Pricing

In the tattoo industry, you will likely find that artists have different ways of pricing their work. How artists determine price is dependent on a variety of factors:

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• The artist’s experience, skill, and specializations

• Amount of design and prep time for custom pieces

• The estimated time it will take to complete the tattoo

• The placement of the tattoo

• The style of tattoo

• Level of detail desired for the tattoo

Some artists price by piece, others may have an hourly rate. Some may do both depending on the piece. Hourly rates are generally $100-$200/hour depending on the experience and skill of the artist as well as the other aforementioned factors. Artists may opt to offer half-day or full day rates as well. 

Tattooists will typically charge a deposit for your appointment. This deposit amount may vary depending on the piece, and may or may not be applied toward the total cost of the tattoo. In many cases of custom pieces, the deposit is not applied to the overall cost of the tattoo but acts as compensation to cover the multiple hours of design and prep time. Deposits are typically non-refundable but this decision is ultimately at the artist’s discretion. 

For walk-in clients that are able to receive services same day, deposits are not required. 

In the state of Indiana, there is no law pertaining to age restrictions and tattoos. However, professional tattoo shops and artists will often set age restrictions and other stipulations when providing services to a minor. These requirements regarding the tattooing of minors may be determined by the shop or by the individual artist and may include the subject matter, placement, and size. At The Illustrated Man, we will not tattoo anyone under the age of 15, but the actual age requirements are set according to artists.

Shop minimums are often set by either the shop or artist. Some artists may have a high minimum because they only would like to do larger pieces, but for those with a varied clientele or a large number of walk-in’s, a shop minimum is typically set. This minimum typically runs from $60 to $100. At The Illustrated Man, our shop minimum is $80. 

Flash days may be an exception to typical pricing and shop minimums. These days are reserved for tattooing only a certain collection of small to medium tattoos and may have restrictions regarding placement. The designs for these flash days are typically available prior to the event and clients are tattooed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some flash days are very busy and may require hours of wait time, while others may be slower. You can always ask how many people are ahead of you to get an idea of wait time.