If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, don’t take the decision lightly. This isn’t going to be like shopping for clothes or getting a haircut. You can change your clothes if you don’t like them and even the worst haircut will grow out in time. But a tattoo is permanent. It will be around every day for the rest of your life, so make sure to do your research first and know exactly what you want. Browsing online tattoo design galleries is a great way to do this.

Online tattoo galleries are great because you can browse thousands of designs for free. Before the advent of the Internet, the only option was to visit your local tattoo parlor and choose from the sample designs they had in the store. They generally have a good selection in most decent tattoo parlors, but they are nothing compared to the thousands of designs you will find on the Internet.

What’s more, you will find it easy to browse tattoo designs online because of their easy organization. Most of them are grouped by type of tattoo: there are links for Kanji tattoos, animal tattoos, floral tattoos, fantasy tattoos, nature tattoos, music tattoos, and so on. The list is virtually endless. Most databases are so large that you can find any type of tattoo that you want.

The worst mistake there is when getting a tattoo is entering the studio and saying something like "I want a dragon" or "I want a cross shaped tattoo." This is so general that the tattoo artist cannot possibly understand what it is that you really want. If you can, do some research online and find a design that is very similar to the one you want. Bring the design with you when you go to get your tattoo and ask your tattoo artist if he or she thinks they can replicate it.

Most online tattoo design galleries are free to view. They are great for getting ideas, or spurring your creativity so you can create your own design in your head. But most charge a membership fee to download and print out the design so you can take it with you to the tattoo parlor. The membership also usually lets you access enhanced features like a personal account where you can save your favorite designs, rate tattoos and leave comments on different designs, and upload and share pictures of your tattoos on the website.