Random Facts About Tattoos and Fonts

1. The FDA Food and Drug Administration does not regulate tattoo parlors. Each state has its own laws. This means there are no FDA approved tattoo inks. Because of this you should be careful when choosing a tattoo artist and parlor. Since government regulations in some areas are virtually nonexistant choosing a quality business will help keep you safe.
2. Kerning is the technical term for the space between letters, while Leading refers to the horizontal space between lines in a paragraph.
3. In the Crime Thriller Memento (2000) directed by Christopher Nolan, A man suffering from short-term memory loss, uses tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife
4. A fresh new tattoo is an open wound. Once your tattoo is finished the tattoo artist will bandage the wound to keep it sterile. After a few hours the bandage will need to be removed so you can wash off the ink and blood plasma that has seeped onto your skin. Some disagree, but most reccomend you don't put the bandage back on. An open wound needs air to heal completely.
5. Pregnant women, People with a lot of chemical allergies, People with immune diseases, and people on blood thinners should all discuss it with their artist and doctor prior to getting a tattoo. Most of these things present a high risk and you may be better off not getting that tat.
6. The term "typeface" and "font" are not synonyms. A typeface is a lettering design and style. A font is one size and weight of a typeface. In other words arial 10pt and arial 12pt are two different fonts. Nowdays the word font is often used in the place of the word typeface. The difference stems from way back when they used to print media using carved blocks. A typesetter would select a typeface and then have to select a set of blocks in a given font to get the right size type.
7. Prison tattoos have a unique culture. Often prisoners tell their story by the tattoos placed on their body. Tattoos can identify what the prisoner is in for, among other things. Prison Tatoos often serve as reminders, and can be a tool for self improvement. Bad Tattoos are often thought of a constant remider of a mistake getting the tattoo. In this context however the tattoo is a constant reminder of another mistake and the tattoo serves to keep it from happening again.
8. When thinking about job placement, tattoo placement is important. Many places will not hire a person with a visible tattoo. If it can be covered up, for example on the ankle or shoulder, it is often allowed. Keep in mind though that the point of getting a tattoo is to show off what you believe in. If you have to hide it under your cuff, how does that represent?
9. the term font is derived from fount and foundry going back to the manufacture of type using molten metal. The fount was the reservoir or pot of molten metal which was used for casting individual type characters.
10. Font catalogs are especially favored items inside prison libraries and cells, Hand lettered work is common, so these catalogs give tattoo artists a richer selection to choose from. It is also common for prisoners to use and embelish lettering from advertisements in newspapers and magazines.