infinitetattoos.com - an objective review

Having been in the position in the past of wanting a tattoo and getting a tattoo, I have on occasion gone completely the wrong way about it.

Picture the scene, I’m sat at home, into my head pops the thought “ I want some new ink!”.

So what do I do?

I drive down to my nearest tattoo parlour, choose something that “looks good on the wall”, and get the tattooist to needle it into the most available space I currently have on my body.

Totally the wrong way to go about it, and I am guilty of having done this numerous times in the past.

This is however in the days before readily accessible design portfolios on the internet. In this day and age the tattoo fan has an infinite supply of tattoo designs at their fingertips, via tattoo galleries.

One such site is infinite tattoos.com and in this article I will attempt to describe some of it’s merits.

 It’s worth mentioning that any tattoo gallery of a respectable standard online these days will charge you for the service. If you want free you can just look at Google images, but if that is the case then you really need to know what it is you want first.

This site will benefit anyone looking for inspiration, and ideally the first time tattoo collector. So here’s what you get.

1. On paying your fee the gallery gives you 34 categories of designs to peruse through. That is a lot!! More than enough to fire the flames of you imagination.

2. Within those 34 categories are upwards of 15 THOUSAND individual designs to consider.

3. The site gives you the facility to print off any design to your liking. All you need to then do is take it to your tattooist, who can photocopy the image onto carbon transfer paper and stick it onto your body for you to admire. Not permanent at this stage. Alternatively they can take inspiration from the print and free draw it onto your body.

4. Included on sign up are 2 free bonuses. A free E book “You and your Tattoo” which will provide you with all sorts of aftercare tips, and also 500 free tattoo designs upon sign up.

5. The fee at the moment has been slashed. It’s currently $7.95 per month. That’s 6.42GBP after VAT. It’s not a lot of investment if you find your ideal tattoo quickly. There’s also a money back gaurentee should you not be satisfied with the product.

This gallery has garnered some exposure on NBC, ABC and People.com suggesting it’s a worthwhile site with credibility.

So there you have it my review. Whether you decide to visit a tattoo gallery or not I would strongly advise you to do some sort of research before committing yourself to permanent ink.

Click here to find out more regarding this tattoo gallery.

10 Tips to follow when choosing your first tattoo

So, you’ve hopefully thought long and hard about this, the advantages and disadvantages and whatnot. You’ve decided to enter the world of permanent body art and get your first tattoo.

Below are some pointers that you might want to consider on your road to choosing that first design.

1. Do not ever, ever, just walk into a tattoo parlour and choose out a design on a whim.
 This is asking for trouble. Do your research first and BE SURE of what you want before going anywhere. There are more than enough online tattoo galleries available now. You have it all at your fingertips. That perfect tattoo is just a click away. It's estimated that 35% of people regret the choice for their first tattoo. Don’t be one of them.

2. If you want an intricate design with a lot of colour its worth considering going for a larger piece. Too much going on in a smaller design will make it complicated and it will not stand out as well.

3. Want it to last forever?
 Consider sticking to simpler designs with blacks or greys. The colours in tattoos will fade over time, Especially after a few years and suntans! My case in point, I have a half sleeve of Japanese dragons that I have been collecting for 10 years. Some of the colours are now fading and need re inking. On the flip side I have a tribal design coloured purely in black. Looks as good today as it did 10 years ago.

4. Where on your body should you put it?
 Looks cool having a tattoo on the neck doesn’t it? Or behind the ear, on the wrist, hands or anywhere else highly visible. Think about what you might be doing in 5, 10 or 20 years time. Could it effect your job prospects? If your career plan is to be in a rock band this might not be a consideration but have you seen many newsreaders on the TV with Skulls tattooed on their necks?

5. Peoples names.
 You love your partner and want their name emblazoned on your forearm. But what if you split in the future? The best way to avoid this embarrassing mistake is to compromise. Sure, go for a name but why not have it is a different language? There are loads of fancy languages and scripts that look incredibly arty and fancy in design and if it doesn’t work out with your partner, it just looks like some fancy writing which you can say represents someone/something else. Chinese symbols are a great way of doing this.

6. Try to avoid the latest film/musician/fad.
 Ok, so you’re a Harry Potter fan and have decided to have Hogwarts emblazoned all over your back. Might look cool now but as the film series is about to finish it might be seriously uncool in the next 5 years. Remember this tattoo is for life. If you're going for a film icon pick a subject with some mileage, James Dean for example. Musicians, you won't go far wrong with Jimi Hendrix or Elvis Presley if that’s your thing as their influence are solid, but a Justin Bieber portrait? Think about it.

7. Consider your pain threshold.
Ok, this is not the most important consideration as it has to be said that it's worth the pain if you really know what you want. But please consider your pain threshold. If you really cannot handle the pain there is no point in going straight in for a full back portrait that is going to take 10 hours plus to finish. If you can’t finish what you started you will be left with an incomplete art piece. Go for a smaller design if this is going to be an issue.

8. Be individual.
 Ok so your best friend has just got a really cool tribal dragon on his bicep and you think its neat. Don’t be tempted to get the exact same design. Firstly your friends choice may have been deeply personal and to copy it like for like may offend them. If you really like the tribal dragon style just go for one with a different design/different size/different location. There are plenty of choices out there in the online galleries and the parlours.

9. Research your tattooist.
 You may already know a tattoo artist and be more than familiar with his/her work and if that is the case then great. If not, you need to think carefully about who you want to tattoo you. Do some research on the internet, most artists have websites and evidence/testimonials of their work, There are plenty of studios about and you wont have to travel far to find one but if the better artist is further out, make the effort to go there. You won’t regret it in the long run.

10. Don’t skimp on the cost.
 If the tattoo you really want is unaffordable, then save up. Don’t go into a studio and say “well I only have X amount so I’ll settle for that one instead. Again it will be a tattoo that you didn’t really want and you will be in that 35% again.