Back Tattoos

Your back is the largest flat surface you have, so it is where the big pieces live: long designs that follow the spine, wide compositions across the shoulder blades, ornaments placed just below the nape. Smaller back tattoos have their place too, tucked between the shoulder blades where an open-back top shows them off.

• Spine: vertical rows of symbols, script running down the back, botanical vines, moon phases stacked one above the other. Long, narrow designs have their own page: spine tattoos.
• Shoulder blades: wings, birds in flight, mandalas and symmetrical pieces that need width.
• Lower back: horizontal ornaments, tribal curves and floral bands. Wider pieces made to sit above the waistband are in lower back tattoos.

For anything symmetrical, line up the middle of the design with your spine: a slightly crooked placement shows more on the back than almost anywhere else, so check it in a mirror or ask for a second opinion.

One practical point: the middle of the back is hard to reach on your own. Ask someone to place the transfer and press it for you, especially along the spine, where the skin curves. It takes 2 minutes at most, and the design then needs 8 hours without water or rubbing.

The upper back is among the areas that keep a temporary tattoo the longest, because it escapes most of the friction that hands and feet go through. Expect up to 2 weeks; around the waistband the design may fade a little sooner. The reasons are explained in our article on how long temporary tattoos last.

Building a look that climbs higher? Pair your back tattoos with neck tattoos, or spread toward the arm with shoulder tattoos.