What the model does
Your design is separated from its background into an ink layer, then printed onto the skin tone you chose. The aged panel changes that ink layer four ways, each one following a factor covered in why tattoos fade:
- Spread. Ink particles slowly migrate in the dermis, so edges soften and lines thicken. The spread is a physical distance, which is why the size setting matters: the same spread wipes out far more detail on a 5 cm design than on a 20 cm one.
- Fade. Pigment density drops over time, faster with more sun and in higher-friction placements.
- Lighter colors first. Yellows, pastels and light greys lose density faster than black and dark colors.
- Color shift. Colors desaturate, and black tends to drift toward a muted blue-grey.
The placement tiers follow our placement guide. The strength of each effect is a tuned visual model, not a measured rate. It is useful for comparing two choices side by side, and not for predicting your particular tattoo.
FAQ
Is this an accurate prediction of how my tattoo will age?
No. It is a simplified visual model of the factors that are well known to affect aging (ink spreading under the skin, sun exposure, friction, and lighter colors fading before dark ones). It can't account for your artist's technique, the ink used, your skin, or how the tattoo healed, which together matter more than anything modelled here. Use it to compare choices, such as a bigger size or a lower-wear placement, not to forecast a specific result.
Do you store or upload my design?
No. The image is processed on a canvas inside your browser. It is never sent to our server or anyone else, and nothing is saved after you leave the page.
Why does my fine-line design blur so much more than a bold one?
Ink spreads by a similar physical distance whatever the design, so a thin line loses a much bigger share of its sharpness than a thick one. That is the same reason artists often suggest sizing fine-line and micro designs up.
What actually slows tattoo fading?
Mostly sun protection on healed skin, choosing a lower-friction placement, giving detailed designs enough size, and healing it well in the first weeks. The why-do-tattoos-fade guide covers each one.