Short answer: choose the placement by three things: what the design needs in size and shape, how visible you want the tattoo to be, and how much pain you are ready to accept.
Let the design choose the place
Long designs, like lettering or a feather, sit well on the forearm. Rounder compositions have room on the shoulder or the back. In the portfolio you can see work on the forearm, shoulder, back, ribs, collarbone, neck, hip and lower leg, so you can compare how similar designs sit on different places.
How visible should it be
The forearm, the hand and the neck are visible almost every day. The shoulder, the back, the ribs and the thigh are easy to cover. Think about your work and your everyday clothes before you decide.
Pain
Pain is individual, but in Gall's practice the most painful places are the soft inner side of the arm, the inner side of the upper arm up to the armpit, and the fingers close to the nails. In general, pain is stronger where there is thin skin over bone and many nerve endings, such as the ribs, spine, ankles, wrists and feet, and milder on the forearm, outer upper arm, shoulder, back and outer thigh. Read more: does a tattoo hurt.
Very fine details and the hands
Tattoos on hands, fingers and feet tend to fade faster than on other places, and very fine lines can lose sharpness over the years. The same is said about the neck and the ribs: thin, mobile or often-rubbed skin makes ink fade sooner, while more stable areas such as the upper back and thighs hold up better. Sun also breaks down the pigment, so a tattoo that is often uncovered ages faster. If you want a fine line design on such a place, discuss it before you decide.
Size and placement go together
The same motif looks different at 5 cm and at 15 cm. When you send an inquiry, give the size in centimetres and, if you can, a photo of the place on your body.
Send your idea through the inquiry form. If this is your first tattoo, read what to include in your first inquiry.
Sources for the general information: Healthline, Cleveland Clinic and Ray Studios, a tattoo-removal clinic.