50185 Gratiot Ave, Chesterfield, MI

Open 7 days a week — walk-ins welcome

(586) 949-6200

Book NowInkslingersEst. 1989 · Detroit

Tattooing

Script & Lettering Tattoos

Hand-drawn calligraphy, chicano script and traced handwriting — spaced to stay readable forever.

Lettering is deceptive. It looks like the simplest tattoo in the shop and it's one of the least forgiving, because everyone reading it already knows exactly what the letters are supposed to look like. A single wobbling stem or one badly-kerned gap and the whole thing is wrong in a way nobody can un-see.

Drawn, not typed

We don't print a font and slap it on. Script is drawn by hand to fit the specific curve of the placement, with letter spacing adjusted individually so the word reads evenly on a rounded forearm or a sloping ribcage. A typeface laid flat on a curved body always looks slightly off, and once you notice it you can't stop.

Styles we work in

Chicano fineline script, traditional bold lettering, blackletter and gothic, brush calligraphy, engraved and stone-cut lettering, and traced handwriting from a real document. Each carries a completely different tone — we'll show you options in the actual words you want, not in a generic sample, so you can see how your text behaves in each.

Spelling is on both of us

We check, you check, and then we check again with the stencil on your skin before we start. Any tattoo containing text — especially in a language neither of us speaks — gets a written confirmation of the exact characters. It sounds excessive right up until the moment it isn't.

What this covers

  • Hand-drawn to fit your specific placement and curve
  • Chicano, gothic, calligraphic, traditional and engraved styles
  • Traced handwriting from letters, cards and signatures
  • Spacing planned for how lines settle over the years
  • Double-checked spelling with stencil sign-off

Questions

Script & Lettering Tattoos — what people ask.

Can you tattoo a name in another language or alphabet?

Yes, and we'll ask you to supply and confirm the exact characters in writing first. We don't translate — we reproduce. Get the phrasing verified by a fluent speaker before your appointment, because a machine translation is not good enough for something permanent.

What's the best placement for script?

Forearm, inner bicep, collarbone, ribcage, sternum and spine all carry lettering well. The main thing is a surface long enough to hold the text without cramping it — we'd rather move the placement than shrink the letters to the point where they'll close up.

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Custom Tattoo Design

Original artwork drawn for your body and nobody else's — from a first small piece to a full bodysuit.

Serving

Script & Lettering Tattoosfor clients across metro Detroit and Macomb County — we're on Gratiot between 22 and 23 Mile, with parking out front.

Chesterfield TownshipNew BaltimoreNew HavenHarrison TownshipMacomb TownshipRichmondSee all areas →

Book a session

Ready when you are.

Consultations are free. Call the studio or stop in — we take walk-ins every day.

Call (586) 949-6200Plan your visit