Whether you are getting a tattoo for the first time or are a regular at your local tattoo studio, you may want to find out a bit more about the tattooing process and the different processes that you could pick from. One of the most popular ways to get a tattoo is by getting a flash tattoo, which refers to an image that is pre-drawn and placed onto your skin for the tattoo artists to then copy off. This process takes far less time compared to getting a custom tattoo as the tattoo artist does not have to come up with a unique and new design. This blog will look into different flash tattoo designs and the process of how to get a flash tattoo!
Getting a Flash Tattoo: What is a Flash Tattoo?
Coming up with new ideas and designs for tattoos can often be an intricate and time-consuming process, with many different factors that need to be taken into consideration. To speed up the process, a tattoo studio will often have pre-drawn images that can then be used for your tattoo. A flash tattoo is an image that has already been drawn and used by others, with the exact colors and imaging that is used by the tattoo artist to create your new tattoo. A tattoo artist will then be able to copy the tattoo exactly, using the same lines and colors depicted in the image! Since this is such an easy process, it is very popular and cost-effective!
How to Design Flash Tattoos?
There are two different types of flash tattoos and each type offers a different approach to how the design process works. Market flash tattoos are generic, you may notice that a tattoo studio will have flash tattoo sheets of different standard designs that you can choose from. These different styles and designs are often common tattoos that many others may have, but choosing one does make the design process much easier and quicker. If you are after something simple, you may want to have a look at what different styles of market flash tattoos a studio has available. These same images are often used by many other tattoo studios.
The other type of flash tattoo that a customer can choose is a collector flash tattoo. Collector flash tattoos are a bit more unique in their design and are often created by a specific tattoo artist or studio. These designs stray from the more standard styles, offering more unique images than market flash tattoos. If you are looking for more refined and individual flash tattoo designs, this would probably be the best option for you to consider.
What are the Different Types of Flash Tattoos?
As explained above, there are two different options to consider when it comes to the type of flash tattoo that you get. You can either get a market or a collector flash tattoo, depending on your preference. The difference between these two types is purely based on the uniqueness of the design, with market flash tattoos being more common than collector ones. The following is a brief outline of each of these different types of flash tattoos and the processes involved in designing each of them.
Market Flash
A market flash tattoo refers to more common designs, ones that are extremely popular and used often. Examples of these kinds of tattoos include hearts, anchors and roses! Those who are hoping to get a market flash tattoo will usually be offered tattoo sheets where they can look for a specific design. These tattoos are however quite common and you may come across others with the exact same design as your own tattoo. These types of flash tattoos are perfect for those who are after something simple and easy to do.
Collector Flash
For those who are hoping to get a more unique flash tattoo, you would want to go for the collector type. Collector flash tattoos refer to designs that have been created by a specific artist or are unique to a certain studio. Unlike with market flash tattoos, you would rarely find another person with the exact same design, unless they went to the same artist and picked the same option as you have. These types of designs offer a more unique take on flash tattoos and they are very popular!
What are the Advantages of Flash Tattoos?
The following is a look at the advantages of flash vs custom tattoos to consider if you are deciding on which type to get.
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Makes Deciding On an Option Easy: While planning and designing your own custom tattoo sounds like fun in theory, it can often be a long process with many different factors to consider. Having the option to choose from generic styles that are already designed and laid out for you can be an easy way to decide on the style and look of your new ink. If you are hoping to get a flash tattoo but are not looking for something that is too generic, we would recommend looking at the collector flash tattoos that are available!
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Take Less Time: Since the tattoo artist is using the image as a guide, the entire process does not take very long. Usually, the custom designing part of the process can take hours as the tattoo artist will have to draw up something unique based on the description you give to them. Once the tattoo has been designed, you may have a few requests for changes to the design, which ultimately means that the entire process becomes much longer.
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More Cost-Effective: Since the process is shortened by quite a bit and the tattoo artists do not have to come up with a unique and new design, flash tattoos are less expensive than custom ones. If you are hoping to get something simple and small but are not wanting to have to put in the time, effort and money into a unique design, flash tattoos could be the ideal option for you to consider!
What is the Difference Between a Custom and Flash Tattoo?
One of the main differences between custom and flash tattoos is that custom tattoos generally tend to be more intricate in their designs, with many different unique elements that are combined together. Custom tattoos are designed by the artist and the person who is receiving the tattoo and usually, the artists themselves will have to come up with the style and design to present to their client. Sleeves, back tattoos and other larger kinds of designs are more often than not custom-made. One of the main benefits of getting custom tattoos is that they are often entirely unique and allow for the customer themselves to be part of the design process.
Flash tattoos are smaller and simpler, with most generic styles being found in these types of designs. One of the main benefits of getting a flash tattoo is that they are quick, simple and less expensive than custom ones, with a customer simply coming in, picking the one that they want and receiving it on the spot!
Popular Flash Tattoo Ideas
There are many different flash tattoo ideas to consider and many of the more popular designs will be available for you to choose from. Through the process, you may find that there are just so many options, so we here at Cleopatra Ink have come up with a few of the most popular flash tattoo designs for you to consider.
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Flowers: Flowers are always a popular choice when it comes to getting a tattoo. Whether you are after something simple and delicate or loud and colorful, most tattoo studios will have an assortment of options for you to look at.
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Anchors: Anchors are another very popular kind of flash tattoo and they are usually offered with different styles and designs ranging from simple to more intricate.
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Skulls: Skulls can either be colorful or they can take a darker approach, though your tattoo studio should have a variety of different options with skulls on offer.
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Hearts: You may be looking to find a heart design for your next tattoo and we are here to tell you that there are tons of options in this style! A heart can be a great addition to your growing number of tattoos or it could be a great first one to get! There are sure to be tons of different heart designs that are available as flash tattoos for you to look at.
As you can see, you do not have to take the time to style and come up with ideas for your tattoo. We here at Cleopatra Ink have a wide range of flash tattoo designs that would be suited to a number of different people. Whether you are after something custom designed or are looking for some simple new ink to add to your growing collection, trust us here at Cleopatra Ink!