Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh

Body Type is an eye-opening look into the amazingly creative ways that tattoo artists are utilizing typography. Whereas the majority of tattoo art uses images to convey messages, here the message actually is the image. Twenty-six alphabetical characters might not seem like much to work with, but a look through these photographs reveals the contrary. Here are truly unique social commentaries, expressions of love, hilarious examples of biting satire, plus some mottos, intricate logotypes, deeply personal song lyrics, and, of course, those tattoos that exist for one reason only: to shock the hell out of you. The crisp photographs are accompanied by an insightful commentary from renowned graphic designer and typographer Ina Saltz, plus consistently surprising and heartfelt explanations from the tattooed.

Ina Saltz is an art director, designer, writer, photographer and professor (of Electronic Design and Multimedia at The City College of New York) whose areas of expertise are typography and magazine design. For over 22 years, Ina was an editorial design director at Time Magazine (International Editions), Worth Magazine, and other magazines including Golf Magazine, Golf for Women Magazine, and Worldbusiness Magazine.