If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, there is a good chance that you already know that there are a lot of things that you need to think about. A tattoo, no matter how large or how small, represents a great degree of investment from you; essentially, you are declaring that there is an image or phrase that you want with you for the rest of your life. Many people hold the view that if you feel that you can always get it removed via laser surgery later on, it's not the tattoo that you want!
There are many tips and tricks to figuring out if you have the right image to immortalize on your skin. Some people wait for a full year between conceiving of the tattoo and getting it done, while for other people, three months is enough. Think about the tattoo image and everything it reminds you of. Is this an association that you want to carry forward with you as you go through life? Make sure that your tattoo doesn't have associations that you will grow sick of or that will make you melancholy when you look at it.
When it comes to the tattoo design itself, you will soon realize that bigger is almost always better. The tattoo artist will most likely tell you this, but the truth is, they are not trying to get extra money out of you! The size of a tattoo directly influences how much detail you can put into it. The larger your tattoo is, the better the detail will be. You'll also find that if a tattoo is done too small, or has design elements that are very densely inked, that there is a good chance that the lines will bleed into each other, blurring the entire design.
Remember that while your tattoo might have deep personal meaning for you, that the symbol you choose might have meanings for other people, too. It is worth doing a check online and off to see what your chosen image might mean. Regardless of what you find, remember that it is your personal comfort that is of the utmost importance. If you can deal with the alternate meanings of your image and of the reactions from the people know it, then the tattoo will pose little difficulty for you.
After you have decided on the image, the next step is finding the right artist for your design. This is not a place where you can bargain shop or cut corners; the tattoo artist will be putting something into your skin on a permanent basis, so being comfortable with this person is paramount. If it is necessary that you drive five hours to get to the artist that you think can execute the design, the long drive is definitely worth it. Luckily, with so many tattoo parlors these days having online galleries, you can send a lot of information back and forth.