Friday the 13th flash tattoos
Twelve small flash designs for Friday the 13th, from a lucky 13 banner to a cute ghost and a black cat. Choose one before the day and print it at the size you want, as flash or as a stencil.
3.00 in3.00 inLucky 13 banner
3″Lucky 13 banner
3.5″Black cat with curled tail
1.75″Cute ghost
3″Traditional ghost
3.5″Traditional bat
3.5″Bat and crescent moon
5″Dagger and 13 banner
3″Skull with 13
2.5″Horseshoe with 13
3″Flaming dice
3″Coffin with 13
3″Black cat head with leaves
No designs match these filters. Clear a filter to see the rest.
§1Why Friday the 13th means flash
Friday the 13th has become an unofficial tattoo holiday in the US. Shops draw up a sheet of small designs and discount them for the day. At many shops customers are taken in order of arrival, and a line often forms before the doors open. Where the custom began is disputed; see what is a flash tattoo.
The next Friday the 13th falls on November 13, 2026. After that come August 13, 2027 and October 13, 2028. Neither 2027 nor 2028 has a second one.
§2How to choose a design for the day
News reports from past Fridays the 13th describe sheets of skulls, black cats, ghosts, bats and the number 13. FT-01 Lucky 13 banner and FT-08 Skull with 13 carry the number itself. Cats: FT-02 Black cat with curled tail and FT-12 Black cat head with leaves. Ghosts: FT-03 Cute ghost and FT-04 Traditional ghost. Bats: FT-05 Traditional bat and FT-06 Bat and crescent moon. FT-07 Dagger and 13 banner, FT-09 Horseshoe with 13, FT-10 Flaming dice and FT-11 Coffin with 13 fill out the page.
Designs for the day are mostly small ones an artist can finish quickly. None of the twelve here is in the Simple tier of the filters. Eight are marked Beginner practice, and of those FT-03, FT-09, FT-01 and FT-11 have the plainest outlines, with defaults of 1.75 to 3 inches. FT-02, FT-06 and FT-10 are marked Detailed and suit a forearm or calf, as does FT-07, the largest at 5 inches.
| Placement | Usual size | Good designs |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist | 1–3 in | FT-03 Cute ghost |
| Ankle | 1–3 in | FT-03, FT-09, FT-11, FT-01 |
| Neck | 2–4 in | FT-05 Traditional bat |
| Forearm | 3–6 in | FT-02, FT-04, FT-08, FT-10, FT-07 |
| Calf | 2–6 in | FT-06, FT-09, FT-11, FT-07 |
| Chest | 3–10 in | FT-05, FT-08, FT-12 |
| Thigh | 4–10 in | FT-02, FT-04, FT-06, FT-12, set larger than their default |
Ranges are a starting point, taken from published size charts by Saved Tattoo and Inkjin. Subjects and quick designs per The New York Times via WRAL and Slate.
§3What to expect at the shop
Rules differ from shop to shop. Many take walk-ins, first come, first served, while some work by appointment only and take a deposit. Some are cash only, and some tattoo only arms and legs that day or rule out the neck, face and hands. Check the shop’s own page or call that week, and arrive early if it is walk-in.
The designs on the day usually come from the shop’s own sheet. A print from here helps you settle on a subject and a size first. If you want this exact design, ask the artist in advance whether they will tattoo it.
Friday the 13th as a tattoo day per NPR, KMUW and Scripps News; shop rules per local guides from The Copper Courier and 8 News Now.
§4Making a Friday the 13th flash sheet
For an artist’s sheet, start from one style so the page holds together. Nine designs here are traditional; FT-06, FT-08 and FT-11 are gothic. Open each design in the Flash format and print it at the size you plan to tattoo. Each PDF or PNG holds a single design, so cut the prints out and arrange them on your board or trace them onto your own sheet.
Keep most of the sheet near the defaults here, 1.75 to 3.5 inches, and save FT-07 for bigger requests. Once a customer has chosen, switch the same design to Stencil: it prints the outline they saw on the sheet in black only. Mirror is off by default, which suits a thermal copier; turn it on for inkjet stencil paper.
§5Questions
Q1What is Friday the 13th flash?
Small pre-drawn tattoos that US shops offer at a discount on Friday the 13th, picked from a sheet drawn for the day. Many events are walk-in, first come, first served. The 12 designs on this page cover the subjects news reports mention: the number 13, black cats, ghosts, bats and skulls.
Q2When is the next Friday the 13th?
Friday, November 13, 2026. The two after it are August 13, 2027 and October 13, 2028.
Q3Can I print a Friday the 13th tattoo flash sheet here?
You can print each design in the Flash format at real size, one design per file: a PDF on Letter or A4 with a 1-inch test square, or a 300 dpi PNG. Put the prints together on one board to make your sheet. Artists may tattoo these designs on clients, but the files may not be resold.
Q4What are simple Friday the 13th flash tattoos?
The plainest outlines here are FT-03 Cute ghost, FT-09 Horseshoe with 13, FT-01 Lucky 13 banner and FT-11 Coffin with 13, all marked Beginner practice. FT-03 fits a wrist at 1.75 inches. For simpler line work on other subjects, see the easy tattoo stencils.
Q5Do I need an appointment for a Friday the 13th tattoo?
Often not, since many shops take walk-ins in order of arrival. Some work by appointment only and take a deposit, so check with the shop before the day.