It’s more important to be comfortable than to be fashionable. Aim for loose and comfortable clothes, and make sure that the area you're wanting to get tattooed will be easily accessible. Depending on the location of your tattoo (chest, sternum, back, upper thigh, etc.) partial disrobement may be necessary, so bringing a zip-up jacket, loose workout shorts, bikini top, or pasties is never a bad idea.

The best large pieces always begin with a cohesive plan, not just bits and pieces loosely tied together. We can do a sleeve or back piece with existing work in place, but it will always look better when you come in with a plan and allow the same artist to help bring that plan to fruition for you.

Book a consultation with one of our artists, bring reference pictures, and be prepared to discuss options and ideas.

Be aware, it’s going to take multiple sessions and cost you upwards of $1,000 to even come close to doing a sleeve. Plan ahead and save your money so that you can tackle these large pieces as they are investments and commitments.

• Take a shower

• Wear comfortable clothes that allow access to the area you want tattooed

• Don’t bring your kids. No really, don’t bring them.

• Bring all of the necessary documentation (Photo ID, Birth Certificate for minors getting pierced, etc.)

• Good work costs money - so bring it!

• Eat before you come in

• Hydrate the day before and day of

• If you’re diabetic plan for a crash (and prepare yourself!)

• Be aware that your tattoo idea may need to be adjusted by your artist to make sure it will stand the test of time

You should not get tattooed when you are:

• Drunk

• High

• Pregnant

• Pre-Surgery

• Post-Surgery

• When you don’t know what you want

• When you can’t afford it

• When you’re sunburned

• When you haven’t showered

• When you have your kids with you

• If you don’t have an ID

• Being pressured into it

• When you’ve been told by us that your idea is bad

In general, getting a tattoo is probably a 3/10 on the pain scale. The best comparison would be having someone draw on you with a ball-point pen over a sunburn. It doesn’t feel good, but it’s more of an intermittent irritation than a constant pain. Some areas are more sensitive than others, however. Remember, a tattoo has more in common with an abrasion than it does with a hypodermic needle shot from the doctor.

This chart shows areas that are more or less likely to be painful:

The majority of your new tattoos healing process will be done within the first two weeks. However, the skin is still working to heal and rejuvenate and you need to plan on a 4-6 weeks for your skin to be back to its previous state.

Often we will have hours of work in drawing and preparing for a tattoo before you sit down in our chair. Deposits help to ensure you make it to your appointment and that we haven’t done hours of work for nothing.

Our shop minimum is $80. You might not realize it, but we go through nearly the same amount of very expensive supplies to do a tattoo the size of a quarter as we do for a tattoo the size of a softball. Everything has to be sterilized, before and after.

You should ALWAYS tip those who provide services for you. Whether it’s your barber/hairstylist, waiter, or the kids with a lemonade stand down the street, if they provide you a service you should tip them. This includes your tattoo artist. Your artist never makes 100% of what you are charged, so make sure to show your artist some love directly.

Hamilton County Health Department determines the ages we are able to work on. You must be 18 years of age. For tattoos, we cannot tattoo minors at all, even with a parent present.

You must be 18 years of age to get pierced by yourself. Parents and/or legal guardians may bring their minor child at their own discretion. If you are a parent/legal guardian wanting to bring your child for a piercing, you MUST bring the child's birth certificate, legal guardianship paperwork if applicable, and your valid ID.

We always encourage people to book an appointment for tattoos of any size. First, this guarantees you will get in at a certain time without potentially waiting for hours. Second, it gives our artists the chance to draw your new tattoo so that it’s 100% unique to you.

Don’t be. Seriously.

If you need to change your appointment, you must do so more than 24 hours in advance. If you are 15 minutes or more late to your appointment, you will loose your deposit and be forced to rebook.

We’ve only ever had a few people do this and it’s a terrible idea.  If you no-show we will keep your deposit. That means your tattoo, if you do get it, will cost you 150% of what it should have cost.