Caslon suicide note tattoo

    As I run an online venture called TypographyShop I'm always on the lookout for unique and engaging uses of type.

    I met this young man while I was attending the annual Philadelphia Open Studios Tour and noticed type on his wrist peeking out from his shirt and was astounded to see well drawn typography in a recognizable typeface in a tattoo. Although the kerning could have been better.

    "It's Adobe Caslon Pro," he proudly told me and gladly agreed to let me photograph him. Shot in the studio of his friend, the very talented silkscreener Tory Franklin. He posed in front of Tory's stunning work and told me that the tattoo was a suicide note in its entirety from a psychiatrist in the 1920's.

    Comments and faves

    1. ★

      visual think map, zone protégée, DESIGNER'S DEN, * Eartha Kitsch *, and 103 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    2. maayanpearl (44 months ago | reply)

      i wonder why he would want someone's suicide note tattooed to his body. amazing

    3. Carl's Old Photos (@HoxsieAlbany) (44 months ago | reply)

      I don't get tattoos generally, but this one I really don't get. Why would anyone choose an Adobe font?

    4. Andy luv [deleted] (44 months ago | reply)

      Shame he can't use the undo command.......

    5. a.bird.flies.out (42 months ago | reply)

      i think it is stunning.

    6. Lucy (嘉莉) (42 months ago | reply)

      that's incredible...the fact that it's a suicide note is disturbing though. :|

    7. girlwiththefro [deleted] (41 months ago | reply)

      that is so creepy...why would ANYONE get someone's suicide note...

    8. Arcadia Lyons (40 months ago | reply)

      loving the font size

    9. Dylan (39 months ago | reply)

      -- You win the second best comment so far for "...why would anyone choose an Adobe font?" Though it is too late, I'd love to hear some of your choices for a font.
      The second best comment came from a 16yr old ex-child prostitute at a Youth Home I was working. She asked me to read the tattoo. I did. After a short pause she very frankly yelled, That's stupid. Then walked off. It has been the most qualified and best critic/critique I've gotten.

      -- I guess I could use the undo command. Alt-Shift-Laser... --Oh snap, I don't have a Laser key. (bada-bing!)

      -- Thanks for the nice compliments.

      Feel free to msg me any thoughts or questions.

    10. thelibrarianne (39 months ago | reply)

      Sorry, this is a completely random comment (don't you love Google image search?), but I think this tattoo is amazing. The font, the idea itself: I love it. Kudos for doing something completely unexpected.

    11. MILK_ (36 months ago | reply)

      I really like this. Props to the tattoo artist for replicating caslon so nicely.

    12. Fenn-o-rama! (34 months ago | reply)

      Too bad all the haters got it wrong; it's not a font.

      I think it's brilliant. Why does everyone want to assign meaning to something that isn't theirs?

    13. zero7068 (34 months ago | reply)

      oh hell no. best.tattoo.ever

    14. Amanda Panda Pants (33 months ago | reply)

      Genius and beautiful!

    15. isisunvled (32 months ago | reply)

      i love it

    16. WonderWillms (31 months ago | reply)

      I think this is fantastic. i think the font suits it.

    17. Beth51_0o (31 months ago | reply)

      i dig it

    18. dylanludwig (30 months ago | reply)

      I personally like it, creative.

    19. I'm Just Me (29 months ago | reply)

      I am a huge fan of tattoos and piercings but this one I personally find touching. Adobe font? I understand that, they probably wanted the formality the font had. But can you imagine having so personal like that on your body forever, to one person it may just be a bunch of random stuff tattooed, but to someone else, it's their life story at it's peak falling to a certain deTh and those words are the last things to that persons name. Dumb? Maybe but it's art an it's worth appresation.

    20. Kilo 66 (28 months ago | reply)

      What a wanker!

    21. Dylan (28 months ago | reply)

      Kilo_66, it's been so long since we got together and talked. I miss you.

    22. Dylan (28 months ago | reply)

      Thanks for the compliments everyone.

    23. Mandizzy (26 months ago | reply)

      It may be disturbing for me to say this but once I read that it was a suicide note, I liked the tattoo more. I know we are all trying to find the meaning of it, but the ones I can come up with make me like this tattoo even more. Great job at creativity!!! Simple and complex all at the same time.

    24. Selanfene (25 months ago | reply)

      That tattoo is absolutely amazing.

    25. MassAppealEnt (25 months ago | reply)

      Writing in adobe font is one of my favorite ways to understate something It seems so impersonal, it reminds me of Radiohead's "OK Computer". Yet what is more personal than permanently inking yourself?

      ... I wrote this article on a new semi-permanent ink called "infintink", thought you might be curious/interested: tinyurl[dot]com/2fukkds

      Cheers!
      Dunx

    26. eyeview09 (25 months ago | reply)

      absolute genius .. placement of the words-- totally crucifying
      his friends/family undeleteable
      font...what can i say caslon used in historic documents
      silk screen art....incredible

      although the idea of suicide is a statement within itself...
      this, is,
      a work of art

    27. emedoodle (24 months ago | reply)

      Wow! Awesome tattoo. That's all there is to say about this. Let's fight suicide with awareness.

    28. Lotus Energy (24 months ago | reply)

      deep

    29. Kassandra Pino [MOVED TO flickr.com/moonslayer] (24 months ago | reply)

      I have to say, that is way too sad of a tattoo...

    30. lacey_loves_cockatiels (18 months ago | reply)

      im so interested by this. why did he choose a suicide note? this is just beautiful.

    31. Mark Gilmour (9 months ago | reply)

      Very moving, makes for a beautiful tattoo

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