Tattoo tipping

So my tattoo appointment is rapidly approaching, and I'm still nervous, but excited. My question is: tips. Any advice? It's 300 dollars for a four hour session. Should I just go standard 15%? How does this work?

It does depend on if you like it. If you get a total botch job, I wouldn't tip so much.

Don't mean to hijack your thread, but didn't want to create a new one.
Do people tip for piercings?? I'm thinking of getting my septum done.

yes.

You're basically receiving a service. Yes you get jewelry, but the jewelry would be useless without the service of installing it.

I always tip piercers.

I've been tattooing professionally for over 15 years now and the way I see it getting tipped should always be appreciated but never expected. I feel that I get paid well enough for my work and am happy to be able to support myself by doing something that I love.
Tattoos aren't cheap but I would hate to see such a personal form of art and expression become something accessible only to the wealthy. Some people can easily afford to get all of the body art they want to while others have to save hard earned funds just to get a part of their work done.
IMHO any tattooer worth a damn should understand this. To put it plainly, some people just can't afford to throw a tip down on top of the cost of something that is already expensive for them especially when it's a large and costly piece of work, 15% could add up to a lot!

There are also other ways to show your appreciation when you are happy or (ideally) completely overjoyed with your tattoo . For instance, maybe while getting your work done you have a conversation with your artist about music or literature (some of us actually read), you could always drop off a cd or book as a thank you at a later time or even a simple card or e-mail expressing your thanks.

Personally a smile and a handshake works for me, if your happy, I've done my job and I'm happy ..no really, no shit.

I should add that piercing may be a little different as it is not usually so expensive and piercers don't tend to get paid as well for their work mainly due to the swift and efficient nature of most piercing procedures.

Having said all of that, don't let me discourage you from tipping, it is always a nice gesture.

I look at it this way - the shop gets most of the money for the piercing. Tipping the piercer even a couple of dollars is something that goes straight into their pocket.

I had a tattoo done at a convention. When the tat was finished the artist bumped up the price we had agreed on. He said it was because of some changes to the design that had been made mid way through. I didn't tip. The whole thing seemed shakey.

Agree, 100%.
Great response.

When I get anything done, I always find out how much it will cost first, then save for both the price I have been given, and the tip on top of that.

The little extra's make artists happy too from my experience. I always call ahead, find out who's in the shop that day, and bring everyone a coffee, and I'm never in a rush. If they are running a little behind, I'll never be the person to stand there and tap my feet. I've even shown one of their artists how to make life easier with some Photoshop techniques.

It takes me awhile to save for things- I've been in and out of school for the past several years, but I still think that a tip should be something you factor into your tattoo or piercing budget.

This is the way I see it....
...your tattoo artist is one of the two people in the world you need/want to keep happy, the other being yourself. Tip generously.

Yeah. That is a douche move. Was it a significant change, taking a lot longer? Even then, the artist should have said that making this change is going to cost more.

There really doesn't seem to be a hard-and-fast rule on this issue. I've always tipped in the past, but recently, when I've been getting work that takes multiple sessions, I think a frank discussion of tipping at the beginning of the transaction is probably warranted.

I got a 3/4 sleeve started a few months back. The artist (Craig Rodriguez at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn ... AMAZING WORK) refused to accept my tip at the end of the first session. There's going to be several more sessions, and the total bill on the thing will likely be in the $1,000 neighborhood. His take was, I should tip him at the END if I wanted to.

Your relationship with your tattoo artist is not unlike your relationship with your bartender, the more you express your appreciation for their efforts, the more effort they will invest into earning your appreciation. My advise would be to tip and tip GENEROUSLY, especially if you plan on returning to the artist for additional work!! As for a specific percentage, I generally tip according to the amount of time required and how much detail is involved. The price you are quoted for ink is always just an estimate based on how much time and effort the artist estimates the work will require. The LAST thing you want is to be quoted a low ball price which requires the artist to rush the job. Ink is FOREVER, so don't get too caught up in trying shop the work. Also, once you establish a relationship with your artist you can get your work done away from the shop, so he doesn't have to cut the owner in for a percentage. I've had the same artist for the last 10 years and that's how we operate. Last but certainly not least, WHEN you get your work done has a lot to do with what you pay. If you roll in at 10:00PM on Saturday night when the artist is really busy, you'll pay a lot more than if you catch him at 2:00PM on a week day afternoon.

not really, just some changes in highlights and lowlights. The tat turned out well but I wouldn't use the guy again.

My boyfriend is a tattoo artist and he doesnt expect tips either. while they are greatly appreciated he knows that he is already pricing the work at what he thinks his time is worth, and that on top of that tattoos are a luxury.

he also says that his best tips arent the money he recieves. he has gotten books, comics, signed comics, cds, and various baked goods. he loves that kind of stuff.

Tips are not something there is a standard for. Its just about showing thanks. I have clients that tip me really well, and some that dont tip at all. I tattoo them all the best i can with the same amount of care and concern for the work and thier health. That being said:

Its who YOU are as a client, that makes the most differance in my view. I had a client earlier this week that tipped me $100 on a $300 session. Thats great, but this client shows up late, sits badly, and is generally kinda a pain sometimes. I have clients that dont tip at all, or throw me a 20, who sit better, show up on time, and generally treat the process with a greater level of importance. Who would i go further out of my way for? Money is just a whore. It comes and goes, and everyone has had it at one time or another. The client who shows me, in what ever way they can, that they appreciate the level of work and time put in....thats what makes the most differance. Thats the client that i will stay late for, or try to give my better openings to, or take thier drawings home with me to work on durring my days off.

Tip what you can. Sometimes, just bringing in your artist a cup of coffee or lunch means alot. But most important....be a good client. Show up on time, sit well, be patient and TAKE CARE OF YOUR WORK! If i see you out in the sun, not wearing sunblock, with the tattoo we just finished on you....you cant possibly tip me enough to make it up to me.


Rememnber kids, BUYER BEWARE. You get what you pay for, and you get out what you put in. If your in the hands of the right artist, you'll be taken care of reguardless. Do your research, find the right person, and think for a solid thirty seconds about what you say when your artist tells you theres "x amount" of a wait to get an apt. If you cant wait for good work, you dont deserve it.

I just remembered one of the best "tips" that you can give your artist - more work. My artist appreciates tips, but appreciates it more when I refer work to him.

bartenders and my artist get the best tips.

Well spoken...I fall under the category of "hard earned tattoo money" and I also have a lot of work that has been done and still to BE done. I have a great artist with whom I have many a meaningful conversation. We also share a lot of comical moments as well. She owns a private studio and does all of the work herself but her prices are a little higher than most shops around town. She takes the utmost pride in her work and puts a lot of draw time and research into almost everything that she does. I am not always in a position to tip but when I do, I make it count. She told me that her biggest form of appreciation comes when every month, I send several new clients her way because of the word of mouth advertising I do. I rave about her art to anyone who is even remotely interested in getting work done.

my thoughts on tipping- i work in a tipping industry, so i always tip at least 15%... i know with tatoos that can add up fast, and i normally get tattooed in session, so i try to factor in the tip as i go, and tip 15%-20% each session. i also agree though, that sometimes other gifts- records, comics, baked goods ect, can be a better tip for the artist (depending on how well you know them) than a cash tip. people like thoughtful! great thread topic btw <3

Like everyone else has been saying, tipping isn't quite an exact science. Some artists are total jerks about tipping and others are extremely grateful for just tattooing you and tipping doesn't even cross their minds. I, myself, try to tip whatever I can afford at the time IF the work deserves tipping. I also have started bringing in baked goods and things like that with origami dollar bills decorating them and that has blown more piercing and tattoo artists out of the water than just plain tipping has! With that said, I do feel that generously spreading the word to others about the artist or shop is definitely another form of tipping because you are advertising them for free not out of a contract but because you want to.

Honestly, there are a million ways to make an artist happy through "tipping" that doesn't even involve actual money. Creativity always stands out and who doesn't love making friends with their shops and artists?

And don't forget, even though in our current time tipping is turning into something that is expected you should always remember that it reflects what you thought of them and at the end of the day is considered something extra.

I give what I can as cash, and then I always spread the word to all my friends and internet buddies looking to get work done. After I got my most recent ink, quite a few people took my lead and went to my artist because I spoke so highly of him. When I went in for a touch up, he thanked me for the extra business, and that felt good.

I like this topic I bought a kit for myself recently. I got tired of drawing up designs for other people to go somewhere else to get done. I figured I'd try to do it myself But It never occurred to me to tip. Officially, my Tattoo guy should be hella happy though. My last "tip" was half a box of fresh Cohiba's from my trip to Panama. Not the little ones either. Will remember this though for the next time I go.