Make your sponsor tattoos

Four ways to get sponsor logos on your skin, from a $20 home print to an artist at the race expo. You make and apply them, then post the race-day photos that get you paid (how delivery works).

01 Pick a method

Most athletes print at home. Order printed tattoos when the logos are detailed, need white, or you want them to look sharp in close-up photos.

Print at home on tattoo paper

Best for: Most campaigns. Simple, bold logos, and a few spares.
Cost: About $15 to $25 for a pack of tattoo paper
Time: One evening, a week or two before the race
Lasts: A race day, longer on laser paper

How to do it

Buy temporary tattoo paper that matches your printer: inkjet paper for inkjet printers, laser paper for laser printers. They aren't interchangeable. Packs come with the clear adhesive sheets.
Open the tattoo sheet from your campaign's Sponsors page (Print files). Every logo is at its true size and already mirrored, because the paper goes on face down.
Print a test on plain paper at 100% scale with "fit to page" off, and measure one box with a ruler. Then print on the shiny side of the tattoo paper.
Let the ink dry for 15 minutes, smooth the adhesive sheet over it from the middle out, and cut each logo out with a small margin. Write the spot name on the back.
Print a second sheet. Spares cost cents and save a race.

Watch out for

Home printers can't print white. White parts of a logo come out clear, so your skin shows through. Ask the sponsor for a version that works on skin, or order printed tattoos with white ink.
Inkjet tattoos smudge with water and sweat sooner than laser ones. For a hot race or a swim, laser paper or a printed order lasts better.

Order printed tattoos

Best for: Detailed logos, logos with white, many copies, close-up photos
Cost: Around $20 and up per design, depending on size and quantity
Time: 3 to 7 business days to make, plus shipping. Order 2 weeks out.
Lasts: 1 to 3 days

How to do it

Pick a printer that takes small orders. Sticker Mule, StickerYou and TemporaryTattoos.com all print custom temporary tattoos, several with no minimum.
Download each sponsor's original logo from your Sponsors page and upload it at the size on your print sheet (it shows centimeters; most printers ask in inches, so divide by 2.54).
If a logo has white in it, choose a white ink option where the printer offers one (often called spot white), so it shows on your skin.
Approve the proof carefully: spelling, colors, and that nothing is mirrored twice. Printers mirror for you, so upload the logo the normal way round, not your mirrored sheet.
Order spares of every logo.

Watch out for

Shipping, not printing, is what runs late. Pay for faster shipping if race day is close.

Semi-permanent, plant-based ink

Best for: One bold, single-color logo that has to survive a multi-day event or a swim
Cost: Priced per design by the maker
Time: Order 2 to 3 weeks out, apply 2 days before the race
Lasts: 1 to 2 weeks, fading gradually

How to do it

Makers like Inkbox print your design with a fruit-based ink that stains the top layer of skin, instead of sitting on it.
Designs are one color (blue-black) with no shading, so the logo has to read as solid shapes. Simple wordmarks and icons work; photos and gradients don't.
Apply it 48 hours before the race: it develops over 24 to 48 hours and looks best from day 2.

Watch out for

It can't be washed off on race night. Tell your sponsor it stays 1 to 2 weeks and make sure they're happy with that.
Patch-test the ink on a small spot first if you have sensitive skin.

Stencil and body paint, or an artist

Best for: Big chest and back pieces, team events, race expos
Cost: Paint and stencils, or an artist's rate
Time: Book an artist ahead; paint goes on race morning
Lasts: Race day, with sweat-resistant paint

How to do it

Cut a stencil of each logo at its print-sheet size (a vinyl cutter like a Cricut does this well), or hire a body painter or airbrush artist.
Use cosmetic paint made for skin and sweat. Alcohol-activated body paints are the usual choice for sport; craft paint is not skin safe.
Paint, let it dry fully, and set it with a light dusting of powder.

Watch out for

Practice once before race day. Painting your own back is hard: get help.

02 Get the artwork right

/Use the original files. Download each logo from your Sponsors page rather than screenshotting your campaign page.
/Dark, bold logos read best on skin. Thin lines and tiny text disappear at tattoo size; if a logo has a tagline, ask the sponsor for a version without it.
/If a logo won't work on skin (all white, very fine detail, a photo), tell the sponsor early and agree on a version that will. Sponsors remember that when they rate you.
/A sponsor that sent a logo you aren't comfortable wearing can be declined from your dashboard. They're refunded in full.

03 Size and placement

/Your print sheet uses the sizes you set in the editor, so each tattoo matches the spot the sponsor saw on your page.
/Put each one where the sponsor saw it. If a spot has to move a little (a scar, a seam, a race number), keep it close and say so in your proof.
/Flat, still skin holds best: chest, upper arm, quads, calves, upper back. Elbow and knee creases crack.
/Some events limit branding on athletes. Check your race's rules before race day; following them is on you.

04 Make them last the race

/Apply race morning, 30 to 60 minutes before warm-up. Overnight, sheets and clothes rub them before you start (semi-permanent ink is the exception).
/Clean each spot with an alcohol wipe and let it dry. No lotion, oil or sunscreen underneath; shave the spot if needed.
/Peel the clear film, press the tattoo face down, and hold a soaking-wet cloth over the backing for a full 30 seconds. Slide the backing off slowly.
/Let it dry for a few minutes, then dust it with a little powder. Put sunscreen on after the tattoos, not before.
/Know where your event rubs. HYROX: burpee broad jumps hit your chest and thighs, sandbag lunges rub your shoulders and upper back, and farmers carry and sled push work your hands and forearms.
/Marathon: arm swing chafes the inner arm, and water from aid stations lands on your chest.
/Triathlon: a wetsuit rubs everything it covers, so printed tattoos beat inkjet ones.
/Pack spares, alcohol wipes and a small wet cloth in your race bag, so a tattoo that peels in warm-up can be replaced.

05 Photos, proof and removal

/Get a clear photo of every logo on race day: close-ups for each sponsor, plus action and finish-line shots. Upload them as race-day proof within 7 days to get paid. The delivery guide has the full checklist.
/Post and tag your sponsors. Sharing a great photo with each one is the easiest way to be sponsored again.
/Remove printed tattoos with baby oil or rubbing alcohol: soak for 30 seconds, then wipe. Semi-permanent ink fades on its own over 1 to 2 weeks.

More resources

Your photosThe profile photo sponsors see first, and the body photos your spots sit on: how to shoot both with a phone.Find sponsorsYour campaign is live. Check your prices and terms, then who to send it to first, how to find brands around your race, and what to say.Race kitPrint on demand, transfers, embroidery and team kit: getting logos onto what you race in.Deliver and get paidFrom the first sale to money in your bank: proof, photos, timing, and what to do when things go wrong.