01 Photograph the real constraint
Start from the tattoo that actually exists
Use a clear, straight reference of the current tattoo and surrounding placement area. The photo remains the visual context for every later adjustment.
Free cover-up planning workspace
Tattoo Cover-Up Planner
Map the tattoo that is already there, then position your proposed design around the real visual constraints. Export a trace layer or consultation reference without pretending software can predict whether the cover-up will work.
Free to useNo accountNo AI redrawPhotos stay in your browser
Cover-up planning workspace
Map the visible constraints in the existing tattoo, then position your proposed design over the same photo. The tool does not judge cover-up feasibility.
Constraint map
Thresholding retains dark marks from the photo. It can also retain hair, shadows, folds, or lighting artifacts, so treat the map as a trace to review, not automatic tattoo segmentation.
Proposed design
Drag the design on the photo, then adjust scale and rotation. A white design background is shown with Multiply so it does not cover the body photo.
Map constraints, not outcomes
Treat the existing tattoo as a design constraint you can inspect.
A useful cover-up planning tool should make the old work easier to see while you test new composition. It should not invent technical certainty from a photograph.
02 Build a reviewable map
Keep the marks you need without calling them segmentation
Adjust the threshold until the old tattoo structure is useful. Shadows or hair can remain, so the artist still decides which marks matter.
03 Overlay the proposal
Move the new design around the old structure
Drag, scale, rotate, mirror, and fade the proposed artwork while switching photo, constraint map, and design layers on and off.
04 Take the plan back to the client
Export the visual decision, then verify it in person
Save the transparent constraint map for drawing or the combined planning PNG for consultation. Final cover-up judgment still happens on the real tattoo and skin.
Three different jobs
Cover-up planning, stencil creation, and body fit should stay separate.
The planner compares a proposed design with existing tattoo constraints. Other StencilStudio owners handle conversion of a reference into a stencil, body-curvature adaptation, and exact physical print size.
Cover-Up Planner
Where does the new composition sit relative to the old tattoo?
Map visible dark constraints and compare the proposed design on the same photo without a fake success score.
Photo to Stencil
Do you still need to prepare the proposed artwork?
Use the photo-to-stencil workflow when the new reference still needs conversion before you bring it into the cover-up plan.
Open Photo to StencilFit + Print
Is the composition chosen and ready for physical preparation?
Fit to Body handles wrap and taper. Size & Print handles centimetres, inches, and true-size output after the visual plan is settled.
Explicit limits
A photograph can show overlap. It cannot certify a cover-up.
StencilStudio keeps this tool deliberately narrow so a useful planning aid does not become false technical confidence.
What the planner can preserve
- Visible position and silhouette relationships inside one photograph.
- A threshold-based trace of dark marks for composition work.
- Relative proposed-design scale, rotation, mirror state, and placement.
- A transparent reference layer and combined consultation PNG.
What it cannot know
- Whether existing pigment can be covered successfully.
- How saturation, color, scars, healed texture, or prior laser work will behave.
- Whether a particular design or technique is appropriate for the client.
- Physical size or curvature unless you move into the dedicated fit and print workflows.
Related tattoo tools
Continue only with the next real preparation job.
Move from cover-up planning into stencil conversion, placement, or exact-size print only after the composition decision is clear.
View all tattoo tools01LetteringCreate tattoo lettering from curated fonts or preserve a real signature or handwritten note, then mirror and export SVG, PNG, or a true-size PDF.Curated fonts + handwritingSVG + PNG1:1 PDF02Flash Sheet MakerArrange finished flash designs into a clean print or social sheet with local layout, flash-day labels, individual artwork export, and an artist manifest.Flash-day labelsPrint + socialArtist manifest + PNG03Patchwork PlannerArrange multiple tattoo ideas across outer, inner, and side arm maps, label visual roles, reserve future space, inspect spacing, and export one consultation plan.3 arm viewsFuture-space zonesBrowser-local export
Practical guides
FAQ
Cover-up planning questions.
It lets you upload a photo of an existing tattoo, create a threshold-based map of the visible dark marks, place a proposed new design over the same photo, and export a planning reference. It is a layout and tracing workspace, not a cover-up success predictor.
No. It deliberately does not score coverability or predict pigment behavior. Existing color, saturation, scarring, skin, healed work, laser history, and the new tattoo technique all require professional in-person judgment.
No. The map keeps pixels darker than the threshold you choose. That can include tattoo marks but also shadows, hair, skin folds, clothing edges, or lighting artifacts. Review it visually and adjust the threshold rather than treating it as segmentation.
Yes. The tool can export the current dark-mark map as a transparent PNG so you can bring that planning layer into a drawing workflow and build your design around the visible constraints.
No. Cover-Up Planner is for comparing a proposed design with the visual constraints of an existing tattoo on one photo. Fit to Body is the separate StencilStudio workflow for wrap, taper, rotation, and body-line adaptation of one chosen stencil.
No. Image reading, threshold processing, overlay positioning, and PNG export happen locally in your browser for this tool.