Questions to Ask a Tattoo Artist
For the booking message, the consultation and the morning of the appointment: what you need to ask the tattoo artist and the tattoo shop, grouped by the artist's work, your design, price and booking, the shop and its safety, the day itself and aftercare. Each has a short note on what a good answer sounds like or what to ask next. If this is your first, the general questions to ask about tattoos (how much it hurts, how it will age, how it heals) sit under On the day, Design and Aftercare. Tattoo artists ask questions too, so the guide below covers what yours will want to know from you.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Artist
Can I see your portfolio, including photos of healed tattoos?
Why ask it
A fresh tattoo is photographed at its darkest and crispest, usually under studio lights. Healed photos from six months or a year on show how the lines and shading settle, and having them to hand suggests past clients were happy to come back and be photographed.
How much of your work is in the style I want?
Why ask it
Most artists are strong in one or two styles and competent in others. An honest answer, such as mostly blackwork with a handful of realism pieces, lets you decide knowingly. Be wary of a claim to do every style equally well when the portfolio does not back it up.
How long have you been tattooing, and how did you learn?
Why ask it
An apprenticeship under a working artist is the traditional route in, and it is where hygiene habits get taught alongside line work. Years alone prove little, so hold a ten-year artist and a three-year artist to the same healed photos.
What do you most enjoy tattooing?
Why ask it
People tend to do their best work on the pieces they want to do. If your idea sits close to what they love, expect more care in the drawing. If it sits far from it, ask whether someone else in the shop would suit it better, and do not take the referral as a brush-off.
Do you do custom designs, flash, or both?
Why ask it
Flash is a design the artist has already drawn and offers as it is, often at a set price, while custom work is drawn for you and usually takes longer to quote and book. If it matters to you, ask whether a flash piece is tattooed once or repeated on other people.
Is there anything you will not tattoo?
Why ask it
Hands, necks and faces on a first-timer, a partner's name and lettering below a certain size are common refusals, and every artist has their own list. Hearing it early saves a wasted consultation, and the reasons show how they think about work that has to last.
Do you take cover-ups or reworks of old tattoos?
Why ask it
Cover-ups are a skill of their own: the new piece generally has to be darker and larger than what it hides, and plenty of artists do not take them. Send a clear, well-lit photo of the old one first, then ask how much freer the design could be if the old ink were lightened beforehand.
Design
Would you change anything about my design to make it work as a tattoo?
Why ask it
Wanting to alter your reference is a good sign here, not an insult to your idea. Drawings that look right on paper can be too fine or too crowded for skin, so ask what they would thicken, simplify or leave out, and why.
Will this hold at the size I want, or does it need to be bigger?
Why ask it
Lines spread a little as a tattoo settles, so tiny lettering and tightly packed detail can blur together over the years. Being told the piece needs to be larger or simpler costs the artist an easy yes, which is a reason to trust it.
Will I see the drawing before the appointment, or on the day?
Why ask it
Practices vary widely: some artists send a drawing days ahead, others draw on the morning, and some draw straight onto skin. None of these is wrong, but if you expect to approve artwork in advance and yours works freehand on the day, you need to know before you arrive.
If I want changes to the drawing, how does that work?
Why ask it
Find out how many rounds of changes are normal, whether a full redraw costs extra, and when it becomes too late to alter anything. It is much easier to object to a drawing in an email than to a stencil with the artist standing over you, so agree the route while there is still time to use it.
Can you tattoo a design I found online, or would you redraw it?
Why ask it
Many artists redraw instead of copying, partly so the piece fits your body and partly because lifting another tattooer's custom design is frowned on in the trade. Bring the image as a reference and say what you like about it. Someone happy to trace another person's tattoo line for line deserves a second thought.
Where on my body would you put this, and why?
Why ask it
Have them hold the stencil or a printout against two or three spots before you settle on one. A design that looks right flat can bend over a joint or look lost on a broad area like a thigh, and the reasons you hear are mostly about how it moves with you, which a mirror selfie will not show.
How will this age where I want it?
Why ask it
Hands, fingers, feet and elbows have a reputation for fading or blurring sooner, and skin that stretches or sees a lot of sun changes a piece over time. Listen for an answer about the tattoo in ten years, not the photo on the day.
Would you do this in colour or black and grey, and how will it read on my skin tone?
Why ask it
Colour and contrast sit differently from one skin tone to the next, and pale or pastel shades tend to be the first to lose their strength. Ask for healed examples on skin close to yours. A good answer is a plan for the palette, not a promise that it will match the reference.
Can you tattoo over this scar, mole or stretch mark?
Why ask it
The answer should come after a close look at the mark itself. Scar tissue can take ink unevenly and generally needs to be fully healed first, and many artists design around a mole so that any change in it stays visible. Show a doctor any mole you are unsure about before you book.
How will this sit with the tattoos I already have, or the ones I plan to add?
Why ask it
A single piece dropped in the middle of a forearm can make a later sleeve awkward, and two styles side by side can fight each other. Mention future plans even if they are vague, since this one can be angled or sized to leave usable space around it.
Can we check the spelling, dates and script together before the stencil goes on?
Why ask it
What is on the stencil is what gets tattooed, so read it aloud, character by character, before it touches skin. For anything in a language you do not read, have a fluent speaker confirm it before the appointment, not from the chair.
Is there anything about this that you would talk me out of?
Why ask it
Give them explicit permission to object, and take it seriously if they do. Reservations about size, placement or how close a piece sits to existing work often go unsaid, because a paying client rarely asks to hear them.
Price and booking
Do you do a consultation first, and is there a charge for it?
Why ask it
Some artists consult in person, some by video, and many handle it all through a booking form and email. Where there is a fee, check whether it comes off the price of the tattoo, and ask what to send ahead so the time goes on the design and not on the basics.
Do you charge by the hour or by the piece, and what is your minimum?
Why ask it
With an hourly rate the cost of a slow session lands on you, and with a set price it lands on the artist. The shop minimum matters for small pieces, which can cost more than their size suggests. Then ask what happens if the work runs over the estimate, since that is the figure that surprises people.
Can you give me a price range for the whole piece, and what would push it higher?
Why ask it
A range is fairer to ask for than a single figure, because size, detail and how well you sit all move the hours. If they cannot estimate until the drawing is done, find out whether that number arrives before or after you pay the deposit.
What deposit do you take, and what happens to it if I need to move the appointment?
Why ask it
Deposits are common and often come off the final price, but confirm both, along with how much notice keeps the deposit safe when you reschedule. Get the terms in a message or on the booking form, so nobody is relying on memory three months later.
What happens if you are the one who has to cancel?
Why ask it
Artists get ill and machines break, so this is a fair question and not a hostile one. You are listening for two things: that the deposit carries over to the new date without argument, and how much warning they would try to give if you are travelling in.
How do you take payment, and when is the balance due?
Why ask it
Some studios are cash only and others add a fee for cards, which is an unwelcome discovery at the end of a six-hour sitting. On work that runs over several sessions, ask whether you pay as you go or settle at the end.
Is tipping expected here?
Why ask it
Customs differ sharply by country and sometimes by studio: in some places a tip is assumed, in others it would be a surprise. If asking the artist directly feels awkward, ask whoever handles the bookings.
How many sessions will this take, and how far apart?
Why ask it
Larger work needs healing time between sittings, so the timeline can run to months. Bring up any date you have in mind, such as a wedding or a holiday, at this point, because the gap between sessions is set by how your skin heals and not by your calendar.
How far ahead are you booking, and do you keep a cancellation list?
Why ask it
Sought-after artists often open their books in batches and can be full for months, so the wait may decide your timing more than your budget does. A cancellation list is only worth joining if you could take a slot at a day or two's notice.
Do I need to bring ID, and is there a minimum age?
Why ask it
Minimum ages and parental consent rules are set by law and differ by country and state, and many studios add a stricter limit of their own. Ask exactly what they need to see, because arriving without the right document usually costs you the slot.
Shop and safety
Can I come in and look around the shop before I book?
Why ask it
A visit shows what a feed of photos cannot: how the stations are kept, whether the people working look rushed, and how you are spoken to at the counter. Go at a quiet hour, since an artist in the middle of a session cannot stop to talk.
Which artist in the shop would you put on a piece like this?
Why ask it
The front desk knows who does fine lettering, who does bold traditional work and who has room in their diary. Treat the name as a lead and then look at that person's own healed photos, because a shop's page mixes everyone's work together.
Do you take walk-ins, or is everything by appointment?
Why ask it
Walk-in work is usually small, simple pieces or flash, done by whoever is free that day. For a particular artist or a custom drawing you will almost always need an appointment, so say which of the two you are after before you turn up.
Do I book through the shop or with the artist directly?
Why ask it
Some shops run one diary from the front desk. In others each artist rents a chair and handles their own messages, deposits and prices, so the shop's phone cannot tell you much. The answer is also who you contact when a date has to move.
Do apprentices tattoo here, and would I be told if one was doing mine?
Why ask it
Apprentice work is often cheaper and done under supervision, which can be a fair trade on a simple design. It should be something you choose, though, so ask who supervises and how the price differs.
Is there a private room or a screen for placements I would not want on show?
Why ask it
Plenty of shops are one open room with a window onto the street, and a piece on the ribs or hip means being partly uncovered for hours. Asked ahead, most can offer a screen, a station at the back or a quieter time of day.
Is the shop step-free, and can the chair be adjusted if I cannot hold one position for long?
Why ask it
Studios are often up a flight of stairs or down in a basement, and that rarely shows in the photos. Mention a bad back, a stiff joint or a wheelchair when you book, so the artist can plan the position and the breaks instead of improvising on the day.
Are you and the studio licensed, and is the certificate current?
Why ask it
What has to be licensed, the artist, the premises or both, depends on the country and often the region, so ask how it works where the studio is and whether the place is inspected. A professional studio hears this all the time. Irritation at being asked is an answer in itself.
Have you done bloodborne pathogen training, and is it up to date?
Why ask it
Whether this training is a condition of the licence or voluntary depends on where the studio is, so ask what applies locally. Knowing roughly when they last renewed it suggests infection control is treated as part of the craft and not as paperwork.
How do you set up and clean your station between clients?
Why ask it
Listen for the unglamorous details: surfaces wiped down, the machine, cables and bottles wrapped in fresh barrier film, ink poured into new caps, gloves changed whenever they touch something off the tray. Ask if you can watch the setup, since careful people are usually glad to narrate it.
Are your needles single use, and do you open them in front of me?
Why ask it
Needles and cartridges should come out of sealed, in-date packaging at the start of your appointment and go into a sharps container at the end. If a packet is already open when you sit down, ask for a fresh one. A professional will not mind.
Is anything you use on me reused, and how is it sterilised?
Why ask it
Many studios now run fully disposable setups, in which case the answer is simply no. Where grips or tubes are reused, the usual method is an autoclave, and it is fair to ask how they check that it is working. A tidy room tells you nothing about this, which is why it is worth saying out loud.
What inks do you use, and do you know what is in them?
Why ask it
Worth asking if you have reacted to a tattoo before, have a known pigment allergy, or want vegan ink. Rules on tattoo inks differ between countries and some pigments are restricted in certain places, so the useful reply names the brand and lets you look it up.
What else goes on my skin besides ink, like soap, ointment or bandage adhesive?
Why ask it
When a reaction is not to the ink, the usual suspects are latex gloves, the cleaning soap, the ointment or the adhesive on the bandage. Name any allergy when you book and not on the day, so the studio has time to get an alternative in.
Is there anything about my health or medication you need to know?
Why ask it
Blood thinners, diabetes, skin conditions, a tendency to keloid scars, allergies and pregnancy are the kind of thing a consent form asks about, and a careful artist raises them before you do. If one applies to you, check with your doctor before booking and do not lean on the studio's judgement alone.
On the day
How should I prepare the day before?
Why ask it
Expect something about a full night's sleep, a real meal, plenty of water, no alcohol and no sun on the area. If the studio has a prep sheet, ask for it when you book, because the details are easy to lose track of by the night before.
Should I shave the area myself, or leave that to you?
Why ask it
The usual practice is for the artist to shave the spot with a new disposable razor just before the stencil goes on. A nick or razor rash from the night before can mean working around broken skin, which is why many would prefer you left it alone. Check on fake tan and heavy moisturiser at the same time.
Is there any reason I should postpone, like a cold, a sunburn or a skin flare-up?
Why ask it
Artists generally will not work on sunburnt, broken or irritated skin, and most would sooner rebook you than tattoo someone who is unwell. Find out now what counts and whether the deposit moves with you, so that calling it off on the morning is an easy decision.
What should I wear, and what should I bring?
Why ask it
It depends on the placement: something that leaves the area clear without leaving you half undressed for hours, in a fabric you would not mind getting ink on. Water, a snack, a charger and an extra layer for when you get cold are the usual additions for a long sitting.
Can I bring someone with me?
Why ask it
Policies run from one quiet guest to nobody at all, mostly because the rooms are small and a restless friend distracts both of you. If you want company for nerves, say that when you ask: some artists let a guest stay for the stencil and the first few minutes, then send them for coffee.
How long will the session run, setup and stencil included?
Why ask it
You want a figure for the whole visit, not just the time under the needle, so you can plan food, parking and the trip home. Pacing is worth a follow-up on a long sitting: some artists build in a break every hour or two, others stop when you ask.
How long do I get with the stencil before you start?
Why ask it
Stand the way you normally stand, look at it in a full-length mirror and take a photo, since a stencil judged sitting down often looks crooked standing up. Moving it is routine for the artist and costs minutes. After the first line it costs a great deal more.
How much is this placement likely to hurt?
Why ask it
Nobody can predict your threshold, but someone who tattoos that spot regularly knows how clients tend to cope with it and which stretch of the session is roughest. Ribs, spine, feet and anywhere tight over bone come up most often. Hearing it in advance helps you choose between one long sitting and two shorter ones.
Can I use numbing cream, and does it change how you work?
Why ask it
Ask before you put anything on, because opinions are split: some artists are happy with it, some find it changes how the skin takes ink, and it can wear off partway through a long session. If they agree, use the product they name the way its label says, and check with a pharmacist if you take other medication.
Can I wear headphones or watch something while you work?
Why ask it
Most artists are glad of anything that keeps you calm and still, but ask, because some like to check in with you as they go. One practical catch: scrolling a phone with the arm being tattooed moves the muscles under the needle.
What happens if I need to stop partway through?
Why ask it
Light-headedness happens, and long sittings get harder near the end. Agree a plain signal for a break, then ask whether an unfinished piece can be picked up another day and how that would be charged. Settling it in advance makes it far easier to speak up in the moment.
Will you photograph the tattoo, and can I say no to it being posted?
Why ask it
Portfolios are built from client work, and most artists ask before they post. If you would prefer to keep your face, your name or the whole piece off their feed, say so before the session, when it is a preference and not a takedown request.
Aftercare
What aftercare do you want me to follow, and for how long?
Why ask it
Routines differ from one artist to the next, and the person who did the work knows what they used on your skin and how hard they worked it. If the advice is only "keep it clean," ask for specifics on washing, products and timing, ideally on a sheet you can take home.
Which bandage or film do you use, and when do I take it off?
Why ask it
Adhesive film is often left on for days while plain wrap comes off in hours, and the instructions for one do not carry over to the other. Have the timing written down, along with what to do if fluid collects under the film or an edge lifts early.
Which products do you recommend, and is there anything I should keep off it?
Why ask it
Ask for names: which soap, which moisturiser, and how thin a layer they mean, because more is not better on healing skin. The list of things to avoid matters just as much, and it tends to include scented lotions and whatever a friend swears by.
What does healing look like week by week, and what would worry you?
Why ask it
You want the normal course described, peeling, itching, dullness before it settles, and the specific signs that mean you should get it looked at. Spreading redness, heat, swelling or fever are for a doctor, not for the artist's inbox.
Can I message you a photo if I am not sure how it is healing?
Why ask it
Plenty of artists would much prefer a photo on day four to a surprise on day fourteen. Ask where to send it and how quickly they tend to reply, and take the picture in daylight with no filter. They can say whether it looks like an ordinary heal, but a diagnosis is a doctor's job.
When can I swim, train and go out in the sun again?
Why ask it
Soaking, heavy sweat and friction, and direct sun are the three things nearly every aftercare sheet restricts, but the number of weeks differs from artist to artist. Get their figure for each, and if a beach trip or a race falls inside it, move the booking, not the rules.
What is your policy on touch-ups?
Why ask it
Many artists offer one free touch-up within a set window, often with exceptions for hands, feet and areas you failed to protect from the sun. Pin down the window and the exclusions, since they decide whether a patchy heal is your cost or theirs.
If you move to another shop, who does my touch-up?
Why ask it
Artists change studios more often than clients expect, and a touch-up promise tends to belong to the artist, not the shop. Ask how you would find them, and whether the shop would put someone else on it if they have moved too far away to visit.
If I am unhappy with how it healed, what would you want me to do?
Why ask it
The answer you are hoping for is: come back and show me. A patchy line or a light spot is ordinary touch-up work, while disliking the design itself is a different conversation, and it helps to know before the day which of those the artist will stand behind.
How do I look after it in the long run?
Why ask it
Sun is the usual culprit when a tattoo fades over the years, so expect the answer to start with sunscreen once the skin has fully healed. Ask as well whether the fine lines or pale colours in your piece are the parts they would expect to refresh one day.
How to approach the consultation
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you contact anyone
Choose the artist by style, not by convenience
Being willing to travel or wait for someone whose existing work already looks like what you want does more for the result than a short drive or an open slot this week. Asking an artist to work outside what they usually do is the bigger gamble.
Bring references, not a finished design
Several images showing the feeling, the density, and the level of detail you want give an artist room to design something that works in skin. A single picture you want copied exactly narrows the job to tracing, and often to tracing another artist's tattoo.
Know your placement and your size, roughly
Point to the spot and say how big you are imagining. It changes the price, the number of sessions and sometimes the design, and vague answers on placement are how consultations end without a plan.
When to ask what
- In your first message: the Artist group, plus the Price and booking questions on consultations, rates and waiting times. They decide whether a consultation is worth having at all.
- At the consultation: Design, with your references in hand and the spot on your body in view.
- Before you pay a deposit: the rest of Price and booking, plus Shop and safety. Much of that group you can check by looking around the shop while you ask.
- In the week before: the On the day questions about preparing, shaving, postponing, clothes and guests. The others in that group can wait for the morning.
- Before you leave the chair: Aftercare. Ask for it in writing, because you will be tired and not at your most attentive.
What your tattoo artist will ask you
In the booking form or at the consultation
Yes, tattoo artists ask you questions, and the first round is about the piece: what you want, where on the body, how big in centimetres or inches, colour or black and grey, and which reference images you like and why. Expect to be asked whether it is your first tattoo, what is already on or near the spot, which dates you can do, and sometimes your budget. Having these answers ready is what turns a vague enquiry into a quote.
On the consent form
Before the session most studios hand you a form asking your age, with ID to match, and a set of health questions: allergies, skin conditions, medication, whether you are pregnant, whether you have eaten, whether you have been drinking. Answer them honestly. The form exists so the artist can decide whether to go ahead, and what the law requires on it differs from place to place.
In the chair
During the session the questions get shorter: is the stencil where you want it, are you comfortable, do you need a break, how are you feeling. These are real questions, not small talk. An artist would much rather stop for five minutes than work on someone who is about to faint.
What to look for in a tattoo shop
- Needles and tubes opened from sealed packaging in front of you.
- Fresh gloves, changed when the artist touches anything else.
- Single-use ink caps, discarded after your session and never topped up for the next person.
- Wrapped machine, cables, lamp and chair, and a clean work surface.
- A visible licence or inspection certificate if your area requires one.
- A sharps container in use, and an artist happy to explain any of the above.
Things people get wrong
Haggling on price
A tattoo quote is mostly the artist's time, so asking for money off is asking for less of it, and many artists will simply pass on the job. If the quote is beyond your budget, ask what a smaller or simpler version would cost, or save up and book later.
Booking around a deadline
A healing tattoo usually means no swimming, no sun on it and nothing tight rubbing against it for a few weeks, so a piece finished days before a holiday or a wedding is a problem. Work backwards from the event, not forwards from today.
Going quiet when the stencil looks wrong
The stencil stage is the last easy moment to change placement, size or angle. Say so then, even if it feels awkward. Repositioning a stencil takes minutes, and a good artist would much rather do that than hear about it afterwards.
Ignoring aftercare instructions in favour of internet advice
Aftercare guidance varies between artists, and both wrapped and dry healing have their advocates. Follow the instructions from the person who did the tattoo, and go to a doctor, not the studio, if you think it is infected.
Settle these before you pay a deposit
- The total price, or the hourly rate plus a realistic estimate of hours.
- What the deposit covers and how much notice you need to give to move the date.
- Whether you will see a drawing in advance, and when changes stop being possible.
- The touch-up window and what is excluded from it.
- How to reach the artist during healing, and what they want you to send them.