Some tattoos are only meant to be visually appealing, and others tell a story about ourselves. Having body art that is actually useful, however, is rather rare-which is why you should consider a ruler tattoo!

For those of us who work with our hands, we’re usually pretty good at estimating the length of things.

But, how much easier would your job be if you had a ruler with you all of the time? This was the basic idea that birthed the entire genre of ruler tattoos. Because it is a general symbol for the ideal handyman and it has an important practical use, the design has stuck around.

Ruler tattoos tend to be placed along the forearm, as this region of our bodies are long and easily accessible to do quick measurements. Another popular region for a ruler tattoo is the index finger, which can make for a nice surprise. In both cases, you’ll want to be sure to find an artist who can do very precise lines without smudging the ink too close together.

Of course, to have a ruler tattoo, you can also choose to be less literal. If there is a specific measurement that you use frequently, you can discreetly place this length on your arm in the form of a simple line art tattoo. This kind of tattoo can have a tribal art aesthetic while still being useful to you and your work.

Whichever way you decide to go with a ruler tattoo, it is sure to be unusual, and you will be hard-pressed to find others who had the same idea as you.