A tattoo simulator places a design onto a picture of your own skin, which lets you test the placement before an artist ever picks up a needle. Tattoo Try-On in Toybox AI takes a photo of the spot, a design you upload or describe, and a line saying where it goes, and returns one preview image. Here the term means previewing a real tattoo, not the tattoo shop games on app stores that share the name. Below: what to preview, a placement guide for the arm, back and ribs, design descriptions to copy, and the limits of a preview.
Designs and spots to test in a tattoo simulator
- Your artist's sketch on the real spot. Upload the drawing, name the placement and see it on your arm before the consultation. The upload box says clean, high-contrast artwork works best.
- A design you only have in words. Choose "Describe it" and write up to 500 characters: the subject, the line style, the shading and a rough size.
- The same design in two places. To use it as a tattoo placement simulator, run the design once on the inner forearm and once on the upper arm, from a photo that shows both spots or from two photos.
- Lettering. A word, a date or a name in a chosen style. Check every letter in the preview, and give your artist the exact spelling in writing.
- A new piece next to an old one. Photograph the spot with your existing tattoo in the frame to see how the two sit together.
- A pet or a place turned into line art. First turn a photo into a clean sketch, then upload that drawing as the design.
For other try-it-first edits, the beard filter previews facial hair on a photo, and these photo editing ideas collect more.
Tattoo placement ideas for the arm, back and ribs
Placement decides how big a tattoo can be, who sees it day to day, and how much sun it gets. Pick two or three spots from the table to preview, then type the placement the way you'd say it to an artist.
| Placement | What to type in "Where on the body?" | How to take the photo |
|---|---|---|
| Inner forearm | "inner left forearm, centered, about 4 inches long" | Rest the arm palm up on a table and shoot straight down |
| Outer forearm | "outer right forearm, just below the elbow" | Rest the arm palm down and shoot from above |
| Upper arm and shoulder | "outer left upper arm, wrapping onto the shoulder" | Stand side-on to a window and have a friend shoot at arm height |
| Upper back | "upper back, centered between the shoulder blades" | Have someone shoot straight on while your arms hang relaxed |
| Ribs | "left side of the ribcage, vertical, about 6 inches tall" | Raise that arm, rest your hand on your head, and have someone shoot from the side |
| Ankle or calf | "outer right ankle, just above the ankle bone" | Put your foot on a chair and shoot from the side at leg height |
| Collarbone | "along the right collarbone" | Have someone shoot straight on at chest height |
Whatever the spot, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests skin without moles, because ink over a mole can hide early changes that point to skin cancer.
Arm
The arm is the simplest spot to photograph on your own, and Tattoo Try-On's photo box says forearm and shoulder shots usually work best. Fill the frame with the arm, from wrist to elbow for a forearm piece, in even daylight. Spots that are out in the sun every day, like the outer forearm, need sunscreen later on, because the AAD says ultraviolet light fades some inks.
Back
The back has the most flat space for a large piece, but you can't photograph it yourself. Ask someone to take the photo straight on from a few steps away, with your arms relaxed at your sides so your shoulder blades sit where they normally do. A photo taken with your arms raised shows the skin stretched, and the preview will be placed on that stretched skin.
Ribs
For the ribs, raise the arm on that side and rest your hand on your head so the whole side is in the frame, then have someone shoot from the side at chest height. Put the direction in the placement line ("vertical, along the left side of the ribcage"), because a design reads very differently across the ribs than along them. The raised arm stretches the skin, so also look at the stencil with your arm lowered before you commit.
Tattoo design wording for "Describe it"
When you don't have a drawing yet, describe the design in the "Describe it" box: the subject, the line style, the shading, the color and a rough size. These descriptions are written for Tattoo Try-On. If you open one with its "Try this prompt" link, tap "Describe it" under "Tattoo design" to see the text in the box.
A fine-line sprig of lavender with three stems and small leaves, black ink only, thin single-needle lines and no shading, about 4 inches long, running up the arm.A traditional-style swallow in flight with bold black outlines and solid red and yellow fill, with a small banner under it that reads "Home", about 3 inches wide.A minimalist mountain range inside a thin circle, with a small crescent moon above the peaks, clean black linework and dotwork shading, about 2.5 inches across.A small paw print outline with the name "Biscuit" underneath in simple lowercase script, black ink, fine lines, about 2 inches wide.A large blackwork koi fish swimming upward through waves, with three cherry blossoms, bold outlines and smooth black and gray shading, about 9 inches tall, centered.For lettering, type the words inside double quotes, then read every letter of the preview against your spelling.
How to see what a tattoo looks like on you before you commit
Use a photo preview to choose the design and the spot, then check the real size on your skin before the appointment. Five ways, from quickest to most exact:
- A photo preview. Tattoo Try-On shows the design over a picture of your skin, in the spot you name.
- A live camera app. InkHunter's App Store listing says its augmented reality shows a design on whatever spot you choose and lets you check it from different angles.
- A printout at the real size. Print the design at the size you want, cut it out and tape it on. Look at it in a mirror and from across the room.
- A temporary decal. The FDA says decal temporary tattoos may last from a day to a week or more, and that it has had reports of reactions to some of them. Try one on a small, hidden patch of skin first. Stay away from "black henna": its dark color often comes from PPD, a chemical in coal-tar hair dyes that can seriously injure some people's skin, and by law PPD isn't allowed in cosmetics meant for the skin. The AAD adds that a temporary tattoo can trigger a reaction as late as 3 weeks after it goes on.
- The stencil. Ask your artist to place the stencil and look at it in a mirror before they start.
To see how a tattoo will look on you at its real size and in its real spot, the stencil is the final check: it's on your actual skin, at the actual size.
What a tattoo preview won't tell you
- The exact size. Tattoo Try-On has no size setting. Write the size into the placement line and treat the scale as approximate. The tool itself reminds you: "Always confirm the size and placement with your tattoo artist."
- How it looks healed and years later. A preview shows the design as drawn, not as healed skin. To slow fading, the AAD recommends sunscreen on the tattoo that's broad-spectrum and water-resistant, SPF 30 or higher, put on 15 minutes before you head out and reapplied at least every two hours.
- How your skin will react. The AAD says an allergic reaction to tattoo ink can start right away, weeks or years later, or even decades on. Red is often the cause, though any color can be. It also tells anyone who has had a keloid to rethink getting a tattoo.
- How hard it is to undo. The FDA says permanent tattoos are designed to be lifelong and difficult to remove. The AAD says no laser can safely clear every layer of ink in one session, so removal takes several visits.
- More than one view. Each run makes one image from one photo of the spot. For another angle, upload another photo, or use a live camera app.
How to preview a tattoo in Tattoo Try-On
- Open Tattoo Try-On and create an account or log in. It works on the Free plan and currently costs 85 credits per preview (see current prices).
- Under "Photo of the spot", upload a photo (JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB), or use the camera button on your phone. Fill the frame with the spot, in even light.
- Under "Tattoo design", choose "Upload a design" and add your artwork, or choose "Describe it" and type up to 500 characters.
- In "Where on the body?", type the placement and a rough size, such as "outer left forearm, about 3 inches long" (up to 120 characters).
- Open "More options" and pick an "Image shape": Square 1:1 is the default, and Portrait 3:4 or Story 9:16 suit a tall photo of an arm or leg.
- Press "Preview tattoo". The preview usually takes about 30 seconds.
- Compare the placement with your photo. Pro plans can type a fix into "Want to change something?" (currently 85 credits), such as "move the tattoo 1 inch closer to the wrist". On the Free plan, change the placement line and preview it again.
- Download the PNG and bring it to your consultation, alongside the design file itself. Save any preview you want to keep, because unsaved results are gone after 24 hours.