What is a quarter-sleeve tattoo?

A quarter-sleeve tattoo is a design or series of designs tattooed on the shoulder and around the arm, extending to the bicep. It covers approximately the same area that a short-sleeved t-shirt's sleeves cover on a person's arm. Half-sleeve tattoos extend to the elbow. Full-sleeve tattoos extend to the wrist.

Some dispute exists that a quarter-sleeve tattoo deserves the sleeve moniker. Detractors suggest the quarter-sleeve tattoo is simply an arm tattoo. The key difference is that the quarter-sleeve tattoo wraps around the entirety of the arm to the upper arm's midpoint. Some quarter-sleeve tattoos begin on the chest, while others begin at the shoulder socket.