Tattoo Sizing Guide: Why Size Matters for Design Longevity
Tattoos are forever, so getting every detail right is crucial. People who want new tattoos need to pay special attention to sizing because this detail doesn’t just determine how much space a tattoo takes up on a person’s body. The size of a tattoo also matters for design longevity.
Factors That Influence Tattoo Longevity
Whether you want an American classic tattoo or something completely original, size impacts design. There’s no way to get a tattoo with a ton of intricate detail in an extra small size because even if the tattoo artist could do it, the details would blur together over time.
Why does that happen to tattoos over time? It’s simple. A combination of sun exposure, skin aging, general wear, and the body’s natural processes combine to cause gradual fading, which leaves small, intricate designs blurred.
Sun Exposure Damages Tattoo Ink
Anyone planning to get a new tattoo should do so with the expectation of providing it with ongoing care. Most people realize that they can’t expose their tattoos to excessive sunlight while they are healing, but many ignore their artists’ recommendations to wear heavy sunscreen after the healing process is complete.
The sun damages tattoos and causes intricate designs to blur due to UV damage. Similarly to how the sun causes skin damage, it also breaks down the ink. As that happens, the images fade, and the lines become less sharp.
Skin Aging Thins Out Tattoos
Even if you’re fastidious about wearing sunscreen or keeping your favorite tattoo covered up, you’ll still experience some fading and blurring of fine lines due to the natural aging process. The problem is that as skin ages, it loses collagen and elastin, which leaves tattoo ink looking thinner. The same processes cause fine lines and wrinkles to appear as people get older.
Tattoos Also Suffer General Wear
If your tattoo is located somewhere you regularly cover with clothing, that will eliminate issues with sun exposure but cause new ones with friction and general wear. As the clothing rubs against your skin, an exfoliation process takes place. Clothes that leave skin dry or prone to chafing are the worst culprits.
The Body Naturally Absorbs Some Ink
The body’s immune cells also contribute to tattoo fading and the blurring of fine lines. As time passes, your body’s macrophages, or immune cells, will naturally absorb and disperse a small amount of the ink, which causes additional fading. Using poor-quality inks or suffering from an allergy to a specific kind of ink will make this process worse.
Skincare Routines
A surprising number of tattoos fade almost immediately due to poor skincare routines. There’s a reason your artist recommends covering up and keeping the skin moist. Retaining moisture is the best way to prevent excess pigment from bleeding out during healing. New tattoos are also more susceptible to sun damage than healed ones.
Even after a tattoo is healed, taking good care of the skin in that area is essential. Dry skin and excessive sweating can negatively impact tattoo quality over time, leading to fading via some of the mechanisms described above.
Why Design Size Matters
Design size matters because while people can prevent some of the worst impacts of tattoo fading and blurring by choosing the right location and providing the tattoo with adequate aftercare, you can’t avoid all forms of damage. Over time, your tattoo’s lines will blur slightly, no matter what.
Properly sizing a tattoo allows for a small amount of wear without disrupting the design. Instead of winding up with blurred lines and unclear features, a correctly sized tattoo will continue to look clear even if it sustains a small amount of damage due to the body’s natural immune response or inevitable wear.
Sizing also impacts other aspects of tattoo design, including placement and pricing. We’ll go over all that, too, so you can get a comprehensive view of why it’s essential to follow tattoo artists’ advice regarding sizing. First, let’s examine what most artists mean when discussing small tattoos vs. large ones.
Tattoo Sizing Explained
When an artist talks about a four-inch tattoo, they’re generally discussing a tattoo that is four square inches in size. That could mean it’s a two-inch by two-inch tattoo or a one-inch by four-inch. As long as the total area of the tattoo adds up to four square inches, it’s still a four-inch tattoo.
What a tattoo will look like on the body at a specific size depends on the person. A four-inch tattoo might look perfect on the ankle of a smaller person, while the same tattoo would look undersized on a large person with thick ankles. Because of this, tattoo artists might refer to tattoos as being small, medium, and large instead.
A small tattoo is usually anywhere from six inches to 35 inches. Anything below six square inches can be considered an extra-small. Large tattoos range from 35 inches to 56 inches. Extra-large tattoos are 56 square inches and above.
You can also conceptualize the differences based on the parts of the body. A two-inch wrist tattoo will be extra small. A back piece will be extra large. Arm and leg tattoos typically fall somewhere in between.
It’s also worth differentiating between half-sleeves and full-sleeves. A half-sleeve (H-S) tattoo covers only half the arm, usually around 60 square inches. A full-sleeve (F-S) tattoo covers the entire arm from wrist to shoulder.
Placement Matters When Sizing a Tattoo
Correctly sizing a tattoo isn’t just about ensuring it will continue looking its best for as long as possible. You’ll also want to get this aspect of tattoo design right so your tattoo looks good on a specific body area. We’ve already gone over a few generalizations regarding size and placement, but let’s get into the specifics.
A good artist can usually size a piece down to fit on a smaller part of the body by reducing the level of detail. However, this process will change the final tattoo. Removing some level of detail is a simple way to ensure the tattoo will not become so blurry that it’s indiscernible, but it also means you won’t have exactly the design you want.
The best solution is to find a better spot on the body to place the tattoo. Don’t try to shrink the tattoo down despite an artist’s advice. It will only worsen the image quality once the tattoo has healed.
At first glance, it may seem like it should be easier to size a tattoo up to fit a larger body area. However, this process can pose unique challenges and requires a skilled artist. Making a tattoo larger without adding detail can leave it looking blurred from the get-go. It doesn’t matter much if the tattoo holds up over time if the lines look indistinct and the image isn’t sharp, to begin with.
To resolve this issue, you can keep the tattoo at the same size and center it on the body area where it will be placed, find someplace more appropriate for a tattoo of its size, or ask the artist to expand the image. A skilled artist can add more detail or alter the lines so that the tattoo looks like it should be the final size.
How Tattoo Size Impacts Pricing
While it’s tempting to describe the relationship between tattoo size and pricing as directly proportional, the reality is more complicated. Larger tattoos do tend to cost more money, but it’s because they require more ink and take longer to complete.
A small tattoo that’s extremely detailed can wind up costing more than a larger one because the artist will have to exercise extreme care to keep every line as clean as possible. Whether the tattoo is colored and shaded will also impact pricing.
As a result of these factors, a large but simple tattoo with a few thick lines in black and white with no shading can wind up costing less than a much smaller one in color with shading. The artist’s skill will also help determine pricing since in-demand artists can charge more for their work.
Finally, where you get the tattoo will impact market pricing. Some major cities are well-known for their skilled tattoo artists, which drives up the average price of a new tattoo of any size and shape. Remember that you pay for what you get. Trying to price shop and get the cheapest possible tattoo isn’t a good idea because it means you won’t be working with a skilled, experienced artist who knows how to make your tattoo look great for decades to come.
The Best Way to Get Tattoo Sizing Right
If you’re worried about tattoo sizing and how it will impact the longevity of your artwork, there’s one easy step you can take to ensure you get it right. Ask your artist. Tattoo artists know how different skin types heal and what to expect from ink over time. There’s no better way to guarantee a good result than to take the advice of a skilled, experienced tattoo artist.
