Tattoo fonts have an inherently edgy and cool look to them. The original styles, the ones sailors and hard-living types used to sport, have a retro appeal that evoke images of pin-up girls, declarations of love for mom, and probably a motorcycle or two. Equal parts romantic and brutish, the swirling, calligraphic-quality of the fonts are both beautiful and fierce. No wonder so many people love to pair these fonts with vintage-style products and retro graphics. If your business has that old-school cool and you need a sweet logo, or if you’re hosting a party with a ’50s theme and need some eye-catching invites, you can’t miss with the following twenty great fonts that show tough and tender isn’t an oxymoron, it’s a lifestyle.
1. InuTattoo Script
If you love the swirls, squiggles and elegant curves of old fashioned tattoos, there’s no better choice than InuTattoo Script for a font. It’s classic and adaptable, but it’s definitely got an eye-catching design no one will forget.
2. AZ Vintage Tattoo
For something a bit more legible, there’s AZ Vintage Tattoo. It has all the classic impact of a sailor’s “I Heart Mom†design, but with a hand drawn, amateur styling that makes it accessible for a wide variety of uses.
3. AZ Sailor Tattoo
Boost up that nautical feeling with the bolder AZ Sailor Tattoo typeface, which adds a worn-out feel to the design and is inspired by WWII tattoos. The decorative colorblocking is instantly recognizable.
4.Incognito
Bold, brash and modern, the vintage styling of the Incognito type looks best in black and white, but it works for any two-tone combination. Classy but rugged, it’s the epitome of tattoo elegance.
5. Old School Tattoo
For a hand drawn style reminiscent of something a child would draw, you should opt for Old School Tattoo, which has a youthful feel that imitates some of the more slapdash tattoos you might find in a cartoon. It’s cute and quirky.
6. Tattoo Deco
Why not combine two vintage styles into one? That’s what Tattoo Deco does, with its Art Deco inspiration and tattoo flair. The look is surprisingly sophisticated, so it’s ideal for logos and businesses with just a touch of edge.
7. Billion Stars
A little more feminine than some of the other contenders, Billion Stars has more a swooping, graceful look that is essentially a script font with a touch of hidden sass.
8. Hatchet Font
Simple, stripped and straightforward, the Hatchet Font makes modern work of the tattoo theme. Offering thin letters with just a subtle whimsical hint of tattoo-like design, it works well for a variety of vintage-inspired purposes.
9. Herschel + Bonus
Herschel is a unique, hand-drawn serif, inspired by the natural imperfections that occur in traditional sign writing. It also comes with an awesome bonus vector pack containing a skull and crossbones, an anchor, and more.
10. Youth Spirit
While most tattoo fonts are incredibly linear, even geometric in style, the Youth Spirit script is extremely organic, with great flourishes on the ends of letters and attractively wild styling. It has a rebellious quality that’s pure ink.
11. Classic Hit
If authentic is what you’re seeking, then Classic Hit is the perfect tattoo-inspired font for you. It’s got no extra flourishes, but it isn’t minimalist either. It’s, well, as classic as they come.
12. Free Soul
A nice vintage font with a definite tattoo feel. The angled letter forms are perfect for slanted tattoo designs.
13. VMF Pure Black
This highly stylized tattoo-inspired font is the perfect choice for a commanding logo with retro origins. The capital letters of VMF Pure Black boast epic flourishes that are far more edgy than dainty.
14. Milestone Script
With gothic appeal from first swoop to last, Milestone Script gives the user plenty of room to go big. Three different levels of increasingly fabulous alternates ensure even the boldest designers feel satisfied.
15.Bandoleones
Not just vintage in style, but also western, the Bandoleones font adds a touch of the wild west to its tattoo design, which makes it the perfect choice for a boozy party, beer purveyor or bar.
16. Gold and Bone
There are two types of sailors, the good ones and the pirates. The Gold and Bone font is for the latter group, which evokes skulls and crossbones, treasure chests and adventures on the high seas.
17. Homi Script
Many tattoo scripts like to mix two inspirations, and Homi Script is no exception. Looking like the modern graffiti version of the classic tattoo style, it appeals to both vintage ink lovers and contemporary fans.
18. Sepian
Sepian is an original hand-lettered font based primarily on Textualis, or Textura in the Blackletter family. The addition of barbs to the terminals add to its modern and sharp look and feel.
19. American Brewery
Beer, as one of the most beloved beverages in the history of humanity, begs for a vintage label, and the American Brewery font delivers while also adding a hint of classic tattoo style to the letters. Use it at your next craft beer event.
20. Leitmotiv
Here is one more elegant option for those who demand edge and sophistication all in one: Leitmotiv. It’s curvaceous with a calligraphic quality and even an eastern finesse, but the overall impression is beautiful, yet dangerous, just like the bearer of a tattoo.
What’s Your Favorite Tattoo Font?
Now that you’ve seen our collection of twenty great tattoo fonts, now it’s your turn to chime in. Which of these is your favorite? What other fonts have you seen in this genre that are worth a mention?
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