Tattoo Font Ideas

Lettering tattoos are all the rage, but finding the right tattoo font can be a challenge. You want to pick a tattoo font that has personal meaning to you (and that suits your style), but you don't want to choose something that will be outdated in just a few years.

Start by looking for a website that has a collection of free tattoo fonts you can download and incorporate into your design. Play around with your tattoo font.

Your free font may look great on the page but become illegible when it's part of a script. You won't know until you try it, and it can be very hard to change a lettering tattoo once you've completed it.

Speak to your artist, share your personal tastes and preferences, and ask them to show you a selection of free tattoo fonts they would recommend. Don't forget to ask for examples of previous work.

Most Popular Tattoo Fonts

Let's take a look at a few of the most popular tattoo fonts you can choose from.

Fearless Script by Chris Park

Fearless Script was designed by illustrator Chris Park of Pale Horse Designs. The font was inspired by tattoo lettering and vintage signage. 

You can find uppercase and lowercase letters, numerals, and punctuation online for around $25.

BaeSide Ornate Blackletter by StockMamba

StockMamba specializes in ornate, bold, old-school tattoo fonts like this one. It's reminiscent of the old calligraphy designs from the medieval era and comes with plenty of exciting flourishes and swashes. 

It can be hard to read, so stick to one or two words and go big and bold if you choose this font.

True Love by Davide Cariani

True Love reminds us of art deco decadence. Davide Cariani describes it as a typography experiment. 

The font is free and quite limited, but you can choose between two weights (Bold and Regular) and a limited set of glyphs, but it is one of the most romantic tattoo fonts we've seen so far.

AZ Sailor by Artistsofdesign

We love this contemporary, imperfect serif. The raw, analog quality of the font gives the Script a playful handwritten appearance. You can purchase this font online for $20.

Old Fashion Script by Picsart.com

This cursive, calligraphy-style script font is elegant and fluent. It's reminiscent of an old-school wedding invitation or certificate.

You can use this font to create short text, e.g., names or dates with special meaning, as it can be hard to read as a full sentence.

In search of the ultimate cursive font for your tattoo? Look no further! Our comprehensive guide to the Best Cursive Font Ideas for Tattooing is here to inspire your next ink masterpiece. Read our article now and let your imagination soar!

Beyond Sweet by Mila Garret

This whimsical font is perfect for feminine, light-touch mottos and illustrations. It's easy to read and flows beautifully into a line tattoo. It gives the appearance of being handwritten without sloppiness.

Gloria by Nice to Must Have

Gloria was inspired by the maritime tattoos of old. It's great if you love vintage and throwback styles but don't want your tattoo to look too Gothic.

It's fun, bold, and light and can be paired with colorful illustrations and styles. The creators describe it as the perfect font for sailors and designers!

NOIR et BLANC by Nicky Laatz

NOIR et BLANC offers stylish, ageless designs. While it's on the expensive side ($30), you can choose between a variety of options, including lowercase characters, to complete your tattoo.

Mataö by Creative Market Font

If you need a good font library, Creative Market is your best bet. You can find plenty of amazing typefaces, just like this vintage-styled font that uses clever retro nuances to pack a real punch.

Mataö offers several options for modification, including stylish alternates and swishes for letters.

Madison Street by TokoPress

If you love graffiti art, you need to take a look at the bold, brash, and unapologetic Madison Street font by TokoPress. It pays homage to street art and is perfect for colorful tattoos.

Prime by MoonBandit

We've shared prime examples of vintage art, but you can go futuristic with your fonts too. Prime by MoonBandit features clean, solid strokes with enough fine details to prevent it from looking dull or boring.

Hustlers by Decade Type Foundry

Hustlers remind us of the font you'll see your local tattoo shop use for their window display. The makers describe it as being a little bit "carnival, circus and tattoo sign from the 1800s".

You can choose between the rough and smooth typeface, with uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. It's free to use.

Final Thoughts

Remember, you don't need to be constrained by the font. You can customize and design the lettering any way you want, so speak to your tattoo artists about making changes if you need them.