If you want something edgy and exciting but at the same time very unique tattoo design, you can get the zipper tattoo. These tattoos can look magnificent if they are inked with a little bit of imagination. Most of the people prefer to have them on their chests, wrists, and backs, which make it look like their skin is zipped. It might be fully closed, or sometimes it may seem like half-closed, it all depends on what kind of design you wish to have. Just keep in mind a couple of things like the ideal place for such tattoos and the color combination.
If there’s something inside you just dying to be revealed or something you feel a need to conceal, a zipper might be the perfect symbol to express how you feel. The right zipper tattoo design and placement can help you reveal the world precisely what you want to see.
Zipper Tattoo Trends and Ideas
Zipper tattoos aren’t exactly new but they are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s not difficult to understand why. This design can be used in a number of different ways. Below, there are few designs of the zipper tattoo that are most often chosen.
3-D Tattoos
Zippers are the perfect addition to a 3-D tattoo, which can look incredibly real due to the careful use of shading and color that gives the design a raised look. This technique is just the thing for making an existing scar look even gnarlier if that’s your goal, but it’s also an eye-catching technique that will make any design pop.
Steampunk Style
Zippers also fit into the steampunk tattoo trend, and there’s usually something inside the open zipper that reveals something about the person with the tattoo. For instance, it could be a clockwork heart or a set of gears that suggest the person with the tattoo is a mechanical figure. Along the same lines, a closed zipper tattooed down the back could be a symbol of someone who is only wearing a “human” suit.
Covering or Enhancing Scars
Zipper tattoos are often used to hide scars from injuries that are gained out of surgical procedures. An artist tattoos the zipper directly over the scar tissue to conceal it as much as possible, and even if the scarring isn’t wholly hidden, the design obscures it.
In other instances, the zipper design is used to enhance a scar, essentially framing it. This could mean a person has reason to feel proud of the injury, but it can also symbolize taking control over the situation or event that caused the scar in the first place and give that person a sense of closure.
Other Reveal Design Ideas
There are plenty of things you can reveal in the opening of a zipper tattoo. For example, you might choose to add:
- A gorgeous bouquet which could symbolize a romantic personality
- A portrait of a beloved family member
- A quote, poem or song lyric that has deep meaning for you
- Musical notes drifting out from the zipper to show your artistic side
- An animal that could represent your wild side
- A bird flying out to express your free spirit
Getting a High-Quality Zipper Tattoo
It’s always important to choose a highly skilled tattoo artist for any tattoo you want to get, but it’s crucial to select an artist who has experience creating zipper tattoos if this is the design you have your heart set on.
At first glance, zippers may seem like they’re simple to create, but that’s not quite the case. The teeth on either side of the zipper should be precisely the same size and align perfectly to look right, and this is easier to do on a closed zipper design than an open zipper that surrounds a scar or one more design element.
If the zipper is meant to conceal or frame a scar, this is another reason to choose your artist carefully. Tattooing over scar tissue tends to be more complicated than tattooing over smooth skin since it’s typically tougher than healthy skin and may not take the ink as well. If you can find an artist who specializes in working on scar tissue, you’re more likely to get a great result.
Zip It!
A first-class artist, a carefully planned design, and the perfect placement can add up to a fantastic tattoo. You are free to experiment with zipper design ideas on paper before and then share them with your artist, who will create a professional drawing to use for your future tattoo.
