The Ultimate Memorial Tattoo To Honor Your Lost Loved One

There is no denying that a memorial tattoo is a beautiful way to honour the life and memory of someone you have lost. It is a lasting tribute that helps keep their memory alive and can bring real comfort to those who are grieving. The best memorial tattoo is one designed specifically to represent that person. It should capture something of their life, their personality, or their relationship with you. It might be a nod to a hobby they loved, a quote they always said, or a symbol that brings them to mind. Some people choose to have a portrait of their loved one inked onto their skin.

Others prefer something more abstract, such as a heart, a flower or a cross. Whatever design you choose, it matters to find a tattoo artist you trust and feel comfortable with. Take your time to research and find someone with real experience and a strong portfolio. We receive photos from our global clients all the time, and the range of designs is huge, so your only real limit is your imagination. And because Cremation Ink ® is not just black or white but a full colour palette, you have the freedom to bring whatever design you picture to life.

Putting Ashes In Tattoo Ink

Simply dropping ashes into tattoo ink at your local studio is the main reason some people frown on an ashes tattoo. There are plenty of reasons why tipping ashes straight into an ink pot is such a bad idea, and it is exactly why so many tattoo studios around the world, the ones who take their client’s safety and the pride of their work seriously, rely on the experience and skills of Cremation Ink ®.

On other pages we go into the problems caused by low standard studios putting cremains straight into an ink pot and telling you, “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” You won’t be. Any studio that does not use a professional third party with experience in tattoo pigment, ashes safety protocols, ashes infusion, sterility, molecular matching and much more, is looking after itself and putting your health and safety at a dangerously low priority. You deserve the best, as did your loved one, so use the best.

Cremation Ink ® – The Safest And Easiest Way To Get A Tattoo With Ashes In.

At Cremation Ink ® we give you the ability to have your loved one’s ashes infused into very high quality tattooing ink that is safe and has been through a whole series of processes and protocols, so you get the best possible service. And because Cremation Ink ® was set up by long-term tattooists, we know exactly what your artist will want to work with. The ashes-infused ink is lightfast, so it does not fade over time, it is bright, and it lets your artist use all their experience and technique to create your ultimate memorial tattoo.

Lining, shading and solid colour packing, the infused inks are easy to use and go into the skin without extra trauma. The tattoo heals exactly like a standard tattoo, which is why high quality studios keep recommending us to their clients. You can either receive the ink yourself, or we can send it direct to your chosen studio. Quality and experience count in every part of getting a safe, no-fuss ashes-infused tattoo ink, and that is why Cremation Ink ® is recognised around the world as being at the very top of the industry.

Help With Some Of The Common Questions Online About Getting A Tattoo using Ash-Infused Ink.

With such a large presence online, we notice the same questions coming up again and again that never seem to get a clear answer. So the simplest thing is to share our help and advice on different aspects of both tattoo ink infused with cremation ashes and cremation tattoos as a whole.

Having been part of this very bespoke field for over 15 years, we can help you understand everything you need to know, so that if you are considering an ashes tattoo, Cremation Ink ® is the right choice wherever you are in the world.

Let’s start with some of the simple ones first.

What Are Cremation Ashes Tattoos?

Cremation ashes tattoos, or ashes tattoos, are a personal way to remember a loved one. This type of tattoo uses ash from a person’s cremated remains, infused into the ink used for a regular tattoo. Once the ash has been turned into ink with the help of Cremation Ink ®, it is used just like any other tattoo ink to create a design of your choosing in memory of your loved one.

Cremation ash tattoos are growing in popularity now that the safety and expertise of a professional service sits behind the ink. As more people look for ways to honour those they have lost, ashes tattoos keep gaining ground. When you think about it, it is such a meaningful and beautiful way to remember someone, so it is no wonder a cremation ashes tattoo has become so sought after.

What’s a Tattoo With Cremation Ashes ?

Years ago, a tattoo with cremation ashes in it was seen as a bad idea, because of the problems these tattoos ran into when done at a regular studio. Without proper processing and treatment of what remains in the ashes, and given that a crematorium does not work with sterility in mind, there were always issues, and ashes tattoos picked up a bad reputation as a result.

On top of that, ashes dropped into ink would sink to the bottom, so you only really picked up the coarse residual matter that spread through the ink by a wicking effect. If the artist could even get the mud-like ink into the machine, the design was limited, and the aftermath was usually heavy scabbing, health problems for the client and eventual rejection, often leaving an unsightly scar where something treasured should have been.

This is why Cremation Ink ® has changed both the image and the professionalism of getting an ashes tattoo. They are now safe and carry no health concerns. Your artist can use all their ability, no longer limited by poor ink quality, safe in the knowledge that using a professional service protects both their work and their standing in the industry, and puts their client’s safety first, exactly as any professional tattoo artist would.

What To Do With The Cremated Remains Of My Loved One ?

When your loved one passes, there is always a deep mix of grief, regret and emotion wrapped up in the loss, and a completely natural wish to keep them close. The question is what to do with the ashes to remember them by. There are plenty of options in the modern world, from having some set into a ring or other jewellery, turned into a diamond, sent up in fireworks, pressed into a vinyl record, even made into wine, which really is an option. But what if something happened and you lost that keepsake, or you never quite felt the connection through a piece of jewellery or a record?

That is why so many people have turned to ashes tattoos, now that the service from Cremation Ink ® has made the process safe and put no limits on the designs you can have.

The simple truth is that you will never get more personal with the one you lost than by having a part of them placed into your own skin. You will never lose them or forget them, with them being with you every hour of the day, for the rest of your life and beyond.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Tattoos With Ashes ?

Done the right way, there is no real con to an ashes tattoo. Having your loved one’s ashes infused into ink by Cremation Ink ® and your design done by a reputable artist avoids any of the negatives once linked to ashes tattoos. With our service of putting cremated ashes into tattoo ink, you stay safe, and your tattoo behaves exactly like one done with the normal ink your local artist already uses.

The pro of having a tattoo made with your loved one’s ashes is simple: they are with you forever, always close. There are many things you can buy in this world, but an ashes tattoo is the only one you can be sure is carried within you.

The famous peat bodies found thousands of years after death still bear the tattoos they had all that time ago. So while it may sound like a bold thing to say, you really do take your love for your loved one with you to the grave and beyond.

What Are Some Memorial Tattoo Ideas?

This is a hard one to answer, because you know your loved one better than anyone. Some of the common ideas we see are signatures lifted from old credit cards or birthday and Christmas cards. Some people gather written notes, scan them and build a message, perhaps a favourite set of lyrics pieced together from words their loved one once wrote. Very personal and very thoughtful. Others recreate their loved one’s own tattoos, adding meaningful dates or words to the design.

For dog ashes tattoos, as another example, it is common for a local pet crematorium to be happy to take a paw print from your lost best friend. Scanned to protect the original print, your artist can then recreate it on you. From the images coming into Cremation Ink ®, we can tell you that our clients use the ink to explore every kind of design when creating their own memorial tattoo designs.

Cremation Tattoos: What Are They ?

Simply put, they are the one way to keep your lost loved one with you every hour of the day, for the rest of your life. You lost them once, but with an ashes tattoo using Cremation Ink ®, you will never lose that part of them again. They help with healing and form a step in working through grief. You never truly get over the loss of a loved one, and to be honest, most people who think you simply get over grief have never known the deep bond and connection that comes with this kind of loss.

While Cremation Ink ® is an ashes-infused tattoo ink, for many of our clients it runs far deeper than that. An ashes tattoo can be a powerful experience, bringing two loved ones back together in body and in mind, and joining two broken hearts back together again, for good.

Why Are Cremation Tattoos Becoming More Popular ?

The simple reason more people are getting tattoos with cremation ashes infused into the ink comes down to Cremation Ink ® and the global coverage of our bespoke service. After the team who set up Cremation Ink ®, from Bubblegum Ink in the UK, began to perfect and standardise the strict qualities and protocols behind our ashes tattoo service, the media took notice and started writing about the service and the bespoke nature of ashes tattoos.

Once Cremation Ink ® was set up and bringing the service to a wider global audience, that media attention grew, and tattoo artists around the world began recommending us to their clients. The beauty of what we provide is not only that you get a safe, professional ashes-infused ink to use with your local artist. It is that the ink is very high quality, which your artist will love. Some of the most talented and respected tattoo artists in the world use our products, so you know you are getting the best service possible, especially given how affordable a bottle of Cremation Ink ® is.

Why Do Some People Want To Get Cremation Ash Tattoos?

Some people want an ash tattoo as a way to remember and honour a loved one who has passed away. A cremation tattoo is created using a small amount of cremation ash, infused into the tattoo ink before it is applied to the skin. The preparation of the ashes and the ink is handled by a specialist third party, Cremation Ink ®, to meet health and safety standards as well as the legal side of getting a memorial tattoo.

This kind of memorial tattoo keeps growing in popularity thanks to the service from Cremation Ink ®, with more and more people choosing this permanent tribute to remember their loved one. All in all, ash tattoos are an increasingly popular choice for anyone looking for a personal way to remember someone while still getting a regular tattoo.

Tattooing With Ashes: How Does It Work Exactly ?

When you have decided to have your tattoo done with cremation ashes, head to our online store and choose your colours. We offer a full set of primary colours, so your artist can mix and create every colour of the rainbow if your design calls for it. Once you have ordered, we send out a kit so you can post your loved one’s ashes to us safely. When your order arrives, one of our technicians works with them alone, through the whole process.

To keep it simple, and it is explained in more detail over on The Process page, we reduce the ashes to a very fine consistency, cleaning and sterilising them between stages until we have an inert ash. This then goes through a further process to smooth the particles, making them suitable for going into the skin. We match the particle size of the ash to our own high quality tattoo pigment, creating an ashes-infused ink your artist can use exactly like regular ink. There are other steps involved too, including processes dedicated to the lifespan of the ink and keeping the suspension stable.

The finished ink is sent back to you, along with any ashes that were not used in the process. Because your ashes have already been professionally cleaned and prepared, your chosen artist can simply work their magic and create your unique memorial tattoo, carrying the ashes of your loved one with you forever. An amazing way to pay tribute to the person you have lost.

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Commemorative Tattoo With Ashes?

Cremation Ink ® is surprisingly affordable, given the work involved and the ongoing cost of our postal service, where wherever you are in the world we always use the best tracked option so you can follow your order to your front door, every step of the way. The other cost depends entirely on your tattoo artist. Guessing the price of your ashes tattoo design is hard, because every artist charges differently.

If you are after something small, it should cost under 100 dollars, with the price rising depending on size, placement and the fine detail involved. Look over your chosen artist’s portfolio. Some work only in black ink, others work in every colour of the rainbow.

Match your design to the artist’s portfolio, then go into the studio to book in. A positive feel always helps when you are getting your commemorative tattoo. A studio with moody staff and a sulky atmosphere is not the setting you want for a tattoo this meaningful.

How Does Getting a Tattoo With Cremains Work?

Simplified into a list, this is the best way to go about getting a tattoo with cremains:

• Get the ashes back
• Look at tattoo designs
• Decide on colours
• Go to Cremationink.com
• Use the online shop to order your colours
• The kit to get the ashes to us arrives
• Put no less than a tablespoon of ashes in the kit
• Send it back to us via the postal service
• Look for local artists
• Talk to your chosen artist about your design
• Book in with the artist
• Your ashes-infused ink arrives back to you
• Go to your tattoo appointment
• Don’t forget to take the ink
• Get your memorial tattoo done
• Follow the artist’s healing advice
• You now have your loved one with you forever

One of the most endearing ways to remember your loved one.

How Can You Find a Tattoo Artist That Tattoos With Cremains?

That is the beauty of the service we provide. You are no longer stuck with an artist who tried it years ago with little success, or who frowns at the idea, even when you love their portfolio. Now, with the service from Cremation Ink ®, your chosen artist can work in the knowledge that the ashes and their infusion into the ink have been handled professionally, which removes any worry about problems arising.

That is why Cremation Ink ® is used by some of the world’s leading tattoo artists. Artists very often send clients our way. They know the ink we produce is high quality, easy to use and goes into the skin smoothly. With nothing outside the normal healing of a standard tattoo, they can be confident it is something both you and your artist will be proud of.

How Is The Tattooing Process Different From Getting A Normal Tattoo ?

There is no difference at all in the tattooing process when it comes time to apply a cremation tattoo. A good tattoo artist will proudly show off a portfolio of healed work, and that is the key thing to look for. Make sure you see photos of work that has healed rather than freshly done, so you can judge the real end result and get a proper idea of their ability. Another good tip is to look at the staff themselves, since artists often tattoo each other when an appointment fails to show, so their tattoos give you a good sense of how the work heals.

For the artist, nothing changes with the ink either. When formulated correctly by Cremation Ink ®, it behaves and performs exactly like any other high quality ink.