Can You Fix Tattoo Lettering: Things To Do When You Don't Like Your Tattoo

There is nothing worse than going to a tattoo artist, all hopeful and exciting, and leaving the parlor with a tattoo that you simply despise. That is a feeling that really lingers with you and in some cases even ruins tattooing for a lot of people (let’s be honest, it would be hard for someone to get another tattoo when they’ve had a bad experience with tattoos in the past).

But, there is a silver lining, even in a situation when people hate their tattoos, there is something called tattoo fixing. Now, this is the thing that saves your tattoo or makes it even better.

Here, we want to specifically talk about fixing lettering tattoos. Now, lettering seems to be the easiest and the most simple form of tattooing. However, it really isn’t; it takes a lot of skill and experience to truly master lettering tattoos and make them look exceptional. Simple tattoos, like lettering, is where tattoo artist truly show their skills because simple designs don’t allow for covering one’s mistakes with other lines and colors.

But, what can you do when your lettering tattoo doesn’t turn out the way you wanted? In that case, an attempt to fix it (or maybe even cover it up), is one of the things you can try. So, let’s explore fixing lettering tattoos together and see whether it is possible to touch up a lettering tattoo and truly fix the design.

Can You Fix Tattoo Lettering: How to Fix Tattoo Mistakes

Before we get into this, we have to cover some things first. Now, it is important not to get your hopes high. Sometimes, the tattoos simply cannot be fixed. In that case, tattoo removal is probably the best option. Also, what you’re about to read is a piece of general information regarding tattoo touch up; it may not apply to every tattoo out there.

Usually, a tattoo needs to be assessed by a tattoo artist who will come up with the best way to fix a tattoo (or inform you that you either should cover it up or get it removed). So, please keep that in mind while reading the following paragraphs!

Also, we’ll talk about fixing lettering tattoos in regards to the potential issues that might occur when doing a tattoo!

Fixing a Misspelling in Lettering Tattoo

Now, getting a misspelled lettering tattoo might be pretty embarrassing, right? Don’t worry, it is an issue that can be fixed. Sometimes, the tattoo artist can fit the missing letter in, without disrupting the tattoo design. Now, this of course depends on a number of factors, like;

The font of the lettering

The style of the lettering design
The size of the lettering design
The spacing between the letters

Of course, it is hard to make any adjustments if the letters are super close to each other, or if the lettering is super dense. The easiest tattoo misspelling issue to fix is if the missing letter is supposed to be at the beginning of the end of the word.

Also, if the letters have proper spacing between them, the tattoo artist can easily write in the missing letter without disrupting the design. There is some case where certain letters can be modified into other letters, which can be pretty easy to execute. For example, if the tattoo has an ‘o’, instead of an ‘a’, the tattoo artist can easily fix this.

However, if the tattoo is dense, there is no space between the letters, and the missing letter is right in the middle of the word, your tattoo might not be the best candidate for saving. In that case, there is truly little that can be done, and often tattoo artists recommend a cover-up design.

Fixing Font Issues In Lettering Tattoo

Sometimes, the issue in a lettering tattoo doesn’t have to be a missing letter; sometimes, the font of the lettering tattoo isn’t good or consistent throughout the whole design. And, let’s be honest, nobody wants their tattoo looking like the tattoo artist was just learning how to write, right there on your skin.

So, what can be done in this case?

If there’s an issue with font inconsistency, it should be possible to fix, but that depends on the style of the font. Simple, straightforward fonts are the easiest to fix. However, complicated, italic, or banner-style lettering tattoos can be almost impossible to correct.

Even if there is a glimpse of hope that your tattoo can be fixed, you still need to find an extremely talented and skilled tattoo artist who is a master at fixing lettering tattoos. And, that is usually super hard, especially in areas where there isn’t too much to choose from.

Fixing Illegible Lettering Tattoos

Well, not to break your heart here from the getgo, but we have to be honest; fixing illegible lettering tattoos is close to being impossible. Illegible tattoos usually have so much going on, and there isn’t a way to create additional space when there is no space to work with in the first place.

In such tattoos, the letters are often too dense, pushed together into illegible words, and imposible to decipher letters, as well as ‘adorned’ by some extra outlining, additional designs, or even coloring. All of this makes it impossible to fix the tattoo. In this case, the tattoo artist usually recommends covering the tattoo up or having it removed via laser removal technique.

Adding something more to the tattoo would simply make it a bigger mess than it already is. It would just contribute to the illegibility of the words. A skilled, talented tattoo can turn such a tattoo is a beautiful new design by covering it up, so make sure to check this out as an option.

Everything You Can Do – Summary

Here’s a quick summary of your options regarding lettering tattoo fixing (or fixing of any tattoo for that matter);

Tattoo cover-up – covering up a tattoo is truly your last resort if the regular touch-up doesn’t work or isn’t possible. You can cover up a lettering tattoo with another beautiful design. And then, if you want, you can do your lettering tattoo somewhere else on your body (and make sure another, talented and skilled tattoo artist does this).

Tattoo laser removal – now, in some cases a tattoo touch-up or cover-up isn’t even an option. Tattoos, sometimes, are so bad that all you can do is book a laser tattoo removal session and get rid of the tattoo, completely, once and for all.
Tattoo redo – Redoing your lettering tattoo (this time correctly, done by a good tattoo artist), is a great idea if you still want your lettering tattoo. In that case, we recommend you either cover up the messed-up tattoo or get rid of it for good using the laser removal technology.

Bear in mind that in some cases of cover-up tattoos you still might have to book a few sessions of laser tattoo removal. By getting rid of the initial pigment of your messed-up tattoo, you’ll make it much easier for the tattoo to be properly covered up. By having a dense lettering tattoo, it is often hard to come up with a good design that will make sense once put onto the lettering tattoo. The ink overlaps and great a big blob of ink, nothing else.

So, make sure to lighten your tattoo a bit through laser removal; of course, after consulting with your tattoo artist. If your new tattoo artist can make the cover-up work without having to lighten the tattoo, then you’re good to go.

And, of course, you cannot do anything to your messed-up tattoo if it’s brand new. Fresh, new tattoos still need to heal properly in order for you to start your cover-up, fix-the-tattoo journey. Otherwise, you may risk serious skin irritation, even infection, and other serious skin issues. Make sure to wait for the tattoo to heal fully, and even then we recommend you wait for some more time to mess around with the tattoo.

Final Thoughts

And that’s it! Hopefully, we’ve provided you with the information you needed. Again, we have to reiterate that the aforementioned information regards the general lettering tattoo fixing. The fixing options vary from one tattoo to the other, so you will know your options once the tattoo artist actually assesses your messed-up tattoo. For more information always talk to a good tattoo artist, and in case of tattoo removal, always book appointments at valid, credible laser removal clinics.

Also Read:

What Happens If A Tattoo Artist Messed Up?

Tattoo Blowout or Still Healing: How to Fix?

Does Your Tattoo Need Touch-Up? – Everything You Need To Know

How To Fix A Raised Tattoo: Quick Relief Tips & Tricks