Building a successful tattoo business means catering to a wide range of clients with individual tastes and interests. While you can certainly maintain your own unique style, it’s almost important to deliver on what clients are looking for – after all, it’s permanent! This article will explore what makes a tattoo trendy, plus tips on incorporating trends, as well as a list of trending tattoo designs you may want to consider in 2025. 

What Makes a Tattoo Trendy?

Trends can be unpredictable – though depending on differing factors, some may end up lingering around longer than others. Here, we break down what exactly goes into a trending tattoo design: 

Celebrity influence

It’s no surprise that celebrities play a huge role in which tattoo trends make their way into the mainstream. With their huge spotlight, certain public figures are often sharing their tastes and preferences for the world to see – and not always on purpose. Their biggest fans pay attention to every detail about them, including which tattoos they have and where. This can lead to a greater number of people seeking out ways to emulate their faves, and thus contributing to a growing tattoo trend. 

Social media

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become mega-hubs for sharing, and there is no shortage of accounts dedicated to unique tattoo art and designs. Social media is rife with influencers showing their stuff to eager viewers, with some considering them celebrities in their own right. As such, many of these digital celebs can be quite influential over their followers, which can sway the tide in favor of specific tattoo trends.

Pop culture

Television, movie, comic, and video game references (both common and niche) make for some of the most common tattoo choices. Nostalgia is a powerful influencer, and many decide to immortalize their favorite pop culture memories via tattoos. 

The truth is, there’s no telling what type of tattoo designs will catch on. Art is subjective, and when it comes to permanently imprinting someone’s skin with ink, it’s all about what will make them the happiest.

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9 Tattoo Trends You Should Consider Offering

With the human body as a nearly limitless canvas, there’s no shortage of designs and techniques you can adopt. When a customer enters your shop, you want them to feel confident you can deliver what they’re looking for, which is why it’s important to develop a varying set of skills. Here’s our list of some of the most trendy and popular tattoos for 2025: 

1. Minimalist tattoos

Minimalist tattoos involve small designs that use little ink. Simple visuals, clean lines, soft colors (or plain black), and geometric shapes are some of the most common characteristics of minimalist tattoos. Minimalist tattoos cause less trauma to the skin than traditional tattoos, are easier to cover up (if necessary), and are a good option for those looking to get their first ink. 

2. Geometric tattoos 

Geometric tattoos are one of the most common tattoo trends, and always seem to be in style. These tattoos are made up of simple shapes, such as squares, triangles, and circles. They may also involve lines and precise angles to create symmetrical images. Geometric tattoos are flexible in their designs, and can easily be added to or blended into other works. 

3. Fine line tattoos

Fine line tattoos use very thin lines to create basic or intricate images, or even smooth text scripts. These tattoos are more subtle and delicate than a standard tattoo, but this type can still create impressive, detailed designs. 

4. Blackwork tattoos

These types of tattoos use only black ink to create bold, graphic designs. Blackwork tattoos can involve intense shading and complex patterns, but also include styles like tribal, portrait, and blackout, which involves using tattoo ink to solidly cover large areas of skin. 

5. Script tattoos 

Script tattoos use calligraphy or typography to create text-based designs. Quotes, phrases, idioms, name dedications, poems, and dates are all different tattoo subjects you can draw in a variety of fonts and texts. 

6. Cybersigilism tattoos

More popular within the Gen-Z crowd, cybersigilism is a quickly growing trend that involves a blend of both futuristic and tribal elements. Cybersigilism is a contemporary style that uses both sharp angles and sweeping strokes to create unique, fantastical imagery. Some subjects you may see depicted include cyborgs, mythical creatures, mechanical wings, and other intricate symbolism. 

7. Dot work tattoos

Much like pointillism, dot work involves making tiny ink points in the skin to create a design. Unlike pointillism, however, dot work doesn’t necessarily have to connect into a more cohesive image (though it can). Dot work can include anything from abstract shapes, to simple lines, to portraits. 

8. Permanent jewelry

This tattoo type involves illustrating designs like rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry permanently into the skin. These images range from simplistic to realistic, and can provide you with the look of wearing an accessory without the need to actually put one on. 

9. Patchwork sleeves

Patchwork tattoos are an assortment of individual tattoos displayed on one body part, typically the arms, legs, or chest. Unlike a full tattoo sleeve, patchwork tattoos consist of small, disconnected, and scattered images that don’t need to follow any particular theme. 

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How to Use Tattoo Trends in Your Studio

Providing clients with the latest and most popular tattoos can boost your business. Here, we discuss a few different ways you can promote tattoo trends in your studio to help attract more clients: 

Post your work to social media

Using social media to promote your work and designs can help you grow your following and get more traffic through your doors. Taking advantage of algorithms, trending topics, and SEO can all work in your favor to spread your brand across the internet and find a demographic that resonates with your style. 

Advertise in your own studio

Display trending tattoo photos in your studio to show clients what you’re capable of. You can hang photos on your shop walls or provide a lookbook that can fully demonstrate your abilities. Directly advertising your skills this way can help customers get a better idea of what you can do for them or even help them make a final decision on what they want for their ink art. 

Come prepared for the undecideds

There are plenty of people who just show up to a tattoo parlor knowing they want something, but not exactly certain what that is just yet. That’s where your expertise comes in. Use your knowledge and experience with current tattoo trends to help patrons find what they’re looking for. At the very least, exploring trends can help narrow down the general idea of the desired design and style, making it easier for the client to make their choice. 

Make Your Tattoo Studio Shine With GlossGenius

Tattoo artists should be keenly aware of the hot new trends and ready to deliver their skilled ink work for clients. While you don’t have to learn every tattoo type, training yourself to be proficient in several tattoo arm forms can keep you prepared for a broader range of clientele. 

GlossGenius provides everything you need to get your tattoo business up and running. With our Online Booking features, you can get more clients on the calendar anytime, from any device. Finances makes it easier to track your expenses and simplify tax season, while also getting instant access to costs and earnings. With our Marketing tools, you can expand your reach, enhance your brand, and attract more clients to your tattoo business, boosting your profit potential and carving a path toward success. 

Try GlossGenius today and get a 14-day free trial!

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