Free Flash

What is Flash?

Flash Artwork

First, let’s talk about what flash is. Within tattooing, flash is the readymade artwork that many tattoo studios buy and show to help individuals wanting tattoos pick designs. These designs can be simple or complex, but they are standard tattoo ideas, rendered at various levels of talent. Sometimes people may choose to use the exact design that’s in the flash; other times, the flash may just be used as a starting point. Flash in and of itself is not good or bad - the artist who creates the flash is what makes the flash what it is.

Free Flash Online

There are multiple sites that offer free flash online. Some of the sites are compendiums of other sites that rank free flash sites. Others are sites that are maintained by individual artists who wish to offer their work for free.

Some websites, like TattooFlash.info and International Silver simply provide a list of sites with free flash available on them. TattooFlash.info, however, goes one step further and rates the sites so that users have an idea of what types and quality of flash will be encountered. Other sites, including Body Art Web actually host images from artists who have donated their work for free use. Another site, FreeTattooFlash.com, changes out their free flash on a monthly basis, so check back often.

The Downsides of Free Flash

Flash Artwork

Many of these sites, however, do not have any sort of search or categorizing. You must flip through images to find the one that appeals to you. If you’re not sure what tattoo you want to get, this may be fun, but if you have an idea that you are trying to fulfill, this may feel very time consuming. Another problem is that the quality of the images available online is not always conducive to a good looking tattoo. Because of the constraints on size, the images you are able to get for free may not look very attractive if they’re blown up to a reasonable size for a tattoo.

Caution

Make sure you don’t use “bootlegged” flash. Check and see if the images are coming from another site or if there are any marks that imply ownership other than the website where you’re downloading. Don’t steal flash, either. Flash, just like any other work of imagination, is copyright protected. That means that unless there is something next to it that states that it is free to use, you should assume that you do not have the right to do so. If there’s something you really want to use, and you’re not sure if it’s free or not, contact the webmaster or owner of the site and ask. At worst, they will request that you pay. At best, they will be so happy that you think so highly of their artwork that they will give it to you for free.