Cover-ups: what to prepare for a tattoo assessment

Prepare one photo showing the whole tattoo and another showing the surrounding body area. This helps you discuss both the existing piece and the space a new composition might occupy.

If you have the original file, send it without filters or edits that hide the ink. If part of the tattoo is unclear, add a closer photo. These images help start the assessment; they do not establish on their own whether a cover-up is feasible.

• The exact body placement and approximate size in centimetres.
• What you want to cover, what you would like to keep and what you want to change.
• The subject you have in mind, and whether you prefer colour, black and grey or are still undecided.
• Whether you would consider a larger area or want to discuss that possibility first.

You can add references and explain what you like about each. You do not need to turn them into a design or copy someone else's tattoo.

The existing ink, available area and proposed design are considered together. A new composition may need more room, without a mandatory size for every case. The plan and sessions are agreed for each project. An AI-generated image can explain an intention, but it does not show that a design will cover the existing tattoo.

The cover-ups in Valencia page shows a green skull transformed into a Japanese mask. The new piece covers a larger area and is freshly made in the photograph. It is not a healed result or a promise of what can be done with any tattoo.

You can browse the cover-up portfolio or share your idea with your photos and questions.

Prepared with AI assistance from information and examples published by Xandro Tattoo. Editorial review: 29 October 2026.