Tattoo size chart: inches and centimeters
Each row gives the longest side of the tattoo. The size, the guide to what fits and the placements are rules of thumb from common studio practice, not measurements from a study, so treat them as a starting point for a talk with your artist. Sleeve lengths vary with the length of your arm.
| Size (longest side) | Inches | Centimeters | What fits | Typical placements | Typical US price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coin | 1 | 2.5 | A tiny symbol, one initial, a small dot pattern. About the width of a US quarter. | Finger, behind the ear, inner wrist | $80 – $200 |
| Mini | 2 | 5 | A simple icon, a date, one short word in capitals with bold lines. | Wrist, ankle, behind the ear | $150 – $400 |
| Small | 3 | 7.5 | A short word or two, a small flower or animal in simple linework. | Wrist, ankle, forearm, shoulder blade | $150 – $400 |
| Compact | 4 | 10 | A palm-sized motif with light shading, or lettering about 9 characters per line at a legible height. | Forearm, calf, upper arm, chest | $300 – $1,000 |
| Medium | 5 | 12.5 | A short quote in two lines, a rose or a small portrait with basic shading. | Forearm, thigh, chest, upper back | $300 – $1,000 |
| Large | 6 | 15 | A detailed single subject with shading, a quote in three or four lines. | Thigh, upper back, chest, outer forearm | $500 – $2,000 |
| Extra large | 8 | 20.5 | Detailed work: realistic faces, animals with fur, layered motifs. | Thigh, back, ribs, calf | $500 – $2,000 |
| Half sleeve | about 12 | about 30 | A full scene or several linked motifs from shoulder to elbow, or elbow to wrist. | Upper arm, forearm, thigh | $600 – $3,000 |
| Full sleeve | about 22 or more | about 56 or more | A continuous theme from shoulder to wrist, planned over several sessions. | Whole arm; the length varies with the arm | $1,500 – $6,000+ |
Prices come from a dated 2026 US guide and follow the size band, not the exact row. See the tattoo cost calculator for detail, colour and placement.
How big is a 4 inch tattoo?
Four inches is 10.16 cm. A bank card is 3.37 inches wide (85.60 mm), so a 4 inch tattoo is about 19% wider than a card. A US quarter is 24.26 mm across, so four quarters in a row measure 97 mm, just under 4 inches. A sheet of US letter paper is 8.5 inches wide, so a 4 inch tattoo is a little under half its width.
On the body, 4 inches is a comfortable size on a forearm, thigh or upper back. It suits a short phrase, one flower with a few leaves, or a small animal. Use the calculator above for any other size, and check the forearm or wrist guide for where that size sits best.
What is the smallest size for lettering and fine detail?
These are rules of thumb. Skin, ink and artist change the result, so ask the person who will do the work.
- Lettering height. Capital letters under about a quarter inch (6 mm) tall tend to run together. Letters about half an inch (13 mm) tall read well in most scripts.
- Gaps between lines. Keep a clear gap of about a millimeter or more between lines. Two thin lines drawn closer than that can merge into one.
- Small text. Very small, thin lettering such as a signature or a long quote needs more width than people expect. Count characters: at the legible height, a character takes about 10 mm, so 20 letters need roughly 8 inches. At the quarter-inch minimum it is about 5 mm per character, or roughly 4 inches, with little room for error.
- Detail. A face or a realistic animal needs room for shading. Under about 3 inches, ask for a simplified version.
How do tattoo sizes blur with age?
A tattoo does not grow, but its lines can soften and spread a little as the years pass, and sun exposure and skin changes add to it. Tattooists commonly advise leaving more space between lines than looks necessary on day one, because small gaps are the first to fill in. This is common advice from artists, not a measured figure. Bigger, bolder designs with room between elements are the ones that stay readable longest.
How can you test a size at home?
- Enter your width and height in the calculator and note the size in your preferred unit.
- Cut a paper rectangle to that size with a ruler, or print your design scaled to those measurements. Screen scale depends on the display, so measure the paper rather than the screen.
- Tape it to the spot, stand in front of a mirror, and look at it standing, sitting and moving the joint.
- Live with it for a day or two. Check whether it reads from a distance and whether it feels too big or too small.
- Photograph the spot and place a design on it with the tattoo try-on tool to see the size and placement on your own skin.
Need a design to test? Start from the AI tattoo generator, and the stencil maker can turn it into a printable outline for a paper stencil.