A: Nikud (or Niqqud), basically, are the
dots and dashes around Hebrew letters that tell the reader how each consonant
should be pronounced, since Hebrew doesn't
have vowels the way English
does. However, nikud is not necessary in
Hebrew text
and is most commonly written without it in modern days. The only places where nikud
is still widely
used is in biblical texts, poetry, and children's books. So the decision on
whether or not to have it
is often purely aesthetic, and many people choose to have it
simply because
they think it looks nice.
You can see examples of texts
with and without nikud here and in ourgallery.
Occasionally, it may be more
appropriate to have nikud applied to a word, for example
if the word can have
different meaning depending on pronunciation.
We will be happy
to advise you if this is the case.
Q: Can I have my tattoo running vertically?
A: Yes, with a “but”! Hebrew reads from right to left and not from
top to bottom.
The most common way for a
Hebrew tattoo to run vertically (and the way we
recommend) is with the text
rotated sideways. This way makes the
most sense.
The reason for this is that writing the letters on top of each
other, as if it's an Asian script
(for example as with Chinese tattoos), would
look quite strange to a Hebrew reader's eye.
If your text is with nikud, it makes it even harder to read this way
because there is a relation
between the letters and some of the nikud marks are
positioned between letters.
The vertical
tattoos in our gallery have
been done in the ‘rotated’ fashion (see the photos of
tattoos down people’s
spines). If you look at other famous
vertical Hebrew tattoos such as
Victoria Beckham’s, you’ll notice that this is
how it’s done there as well.
However, if despite this
explanation / recommendation you would like your tattoo to run
vertically as it
does with Asian scripts, we can still accommodate this.
Q: How do I order and pay for my translation?
A: Firstly, contact us using the form on
our website. Tell us what word / phrase you want, and
if you would like nikud
including. We will get back to you as
soon as possible with a price quote,
and will respond to any other queries that
you submit with your form.
When we have told you how many words
your translation comes to in Hebrew, simply go to our
Order page. You will see there are 2 PayPal buttons. Click on the appropriate “Pay Now” button,
depending on whether you are having a translation with or without nikud, and choose the number
of words. Completing payment is quite simple from here onwards.
Q: What
payment methods do you accept?
A: At present we only accept payments
through PayPal. However even if you
don’t have a PayPal
account, it is usually still possible to make a credit card
payment through PayPal. On the order
screen where you enter the quantity of words you are buying, you should see in
the bottom left
of the screen a section headed “Don’t have a PayPal account?” Click here and you will be guided
through the process.
Q: How
quickly will I receive my translation?
A: If you read ourTestimonials page, you
will see that we are often complimented on the speed with
which we deal with
our customer’s requests. We are generally able to respond to an initial enquiry
asking for a price quote within a few hours at most, and rarely more than 12
hours. Of course, we
may need to ask you
questions to clarify your exact requirements before we can quote a price, so
the speed of your reply to us can be a factor.
Please also bear in mind that we will usually be
replying to you from Israel, so do
take into account the time difference.
We may receive your enquiry
at 3am Israeli time, so please don’t be
upset if we don’t reply within the hour.
Once we know exactly what you want
and have quoted you a price, you should normally receive the
file containing
your translation within 24 hours of your payment to us clearing. It is often much quicker
than this. If there is any reason that we may not be
able to provide you with your translation within
24 hours, we will inform you
of this and we will also explain why and give you a timeframe.
If you need your translation done urgently for some reason, please make
this clear in your first
communication with us, and tell us how quickly you
need it. We will strive to accommodate you, and
will let you know as soon as possible if we cannot supply
you with your translation as quickly as you
need it. So far though, we have always been able to
help in such cases.
Q: What
do I get for my money?
A: Apart from our very personal service
where we discuss and clarify your exact needs with you, you will
receive a PDF
file with your phrase in a selection of over 70 different fonts and styles to
choose from.
These include some cursive / written styles, to which nikud are
not applied. You can then choose your
favourite style and we will send you a larger version of your phrase in that
style alone, along with an
outline of the font to take to your tattoo artist in
order to get the most accurate copy possible.
We will also provide you with instructions to how to make the tattoo run
vertically in that final file if
this is required (in the way that we
recommend). We believe that we offer the
largest range of
Hebrew fonts and styles on the internet, and that our uniquely
personal service ensures that you
receive a completely accurate translation. We like to think that we offer more peace of
mind than other
sites.
Q: The translation you sent me is too big! How do I get it to the size that I want my tattoo to be?
A: Your tattoo artist should be able to resize the stencil to the size you need it, using a computer or
a Xerox machine. If however they are unable to assist with
this, please come back to us and we
will do our best to help.
Q: Can I have my translation in an original
Bible font?
A: There really is no such thing as an
‘original Bible font’. The Bible has
been handwritten for most of
history, and in the present day when it is printed
in Hebrew, different editions use different fonts.
However, our large selection of fonts does
contain several of the more Biblical looking fonts. We will
be happy to point out which ones
these are if you wish.
Q: What
is the “Rashi” font?
A: The Rashi font / script is an ancient
Hebrew script from the 15th century used to write comments
and interpretations
on the holy texts. We include this as
one of your font options in the file that
we send to you following
payment. Nikud should not
be applied to this font.
Q: My
question doesn’t appear in this list, what should I do?
