Roman numeral tattoo generator
Enter a date that matters to you, pick a layout, and download a clean stencil to take to your artist. Everything is rendered in your browser.
Stencil: XIV VII MMXXVI. 14 7 2026 in day, month, year order, stacked layout.
Getting a date tattoo right
A Roman numeral date is one of the most popular tattoo choices because it turns an anniversary or a birthday into something quiet and timeless. The catch is that a single wrong letter is permanent, so it pays to double-check the numerals before you commit. This generator converts each part of the date correctly, including the subtractive forms like IV and IX that are easy to get wrong by hand. The decisions around the ink itself have their own guides: date order, separators and couple layouts, and fonts, styles and placement.
Once you are happy with the layout, download the PNG at full resolution. Stacked works well down a forearm or spine, inline suits a wrist or collarbone, and the dotted style keeps longer dates legible at small sizes.
Take the SVG to your artist, not the PNG
The same stencil downloads as a vector file as well, and that is the one to send ahead of your appointment. A PNG is a grid of pixels: enlarge it and the edges of the letters soften, which is exactly where a stencil needs to be crisp. An SVG has no fixed size at all, so it prints as sharply at 30 mm on a wrist as at 200 mm down a spine, and your artist can adjust the spacing without redrawing anything.
The artboard is set to 160 by 100 millimetres at 100 percent and carries a 10 mm scale bar in the corner, so the physical size is readable even after someone has resized the file. One practical note to pass on: if the studio's software does not have the inscriptional face installed, ask them to convert the text to outlines before scaling. The shapes are then locked in and nothing can substitute a different font.
Common date examples
If you want to sanity-check the tool, here are a few worked dates: 1 January 2000 is I . I . MM, 25 December 1990 is XXV . XII . MCMXC, and 4 July 1776 is IV . VII . MDCCLXXVI. You can open any single number on its own page too, for instance how to write 2000.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write my birthday in Roman numerals for a tattoo?
Split the date into day, month and year, convert each part, and stack or line them up. For example 14 July 2026 becomes XIV . VII . MMXXVI. The generator above does this and gives you a downloadable stencil.
Should the date be day-month-year or month-day-year?
Either works. Day-month-year is common outside the United States; month-day-year is common inside it. Pick the order that matches how you read the date, using the toggle in the tool.
How do I get a stencil for the tattoo artist?
Choose a layout, then use the download button to save a high-resolution PNG. Your artist can print it or import it directly as a reference or stencil.
Do periods or dots go between the numbers?
Many Roman numeral tattoos use a small dot or period between the day, month and year to keep the groups readable. The dotted and inline layouts here add those separators for you.
Related
Last updated July 22, 2026. Reviewed for accuracy against the standard rules for Roman numerals. How we check accuracy.