I got my third tattoo on Friday May 8th. To set the stage I do not want this tattoo gone. I’ve been planning it for almost an entire year, saving money wherever I could get it. When I went to the parlor I was almost jumping up and down I was so psyched.
The tattoo was going to have the Finnish crest in the center and then ‘Fatherland’ written in 4 languages around it, Arabic, Finnish, Latin, and Greek. I got all of the translations done and ready, calling my cousins in Egypt to get it checked before I left. (My younger cousin had done the first translation and it had been wrong.)
So I have all of my things with me, all the paper print outs of anything that could be needed for it. I sit there for 2 hrs without moving an inch and I’m ready to explode with happiness when it’s done.
I woke up today with an e-mail from my aunt to my mother. My older cousin had sent her the picture of the tattoo.
The Arabic is written backwards. Instead of reading right to left, it reads left to write.
For a bit I was traumatized and went to see what had gone wrong, because I trust my guy and he always does a stellar job. And he wouldn’t mess up like this.
The original translation had been sent to me using facebook from my cousin, and when I had copied it into word to make it bigger it had been perfect. (But the wrong word.)
The second time, when I got the right word, it was sent to me by e-mail. I copied the entire e-mail to be able to select the special symbols, and pasted it in word and enlarged it. I did not notice this before, just today, but every time I copy pasted it from the e-mail, it flipped the Arabic word horizontal, and everything else remained as is, and no one noticed that the main word had been flipped until my aunt got a hold of the picture earlier yesterday. ( I also noticed that the letters on the Arabic needed to be more connected, the “watan” half of it. Probably a mistake on the print out again.)
Other than being extremely ashamed of the really bad mess up on my part and frustrated that it did happen at all and that I was so oblivious to it, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to fix it or what could possibly be done with it?
It’s really really fresh ink.
That is the tattoo. The upper left is the Arabic, all it needs to be is flipped so that the ‘al’ comes first when reading right to left.
My father suggested removal of that word, but only if the burn scars from it could be guaranteed to be almost invisible (he wants to burn the skin off). My mother suggested adding something on top of the banner and then sticking the Arabic somewhere else on the design.
My own idea that I was toying with was seeing if it was possible to color in the banner (and maybe a second one for symmetry purposes) and then re-ink lettering on top of it?
Ideas, suggestions, stories about own removals/cover ups, how it works how much it would cost total, would be great!
Hi
If it is any consolation you are not alone in this happening. I have seen many hebrew tattoos done the wrong way round because the western keyboards automatically set the text as left to right.
Burning the skin will only wreck your tattoo and leave you scarred. It is seriously difficult to tattoo over burn scars.
Laser is the main option but will not be cheap (or quick) however once you have had it lightened it can be redone the correct way round.
Or just leave it alone – not many will notice/care
Take Care
Matthew
Thanks so much for the input!
I did consider leaving it as is. For story sakes or something.
But a new idea I had as I was going through my options (I looked at the laser and other methods, not too thrilled about them). I was thinking I could color in the banner with the Arabic, and then the banner with the Latin. (Cutting my losses type of thing.) Latin was put just to fill up space so I don’t mind if I loose that as long as it stays symmetrical. (And then later creating a whole new different tattoo as a memento to my Arabic heritage).
Would that work? Coloring in with black over the text to hide it? After it’s healed enough of course to be able to put a cover on top of it. I honestly don’t think I could afford the removal any time soon.
And I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who makes these mistakes. Helps me feel a little less dumb!
And as a side note about the noticing thing, I used to live in Egypt, and intend on visit as soon as I can get the money for two trips. (One to Finland and one to Egypt). And that would be my main concern, that what I tried to add as an honor emblem ended up just being wrong. d: But if the cover up option I just mentioned is a big no-no then I’m more than likely just going to leave it as is, or maybe slowly go through the lasering process.
If it had bee the Latin or the Greek I really wouldn’t have cared. (Even if I do have a perfectionist nature.) But the two most important ones were the Finnish and the Arabic, it’s why I even bothered to call long distance to check the translation.
I doubt I’d mind just doing something to that upper corner banner, maybe covering the text with a symbol or having something stretch back from it that’ll cover it. Any ideas on that? Or is that entire banner/conner just impossible to work with anymore?
I will bring it up with my guy next time I go tho’, June 19th (we’re finishing my lower back) and see what he recommends. I just didn’t want to go with a total “WTF do we do!?!” type of attitude, especially since it was my bad.
Hi
That banner can be worked with celtic knotwork or ivy leaves or trellis that would work in black and look better than just blacking it out.
If you just fill it in with black you will ruin the tattoo as it will look like 1. A poor cover up or 2. A unfinished piece.
Also I have worked in and around the Middle East (incl Egypt) as you are prob aware they are quite funny about tattoos on women and ‘modesty’ so unless in a tourist resort I would be inclined to keep it covered up to avoid hassle on the streets.
It is a sweet tattoo and you can always change the arabic so that it forms a woven design or just leave it as it is.
That said if you bolden the text you might be able to alter it so the start is the right way around. This would mean thickening all of the words so they mtach but it could bring it together especially if you had a tiny floral running entwined through the words as decor – would look more natural.
Take Care
Matthew
Thanks so much! That actually sounds like a really good idea. I’ll keep that in mind and bring it up with my guy.
And that’s true about the Egypt thing. (I haven’t ventured far out of Cairo or Hurghada tbh.)
And while the boldening sounds like an interesting idea I really wouldn’t know how that would work.
But thank you so much for all the help!
So true – it happens with so many foreign language tattoos… Since it’s black – it’s probably easier to laser it off, won’t be too many sessions.
On my website (I prepare Aramaic and Hebrew tattoo translations – I make sure all designs are in a PDF file – that way you know with won’t get flipped… don’t work it word – an image file is always safer – for next time
You must be logged in to create new topics.
