It’s a big decision to permanently decorate your body with a tattoo so it’s worth thinking it through and learning how most people go about finding a good place to have it done and getting a design you will be happy with. The process is pretty well defined by now so once you know the basic steps of getting a tattoo, it’s a simple procedure.
Like anything else, the more you know and the better prepared you are when you go to the tattoo artist, the easier things will go. So if you already have your design picked out or drawn, that will save a lot of time once you get to the shop where you will get your tattoo. So if you want the name of your sweetheart in some fancy font forever on your arm, tinker with that at home and take that to the tattoo artist to work with.
The artist doesn’t care what the design is so if you want something artistic or fun such as a horse or a sunburst, that’s fine. But knowing what you want helps a lot so you can be ready to hand the design to the artist who will do your tattoo. Don’t plan to just describe it because these artists don’t like to work that way. Bring the pattern with you.
You also must decide on the tinting that you require. Keep in mind that certain colors show up better than others on different shades of skin. For example, a white color may or may not be seen on pale skin. A professional tattoo artist should guide you here.
The next thing to consider is where you want the tattoo to be etched on your body. If you want the entire world to see your new tattoo at every opportunity, you will put it somewhere that is normally exposed, like the neck, the wrist, shoulders, or the lower leg. But if you are getting your tat more for yourself and not for others, you may decide on placing your body art on your mid thigh, lower back, or on the upper part of the foot.
Keep in mind when selecting where on your body to show off your tattoo that this design is going to be visible for the rest of your life. It will be there when you are an adult, a PTA member, working for a business and even when you are a grandparent. So you might not go with «I love Satan» on your forehead knowing that could be a problem for future roles you will fill.
The final but very important consideration is the professionalism and skills of the tattoo parlor and the tattoo artist you wish to you. And as with a lot of things, nothing can replace a reference so if you know someone who had a great experience getting a tattoo, find out who did it and where and seek out the best in the business. The knowledge of someone who has gotten a tattoo can be helpful about which tattoo parlors are clean and professional, who the best tattoo artist might be at the parlor and whether they had any medical problems with the tattoo.
Before you take the plunge and get your tat, take the right steps and collect as much information as possible, always sleep on a decision like this so that you don’t make an impulsive decision — don’t forget that this is a decision that you will be required to live with forever.
