Digital hive
2021 Information Guide
Tattoo flash sheets are quick to ink stencil images that can be readied and applied to make a tattoo quickly. Flash is an essential part of the tattoo industry dating back to the origins of the Western tattoo, providing a glimpse into an artist’s style and approach. Â
In modern times, flash simply refers to designs and images that an artist has hand-drawn on a sheet of paper or cardboard, although the origins of the term are a bit more interesting.  Like many other elements in the tattoo world, flash is a term that grew out of the rough and tumble world of the secret tattoo shop.
In the days before widespread acceptance, American tattooing was a far more risqué, even clandestine operation, with artists setting up shop in the back rooms of bars and pool halls, usually in the hope that a sailor with cash in his pocket was drunk enough to get one. The itinerant tattooist would carry their tools in a suitcase, and after setting up shop would hang their own tattoo flash sheet on the walls for potential customers to choose a tattoo.
If things got a little rowdy or the police decided to spoil the party, the artist could close shop, pack up their flash designs and kit, and be gone in a flash. Â
Tattoo flash design remains an important part of the world of tattooing for a couple of reasons.  Many artists use traditional tattoo flash to decorate the shops where they work: a tattoo parlor doesn’t quite feel complete without sheets of brightly colored flash designs hanging on the walls, or vintage pics stacked in binders and ready for potential customers to peruse.
This brings us to the main reason for flash. Â
Sheets of flash were originally used as an artist’s list of potential designs to choose from, and they are still heavily used in American tattooing today. While the popularity of custom tattoos continues to grow, many people still look to vintage or classic tattoo flash designs for new art to add to their personal collections.
Some people simply draw inspiration from flash sheets, combining elements from different pieces to create their own, unique tattoos for their artist to execute. Flash art can come in all different sizes, although 11×14 inch sheets are the most common, and these hand-drawn images are still an excellent way to see if an artist’s design style fits with your tastes.
In fact, flash art is still one of the best ways for tattoo artist to market their work.
At the end of the day, tattoos are best used as tools for self-expression, so the only opinion that really matters is your own. For some people, the idea of seeing someone else with the same tattoo flash ink is enough to physically cringe, while for others a good tattoo design is good design, no matter how many people have that piece of art.
Other people take a combined approach, using flash to find a starting point for a piece, then working with a tattoo artist tweaking it and adding to it until it becomes more unique to them. Â
Whether used as inspiration for the tattoo design or as standalone works of art, there is no denying the appeal of this traditional tattoo style. Â
Enjoying your introduction to tattoo flash? Check out our expanding collection of references, history, tutorials, magazines, and novel Ebooks to fully realized the world of TATTOO.
We’ve just released a huge and expanding collection of references, history, tutorials, magazines, and novel eBooks for tattooists, artists, and craftspeople.
We’ve just released a huge and expanding collection of references, history, tutorials, magazines, and novel eBooks for tattooists, artists, and craftspeople.
