What is Tattoo Flash?

Tattoo flash is the name given to pre-designed sheets of tattoo images often displayed on the walls of tattoo studios. Flash is generally designed by one artist and then sold by the sheet, giving the artist who purchases it the right to duplicate that image onto his or her own customers. Flash often uses common tattoo images, such as tribal motifs, 'old school' images like anchors, pin up girls, and swallows, and other popular images like skulls and angels which clients will request often as tattoos.

Flash serves an important purpose in giving new visitors to a tattoo studio ideas about what is possible in a tattoo, but it is important to keep in mind that most tattoo flash is not drawn by the artists who work there, so it doesn't necessarily show how good their drawing skills are. If you want to check that your tattooist is skilled enough for you to be confident in their work ask if you can see a portfolio, which will show completed tattoos that they have done, and sometimes their own designs as well. Flash can be helpful to demonstrate what you are interested in. Especially if you want something like a tribal design which cannot be easily explained, and you cannot draw yourself, you can sometimes use images of tattoo flash to show an artist what you are interested in.

Getting a piece of flash tattooed may also be cheaper than getting a tattoo of a similar size that has been designed by your artist. Tattoo artists typically charge by the hour, and some will charge for the time taken in drawing up a customized design. The bonus of getting a customized design is that you can get exactly what you want, and often a good artist can tailor it so that it fits and flatters your body and looks its best where ever you choose to have it placed (a bird or dragon across a shoulder might need to be altered so that you don't have most of a dragon on your arm and a random wing flying across on your back, for example.) Even if a customized piece takes longer, because the artist has to draw it up, may cost more for most people it is a better option because of the greater number of options it gives you.

If you choose to get a flash design remember though that because tattoo flash is sold to many tattoo studios across the country, or even across the world that it is quite possible, if you choose a piece off the flash wall to be tattooed on you, that there may be many other people walking around with a tattoo identical to yours. Think carefully about this before getting a piece of flash instead of an individually designed tattoo. That tiger on your back might seem fierce and unique now, marking you out as a daring individual, but once you've seen three more like it at the beach you might have second thoughts about your split-second choice to pick a piece of flash off the wall.