Morse Code Tattoo

Get every mark right before it is inked

In Morse code, one mark changes the letter. Turn the first dot of LOVE into a dash and .-.. becomes --.., so the word reads ZOVE. Drop one dot from the F in FOREVER and it reads ROREVER.

The gaps matter as much as the marks. A and N are .- and -. If the gap between them is too small, the four marks read as .--. which is P. Copy the code from the tool rather than from a picture you found online, and check it against the letters under the marks.

Before your appointment, paste the code into the Morse code decoder and make sure it spells exactly what you want.

What to bring to your tattoo artist

Bring everything your artist needs to check the design without guessing:

1. The SVG file from SVG for print, so they can scale the design without losing sharp edges.
2. The text in plain letters, spelled exactly as you want it.
3. A PNG with Letters under the marks on, showing which marks make each letter.
4. The direction it reads: Morse code reads left to right like text, so mark which end is the start if it wraps around a wrist or a finger.
5. Whether the finished tattoo shows the letters or marks only.

Dot, dash and gap proportions

In sound, the rules are fixed: a dash lasts three dots, the gap inside a letter is one dot, the gap between letters is three dots and the gap between words is seven. A design that follows the same order reads correctly to anyone who knows the code.

The designer draws every dash exactly three dots long, and Spacing sets the gaps. Compact, the default, keeps their order but tightens them, because full-width gaps make a word very long on skin: a letter gap is two dots wide and a word gap is four. Exact 1-3-7 uses the gaps of the sound, one dot inside a letter, three between letters and seven between words.

If your artist changes the spacing, the one rule to keep is that a gap between letters stays clearly wider than a gap inside a letter. Long text wraps onto a second row in the picture; your artist can put it back on one line from the SVG.

Common subjects for a Morse code tattoo

Most designs fall into a few groups:

• A name: a child, a parent or someone you lost. The name in Morse code page shows how long common names are.
• A date: every digit is 5 marks, so dates get long fast. 12 25 15 is 30 marks; with periods, 12.25.2015 is 52. See Morse code numbers for each digit.
• Coordinates: the degree sign has no Morse code and is left out, so write the numbers with N, S, E or W, as in 40.7128 N. Expect a long line.
• One word: ALWAYS, BREATHE, HOPE or FREE fit on a wrist or a finger.
• A heartbeat line is not Morse code. The peaks of a heart monitor trace have no dots or dashes and don't spell anything.

Matching Morse code tattoos for couples

Couples often split a phrase or swap names. One option is the same word on both, such as ALWAYS. Another is each person wearing the other's name. A third is one phrase split in two, such as YOU (-.-- --- ..-) on one person and ME (-- .) on the other.

Check each half on its own in the tool, because two short designs are two chances for a mistake. For love messages, the I love you in Morse code page has more phrases.

Meaning, size and placement

The meaning of a Morse code tattoo is the text it spells and nothing more. It looks private, but anyone who knows the code, or uses a decoder app, can read it.

Size and placement are decisions for you and your artist. Small dots and narrow gaps need enough room to stay clear, and your artist knows what works on each part of the body. Bring the SVG so they can try it at any size.