Should Your Tattoo Artist Talk To You Before Ypur Appointment

Tattoo Etiquette — Do's and Don'ts for tattoo customers

I. The Pattern Phase

Let the artist take atomic number 82 on the blueprint

Virtually tattoo artists are in fact artists. They want to tattoo y'all with their own art and not somebody else'south. This isn't just a creative preference. Tattooers generally accept perfected a certain style (or styles). Their best designs and their best execution will exist in this style(s). They want to be confident and and proud of your tattoo. That's not possible if you give excessive direction or if y'all force the artist outside of his/her core styles. Also, remember that skilful artists won't copy another artist's pattern so don't ask.

Don't send them a picture show of some other artist's piece of work and say "I want this tattoo".
Don't be surprised if the creative person does not want to tattoo in a fashion that is not his/her own.
Practice share reference images for the subject matter yous like.
Do share reference images from the artist's ain portfolio and say "I like the style you used here."

Be as specific as you need to be. Non more or less.

Artists honey information technology when you requite them artistic liberty but don't do it unless you really practice want them to brand all creative decisions. If y'all have something specific in heed, tell them.

Don't tell the artist "you take complete freedom" so come to the shop and make a lot of corrections.
Do tell the artist any specifics you take in mind earlier he/she works on the blueprint!

New tattoos are always a better pick than "adding on" to, or modifying an existing tattoos.

Near artists would rather not work with some other artist's tattoo. It adds constraints to their design potential and it forces them to either: (a) Vandalize an existing, nice tattoo or (b) Have their work seen aslope an existing ugly tattoo. Either fashion, this won't exist a portfolio slice and won't get the best work from the artist. Consider: do y'all really need your existing tattoo to keep growing and condign more and more of a Frankenstein's Monster? Or can you offer new existent manor to each artist?

Cover-ups are a different story. If you demand a cover-up, you lot need a coverup. Non all artists are technically capable of good embrace-ups and not all artists like to practise them considering of the additional constraint but information technology's always worth asking.

Don't think of your tattoo every bit a firm you lot are continually remodelling.
Do call back of tattoos more like paintings you are commissioning. Give the artist a clean canvass.
Do consider going back to the same creative person for modifying or touching upwardly an existing tattoo.

Don't design past committee

At that place's nothing worse than customers who bring an opinionated friend or loved i to "help" them with design decisions. You hired the artist to assist yous with design. Adding a tertiary political party can complicate the already-delicate balance of creative person/client in the design process. The more opinions y'all solicit, the harder and more confusing the process will be. Merely you know what you want and the creative person can help you.

Don't bring a friend or spouse to speak for you.
Don't text photos of the design to friends asking for their stance.
Exercise tell your opinionated friends to quiet down if they become too involved in your tattoo design process.

Ii. The Day of Your Tattoo

Limit your party to yourself + 1 max

Speaking of bringing others with you lot… consider visiting the store alone for your engagement. Most shops are limited in their space and cannot adjust your friends. Not but that, your friends might think it sounds fun to be at the shop while you get tattooed, but it'south non. Your friends volition exist bored.

Don't bring extra people with you to be tattooed without asking the shop first. Most shops don't want your friends sleeping in the waiting expanse while you get tattooed.
Do limit your political party to merely you or ane other if you must and encourage your friends to go exercise something while you get tattooed so they don't slumber in the waiting expanse.

Let the creative person concentrate while yous get tattooed

Even the well-nigh experienced artists need to limit stressors during their tattooing. Tattooing requires intense concentration. Some artists love to gab while tattooing simply others adopt to be quiet. Allow the artist have the lead or ask them what they prefer.

Do bring a book to read or movie to picket provided y'all can do it without moving.
Do let your artist have the lead on whether or not to talk.
Don't stare at the tattoo while your artist is working. This is stressful.
Don't talk too much unless your artit is the chatty one.

Sit still!

For obvious reasons, y'all never want to motion while at that place is a tattoo needle inking your skin. If you lot might have trouble with pain, consider a numbing foam in advance of getting tattooed (inquire your artist kickoff). If yous're jumpy, you're wasting tattooing time and risking mistakes. Generally though, you're stressing out the artist which tin mean not getting their best piece of work.

Don't move unexpectedly.
Don't talk if y'all're getting your ribs tattooed.
Practise let the artist know if yous need to move or stretch.
Exercise let the artist know If yous call back the article of furniture tin be adjusted to be more than comfortable.
Do consider topical numbing cream in advance of your tattoo if you lot're worried about tolerating the pain (enquire the creative person first though)

Tipping

It is customary to tip tattoo artists just like (in the United states of america) information technology is customary to tip eating house wait staff. Considering it's customary, not tipping is seen as a sign of being dissatisfied with your tattoo.

Do expect to tip when budgeting for your tattoo.
Do tip the artist straight and in cash.
Do tip big (e.g. xx%+) if you beloved your tattoo.
Do talk to your creative person whenever you feel something isn't being handled well (consultation, pattern, etc). A minor tip (or no tip) shouldn't be the only sign that you are dissatisfied.

III. After you lot've been tattooed

Aftercare

There are many different aftercare procedures out in that location. E'er follow the creative person's own aftercare instructions because yous and the artist are both responsible for the quality of your tattoo.

Do make certain to get precise instructions for aftercare from your creative person.
Do experience OK to ask questions during the healing process if something seems wrong.
Do a piffling research about healing tattoos to know what'southward normal. Scabbing is normal. Ink on the cast is normal. Looking faded in the first couple of weeks is normal.

Touch-ups

Most tattoos will not need touching up — at least for many years. However, sometimes ink does fall out or fade. This can happen for many reasons. The artist'south tattoo technique matters merely information technology's only half the story. Healing/fading is also affected by aftercare, your biological science, the placement on the body (bendy parts similar wrists, elbows, fingers, etc volition fade more and faster). Most tattoo artists volition touch upward their work for free if it'due south needed and if it's not the outcome of your aftercare. Make sure to ask your artist almost touch ups.

Practise wait xxx days before even considering a touch-up. Tattoos tin can expect less-than-perfect while healing and need 30 days to be completely healed.
Do take skillful care of your tattoo following artist instructions and avoiding any stiff sunday exposure, rubbing, or soaking of the tattoo area while it's healing.
Don't look the tattoo ink to await as vibrant every bit information technology did the day of your tattoo. Tattoo ink sits under the top layer of skin so, once healed, you'll be looking at the ink through the top layer of pare.
Don't be confrontational with the artist about your touch-up. Your artist cares every bit much as you do nearly the tattoo looking not bad so in that location'southward no reason to take an ambitious posture if y'all have concerns about your tattoo.