Body Type: An Exploration of “Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh”

Words and photos by Ina Saltz

Words have power. Words are precise and specific. That is one reason why so many of the newly tattooed choose to express their most deeply felt beliefs in the form of text. Words of devotion, words of defiance, words of pain, words of love — all are expressions of inner emotions made visible (and readable) on skin. Whether borrowed from literature, poetry, song lyrics, prayers, motivational phrases, names of loved ones or popular culture, words in all their glorious forms serve as inspiration for tattoos created out of letterforms.

There are other reasons why text-based tattoos, or, as I call them, “Body Type,” have become so ubiquitous. One is the overall mainstreaming of tattooing, which has made tattoos more socially accepted, especially among young people (a recent Harris poll found that 49 percent of all 18- to 29-year-olds have at least one tattoo). And, statistically, those getting tattoos are more educated than the average person, making Body Type a more likely choice. They also tend to be more culturally sophisticated, work in professional occupations and be more affluent.

For my book, Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh, published last year by Abrams Image, I interviewed and documented more than 300 people with typographic tattoos. Almost every single person had a college degree (or was in the process of getting one) and many of my subjects had advanced degrees. I continue to see this pattern as I research volume two of Body Type.

Another factor driving the popularity of text tattoos is that, in our increasingly celebrity-driven culture, young people are strongly influenced by their role models: sports stars, actors, models and rock stars — many of whom have multiple tattoos. Text tattoos are extremely popular with all of these groups, with the most common text tattoo being one’s own name or the name of a loved one. It is well known that Angelina Jolie, for example, has 11 tattoos, most of which are text (in several languages). Even Lindsay Lohan has four tattoos, two of which are text tattoos.

Many find the specificity of word tattoos appealing because of the importance of precise interpretation. Body Type is not symbolic, pictographic or iconic; it is exactly what it says. If you want to tell the world about your devotion to Sting, what better way than to inscribe his lyrics permanently on your most valuable possession: your self? While that is only one example, the motivation for typographic tattoos represents the full panoply of human emotion and desire. From the mundane to the spiritual, from love to hate, from celebration to catharsis — these word tattoos serve to inform and proclaim the wearer’s intentions.

I was drawn to study text tattoos through my love of typography as an art form. As I questioned those who had chosen to express their tattoos through words, some were aficionados and students of the art of the letterform and educated in the graphic arts. Yet, I was amazed to find so many others with no creative training who knew the names of typefaces (most often because of the availability of fonts on their computers) and who had given considerable thought to the vernacular implications of their typographic choices. They understood that the effect of their tattooed message could be amplified and enhanced by the typeface.

Though I was chiefly interested in the choice of typeface and its role in communicating the text, I could not help being drawn into the stories behind the tattoos. Ultimately, those stories (the substance) became inextricably bound with the typefaces (the style). They are an intriguing glimpse into the psyche of individuals who have chosen to “wear their hearts on their sleeves,” literally, as well as figuratively. Inked has asked me to share some of these stories, which have never before been published. I know you, too, will be intrigued.


This is a word from Shelley Jackson’s Skin Project. I’m also a writer and I know Shelley through her ex-husband; I wanted to be a part of her work. John Berry [a type expert] picked out the typeface, Monotype Bell. It had to be somewhere that my parents couldn’t see but I wanted it to be a decent size. I figured it out on the computer and gave it to the artist.	This tattoo, a phrase that usually refers to truck drivers, is about being responsible for my form making as an artist. I make everything that I design; many artists don’t make the components of their art. Almost everything I do has a custom aspect to it.

'Etre en paix’ means ‘to be at peace’ in French; it reflects my French ancestry. I’m a journalism major so I wanted words, rather than an image. Any time things are particularly stressful, I think about what it means and it calms me down. It has a double meaning because it is also what they would say on a gravestone. I’m an avid cyclist, and when I am out cycling I always feel at peace. The tattoo shocked my identical twin brother when I got it on our 21st birthday. I wanted to set myself apart.	This goes back to the relationship with my mom. My parents have been divorced since I was four and she has raised me with tough love. She had a tough childhood, so that’s how she was raised. For a long time I was angry. We fought so much. But the tattoo made me feel like I was beginning to understand her. The artist and I worked out the pierced effect based on lettering from a book.