Nobody can be sure when the first tattoos existed but they have been around for thousands of years in many different cultures. Until fairly recently they were not considered to be something done by polite company but these days everybody can have them without worrying what people might think.

The word tattoo is said to come from a Tahitian word which means to mark. The sailors who arrived in Tahiti did not have tattoos and were surprised to discover the Polynesians were covered with tattoos. Later native american indians were also found to have extensive tattoos. In Europe the art of tattooing had almost disappeared at this time.

Everybody who gets a tattoo has their own reasons for doing so but these days it is mostly for decoration. The Roman Empire used tattoos to designate status for cerain groups of society. Criminals and slaves had tattoos which showed their status to warn others not to treat them with the respect a freeman would be entitled to.

The idea with a tattoo is to puncture the skin and then fill the puncture with ink which remains under the skin. This used to be done by simply pricking the skin with some sharp object and then rubbing ink into the puncture to create the design. These days tattoo equipment can inject the pigment with a needle.

Tattoos have a long history but the style of tattoos has always been decided by the ability and knowledge of the tattoo artist The internet is not the first thing you would think of in regard to tattoos but the internet has caused a minor revolution in tattooing because it is now possible to view thousands of printable tattoo designs online. You can browse through thousands of tattoo designs before choosing the and then printing out your perfect design. The prent out of the tatoo can then simply be taken to your tattoo artiist who can then copy the design.

Tags: Tattoos