What is my deposit for/why do I need a deposit/why is my deposit not refundable? I get asked this from time to time, although it is becoming less of a question as tattooing practices have pretty much all shifted to this (aside from busy street-shops taking walk-ins). Your deposit is essentially a place holder that goes towards your tattoo the day of your appointment, this also retains my services to go to the drawing board with the ideas you have given me to get started on your design. Keep in mind, at that point I’ve started working to provide that product for YOU. For small tattoos, that may be fairly quick, but for others I could have hours into the design.

At that point us as tattooers depend on the client to follow through on that appointment, so if there is a no-show that ensures we at least get an amount that that artist feels is adequate for their time on a design. Designing of the tattoo can often over-shadow the amount of actual time to complete that tattoo. For example your appointment might be booked for 3-5 hours, that artist may have went through 2,3, maybe 14 revisions getting that design to look just right for your specific anatomy. We factor that in to pricing for your artwork and a lot of times its a pretty personalized design for that person.

***Time is the one thing that none of us can buy back. Regardless of stature, age, race. I value my time just as much as you should value yours.

It’s my first tattoo,(or my 28th) is there anything I should do/be prepared for? Not a ton of preparation is needed for your tattoo. I recommend allowing yourself enough sleep the night before your appointment, being well hydrated (not to the point of having to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes) and it’s never a bad idea to have a small snack/meal before your appointment and something like a soda/gatorade. The penetration of needles into the skin triggers a cascade of inflammatory responses, mobilizing the body's resources to repair the wounds. This heightened metabolic demand can lead to a decrease in blood sugar levels as the body redirects its energy toward the restoration and healing process. We keep some candy on hand in the event your blood sugar does start to drop to help combat this.

Also, no need to moisturize/shave before coming in. I will be prepping the area anyways, I’m a pro with the razors…I do shaves daily!

Why is the price what it is? It seems expensive. Recently I’ve had some interesting discussions with clients and people walking in…and I’ve had a couple that have been really caught off guard at the price. Either I’ve been lower than what they expected or I’ve quoted much more that what they are expecting. First and foremost, a tattoo is one thing that you pretty much get to keep with you for life. Whether it’s poorly done or really well done. There are a lot of things to factor. Take a look at other artists in the area and what they are charging and quality of their work combined with their experience.

The other thing to factor is, at the end of the day not all of that money is going into the artists pocket. Some shops do percentage based rent at maybe a 60% percent to artist/40% to shop. Taxes have to be paid out of this, potential supplies if the shop doesn’t cover them, annual blood borne pathogens training, licensure, required extra educational hours, health insurance. Couple this with recent inflation…believe it or not it hits us as tattooers buying our supplies too!

My self, I hadn’t raised my rates since 2018. 5 years of not coming up with the cost of living or inflation. I also put forth a ton of effort to ensure the cleanest and sterile process for your tattoo as well as keeping up on current tattoo technology and education. At the end of the day I put a lot back into tattooing and my clients safety. I guarantee that tattoo will be there long after a pair of shoes, a purse or a cellphone (and they don’t have to be updated as frequently). It’s time to shift the mindset of tattoos and what they are. Yes, they are a luxury…but a luxury that will adorn your body until the day you pass or (get it lasered). Don’t cheap out on it, please.

I changed my mind about what I initially wanted, now what? Over the last year, I had numerous changes made to what clients wanted when they made their appointments. Understand that 99% of the time I am pre-drawing your design and I can accommodate certain changes to a design for no cost, but I simply do not have the time to draw multiple designs to satisfy uncertainty or a change of thought without first requiring a new deposit. I recommend if you have an inkling you may change your mind from the time you reach out to consult, to the time of your appointment arrives…it might be best to hold off before making your appointment until you are sure.

***Example: We have a consultation for a hand sized floral piece for your forearm, I recommend an appointment time to book and then you decide you want an animal and flowers with your kids names but twice the size and on your thigh now. It completely changes the dynamic and how long it will take.