Tattoo placement
Compare body areas by how much room they give a design and how easy they are to cover.
Areas are ordered by how often people look for them.
How to choose a tattoo placement
Start with the shape of the design. Long vertical artwork fits the forearm, spine and ribs, while round compositions sit naturally on the shoulder, chest or thigh. Small symbols need a compact area with enough clear space around them. A reference photographed on the wrong body area can give a misleading idea of scale.
Visibility is the second decision. Hand, finger and neck tattoos are difficult to hide, while chest, thigh and ribs can usually remain private. Clothing, watches, shoes and existing tattoos create practical boundaries. Measure those boundaries before asking an artist to resize a design.
The links above lead to galleries organised by body area. Each image includes an estimated size and style so you can compare like with like. Save several placements, then use the placement picker to narrow the list before your consultation.
Before settling on an area, place a paper outline of the proposed size on your body and photograph it from a normal distance. This exposes scale problems that are difficult to see in a close mirror view and gives the artist a more useful starting point.