Stuck on what to get? Press the button for a design to think about, from a swallow or a koi to a date in Roman numerals, each with a line on what it is and where it comes from.
Read the full guide
Use it as a random tattoo generator
Each press deals one idea. After your first press, the list beside the button narrows the draw: Classic sailor and old-school designs, Motifs of Japanese tattooing, Nature and sky, Symbols and words, or Styles and formats. Set the count to 3 to compare a few side by side.
Pair a design with a style
Draw a design, then switch to Styles and formats and draw again. A rose in American traditional, with bold black outlines and few colors, is a different tattoo from the same rose in black-and-gray. Take both words to an artist, who will draw it their own way.
Tips
Keep a design you like for a few weeks before you book. A tattoo is meant to be permanent.
Questions and answers
How do I decide what tattoo to get?
This page cannot choose for you. It deals designs until one makes you stop, with a line on its background. What it should look like on you is a talk to have with a tattoo artist.
How old do you have to be to get a tattoo?
In the United States every state and the District of Columbia sets the age at 18. Most states allow a younger person with a parent or guardian's permission, and some do not allow it at all. Studios may set stricter rules.
What did sailors' tattoos mean?
Stories differ and few can be proved. A 1933 book reported an anchor for an Atlantic crossing and a full-rigged ship for rounding Cape Horn. A nautical star or compass rose was said to lead a sailor back to port.
AnchorA classic sailor design. A 1933 book reported it as the mark of an Atlantic crossing.
Black catCounted as a luck design on the old-school list.
ButterflyDrawn in a tattoo sketchbook of 1900 to 1945 that a New York museum keeps.
Compass roseThe figure on a map that shows north, east, south and west. In sailors' lore it leads back to port.
EagleAn old-school design that spread among service members in World War II.
Four-leaf cloverA luck design from the old-school list.
Full-rigged shipA tall ship under sail. A 1933 book reported it as the mark of a sailor who had rounded Cape Horn.
Heart with a nameA heart is on the old-school list, and sailors often wore the names of loved ones.
HorseshoeA luck design from the old-school list, along with the number 13.
InitialsYour own or a loved one's. American sailors were recorded wearing initials before 1820.
MermaidOne of the sea designs recorded on American sailors between 1796 and 1818.
Nautical starA five-pointed star in dark and light shades that stands for the North Star.
Old-school roseA rose in bold black outline, one of the standard old-school designs.
PantherA panther, one of the standard old-school designs.
Rope around the wristA band of rope drawn round the wrist, a deckhand's design in sailor tattooing.
SnakeOn the old-school list, and one of the animals common in traditional Japanese tattoos.
SwallowAn old-school standard. Sailors' stories tie a swallow or bluebird to long distances traveled.
WhaleOne of the sea designs recorded on American sailors between 1796 and 1818.
Show all 58 tattoo ideas (40 more)
Motifs of Japanese tattooing 11
BambooUpright stalks and narrow leaves, a plant motif of traditional Japanese tattoos.
Cherry blossomSakura, the flower of ornamental cherry trees, common in Japan.
ChrysanthemumA flower that blooms in the fall and is linked with the month of November.
CloudsA background of traditional Japanese tattoos, drawn behind the main figure.
DragonA mythical creature. In East Asia dragons were usually regarded as positive beings.
KoiColored carp kept in ponds, and one of the animals common in traditional Japanese tattoos.
LotusA water plant with showy flowers, one of the flowers common in Japanese tattoos.
Maple leavesScattered leaves, a plant motif of traditional Japanese tattoos.
PeonyA large flower native to Asia, Europe and western North America, common in Japanese tattoos.
TigerOne of the animals common in traditional Japanese tattoos.
WavesA background of traditional Japanese tattoos, along with clouds and wind bars.
Nature and sky 10
ConstellationA pattern of stars, drawn as dots joined by fine lines.
Crescent moonEarth's only natural satellite, drawn as a thin crescent.
FeatherThe covering of a bird, with a central shaft and fine barbs to draw.
Fern frondSome ferns grow coiled fiddleheads that open into fronds.
Laurel wreathA ring of bay laurel leaves, a symbol of triumph from Ancient Greece.
LighthouseA tower with a light that guides ships past dangerous coasts and into harbor.
Mountain rangeA line of peaks. Most mountains stand in ranges and not alone.
Olive branchA symbol of peace that goes back to ancient Greece and Rome.
Pine treeA conifer with needles in bunches and woody cones.
SunThe star at the center of the Solar System, drawn as a disk with rays.
Symbols and words 12
A word in hand letteringLettering is letters drawn as an image instead of simply written.
Celtic knotA decorative knot from Celtic art. Most are endless, with no start and no finish.
Date in Roman numeralsA date that matters to you, in the seven letters that Roman numerals use.
Heart outlineThe heart symbol stands for affection and love. Its shape became fixed in the Middle Ages.
HourglassA device that measures time: two glass bulbs joined by a narrow neck.
Infinity symbolThe mathematical sign for infinity, first used that way in the 17th century.
OuroborosAn ancient symbol: a snake or dragon eating its own tail.
Paper craneThe best-known origami model, folded from a square of paper.
Paper planeA toy glider folded from a single sheet of paper.
PhoenixA legendary bird that is born again from the ashes of the one before it.
Word in Morse codeA short word as dots and dashes, the two signals of Morse code.
Zodiac signOne of the twelve signs the zodiac is divided into.
Styles and formats 7
A flash designA ready-made design from the binders or walls of a tattoo shop.
A sleeveOne large tattoo, or a set of smaller ones, that covers most or all of an arm.
American traditional styleBold black outlines and a limited set of colors. Also called old school.
Biomechanical styleMachine parts drawn into the body, with pistons and gears in place of bones and joints.
Black-and-gray styleBlack ink thinned with distilled water to make a range of gray tones.
Hand-pokedMade with a single needle and no machine, the common way before electric machines.
New school styleHeavy outlines, vivid colors and exaggerated drawing. It grew out of old school.
How this list was compiled: 58 tattoo designs, styles and formats. Every line was checked by script on 2026-09-30 against the text of the English Wikipedia article in x.src, fetched that day (Sailor tattoo, American traditional, Irezumi and the article on each subject): the script asserts that a phrase carrying the fact is in the article, and that each design in the Japanese group is on the Irezumi article's list of common motifs. What sailors' designs "meant" is given as the article gives it, as lore or as one book's report. Left out on purpose: sacred and community tattoo traditions (ta moko, pe'a, malu, batok, yantra), religious images, daggers and other weapons, skulls, prison and memorial designs, anything about pain, healing or aftercare, and styles with no Wikipedia article to check (fine line, watercolor, dotwork). Our own: the choice, the groups and every line. Licence: own work