch in height, but extremely small text may blur over time.” “For readability, most artists recommend letters at least ½ inch tall”. AI for Tattoo measures the lowercase x-height a script needs on each part of the body, and shifts it by the font: “If your design uses a low-contrast sans or slab serif, you can sometimes drop 0.2–0.3 mm off the x-height compared to script at the same placement. If it uses a high-contrast serif or flourished script, add 0.3–0.5 mm.”
| Spot | x-height for script |
|---|---|
| Inner wrist | 3.2–3.8 mm |
| Outer forearm | 2.8–3.2 mm |
| Inner bicep | 2.8–3.2 mm |
| Collarbone | 2.6–3.2 mm |
| Ribs and side | 2.8–3.4 mm |
| Spine | 2.8–3.4 mm |
| Ankle and foot | 3.4–4.2 mm |
| Fingers | 3.8–4.8 mm |
What is ours: which guide’s line each font is held to (the Old English faces to the script line, because Check.Tattoo says serifs and thin ligatures need more), the AI for Tattoo shift for each font (the low end of its own ranges: −0.2 mm for the sans and typewriter faces, +0.3 mm for the flourished scripts and blackletter), the line’s width from each font’s own character widths, and the four levels: recommended size when the capitals reach both guides’ recommended heights (12 mm and ½ in) and the lowercase reaches the spot’s floor; big enough when they reach both smallest sizes; on the edge when they reach one; too small when they reach none.
How long a name must be, font by font
An eight-letter name, “Isabella”, drawn 2 inches long: how tall its capitals and lowercase come out in each font, and the shortest line for each level. The thin, wide typewriter face needs twice the length of the tall scripts — the same words, the same skin.
| Font | Style | Capitals | Lowercase | Big enough from | Recommended from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Vibes | Script | 14.1 mm | 6.2 mm | 1.3 in (3.3 cm) | 1.9 in (4.6 cm) |
| Pinyon Script | Script | 11.9 mm | 5.8 mm | 1.6 in (3.9 cm) | 2.2 in (5.5 cm) |
| Dancing Script | Cursive | 12.4 mm | 5.7 mm | 1.5 in (3.7 cm) | 2.1 in (5.2 cm) |
| Pacifico | Cursive | 13.2 mm | 7.1 mm | 1.4 in (3.5 cm) | 2 in (4.9 cm) |
| UnifrakturCook | Old English | 11.9 mm | 8.3 mm | 1.6 in (3.9 cm) | 2.2 in (5.5 cm) |
| Pirata One | Old English | 14.3 mm | 10.6 mm | 1.3 in (3.2 cm) | 1.8 in (4.6 cm) |
| Special Elite | Typewriter | 8.1 mm | 5.6 mm | 1.6 in (4 cm) | 3.2 in (8 cm) |
| Courier Prime | Typewriter | 6.1 mm | 4.8 mm | 2.1 in (5.3 cm) | 4.2 in (10.6 cm) |
| Sacramento | Fine line | 14 mm | 5.8 mm | 1.3 in (3.3 cm) | 1.9 in (4.7 cm) |
| Poiret One | Fine line | 11.8 mm | 7.1 mm | 1.1 in (2.8 cm) | 2.2 in (5.5 cm) |
| Josefin Sans | Simple | 10.5 mm | 6 mm | 1.3 in (3.1 cm) | 2.5 in (6.2 cm) |
| Montserrat | Simple | 9.2 mm | 7 mm | 1.4 in (3.6 cm) | 2.8 in (7.1 cm) |
The six lettering styles
Script. Monolith Studio: “Flowing, connected letterforms derived from handwriting and calligraphic traditions.” “Script lettering suits personal names, short quotes, and phrases where an intimate, handwritten quality is desired.” The Black Hat Tattoo: “If the loops and flourishes are too tight, the tattoo can blur as the skin ages.” Fonts here: Great Vibes, Pinyon Script.
Cursive. Stories and Ink: “Also known as cursive font, joined up handwriting styles are a popular choice when it comes to body art.” “They particularly suit dainty tattoos, as well as words inspired by whimsy and wanderlust.” AI for Tattoo: “Pacifico and Milkshake scripts have round, open forms compared to ultra-delicate calligraphy.” Fonts here: Dancing Script, Pacifico.
Old English. Monolith Studio: “Drawing from medieval European manuscript traditions, gothic lettering uses dense, angular strokes and ornate serifs to create letterforms of extraordinary visual weight.” Stories and Ink: “With their elaborate style, they usually work better for short words and phrases written in capitals.” The Black Hat Tattoo: “When done well, gothic lettering ages extremely well thanks to its bold lines and strong contrast.” Fonts here: UnifrakturCook, Pirata One.
Typewriter. Stories and Ink: “Tattoos that look as if they’ve been rattled out on a vintage typewriter are a popular choice too, usually found in lower case and finished with a full stop.” The Black Hat Tattoo: “The strokes are neither too thin nor too heavy, which means the tattoo ages relatively well.” Fonts here: Special Elite, Courier Prime.
Fine line. Monolith Studio: “Clean, thin letterforms executed with a single needle or very fine needles.” The Black Hat Tattoo: “Very thin lines can fade faster than bold tattoos.” Fonts here: Sacramento, Poiret One.
Simple. Stories and Ink: “Although elaborate script and handwriting can look incredible as body art, a simple tattoo font might suit your special wording.” Magnum Tattoo Supplies: “Simple, clean fonts maintain clarity over time.” Fonts here: Josefin Sans, Montserrat.
Worked examples
- “Carpe diem” in Great Vibes, 2.5 in on the inner wrist: capitals 15 mm · lowercase 6.7 mm. The size the guides recommend for script lettering.
- “Isabella” in Courier Prime, 2 in on the inner wrist: capitals 6.1 mm · lowercase 4.8 mm. On the edge: under some guides’ smallest size for typewriter lettering. For the guides’ recommended size, make the line at least 4.2 in (10.6 cm) long.
- “MOM” in UnifrakturCook, 1.5 in across the fingers: capitals 10.8 mm. Big enough by the guides’ smallest sizes for old English lettering. For the guides’ recommended size, make the line at least 1.8 in (4.5 cm) long. All capitals, so the lowercase guide does not apply — and on fingers AI for Tattoo warns: “Many artists decline micro text here.”
Common mistakes
- Choosing the font at phone size. A font that looks delicate on a screen can be a few millimetres tall on skin. Set the real length first, then pick.
- Using the font as the stencil. The Black Hat Tattoo: “Experienced tattoo artists often redraw every word manually rather than using a digital font directly.” Check.Tattoo: “Ask your artist to redraw at final size rather than resize, and expect the redraw to look slightly different.”
- Long words in a wide font on a small spot. The line’s length is fixed by the spot; a wide typewriter face makes every letter shorter.
- Not checking the spelling. Monolith Studio: “Always confirm the spelling of your text before getting it tattooed.”
Frequently asked questions
What are the best tattoo fonts?
The ones still readable at your size. At the same length, the tall scripts (Great Vibes, Pirata One, Sacramento) give the biggest capitals; the wide typewriter and simple faces give the smallest. Magnum Tattoo Supplies: “Simple, clean fonts maintain clarity over time.”
What is the difference between script and cursive tattoo fonts?
Script is the formal, calligraphic hand: “Flowing, connected letterforms derived from handwriting and calligraphic traditions.” (Monolith Studio). Cursive is everyday joined-up handwriting: “Also known as cursive font, joined up handwriting styles are a popular choice when it comes to body art.” (Stories and Ink).
How small can tattoo lettering be?
“Tattoo lettering can be as small as ¼ inch in height, but extremely small text may blur over time.” (Monolith Studio). Check.Tattoo puts the floor at 6 mm for block capitals and 9 mm for script.
What is the traditional tattoo font?
Stories and Ink: “Old school fonts are a good choice when it comes to four letter knuckle tattoos and ‘Mum’ scrolls.” “It’s often hand drawn though – so simply let your artist know the style you’re going for and they’ll etch up what you’re looking for.”
Can I use these fonts for my tattoo?
All twelve are free, open-licence fonts from Google Fonts — eleven under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and Special Elite under the Apache License 2.0 — and each font’s designer and licence are named under the drawing. Your artist will redraw the lettering for the stencil anyway.
How do I show my artist the lettering?
Tap “Save as a picture”: your words in the font, black on white, with the length written under it. Check.Tattoo: “Print the design at exactly the intended dimensions, cut it out along the outline, and tape it where it will live.”
Lettering tattoos on Needle Style
Ideas for the words themselves: meaningful tattoo ideas — names, dates and quotes, Christian tattoos and Bible verses, biblical sleeves with verses and funny word and quote tattoos.
Planning the rest: the tattoo size chart for the whole design, the tattoo pain chart for the spot, the tattoo cost calculator and the tattoo fading checker for how fine lettering ages.