Why the cheapest tattoos are a big mistake.
This is a comprehensive guide to the pricing of tattoos and why “cheapest tattoos” should never be an option.
“How much does a tattoo cost? “I hear this question a lot in our tattoo studio or via email. The client has yet to provide any other information on design, size, or placement, which are some of the different factors involved in giving a quote.
The other day, I was looking through our studio’s Google Analytics and seeing what search terms our shop is showing up in. I was amazed that one of the most searched-for terms was “What are the cheapest tattoo shops in my area?”. Not much surprises me these days, but this one did, so I felt the need to write this article.
I don’t necessarily blame the first-time tattoo consumer. The seasoned tattoo collector generally knows what they like and can tell a good tattoo from a bad one.
When you look for inspiration on Google or Pinterest, 90% of the tattoos are poorly done. If this is your expectation of what a “good” tattoo is, then it is hard to gauge what is good and what is not.
When I say “Good,” I mean a well-executed tattoo. Tattoo style is subjective, and everyone has different tastes.
In short, Tattoos should not be cheap and you should be willing to pay what it costs to get a high-quality tattoo in a reputable tattoo shop.
Never should our google search be “what is the cheapest tattoos in my area”
WHY YOU SHOULD NOT BE LOOKING FOR THE “CHEAPEST” TATTOOs.
No one wants a crap tattoo, and good tattoos don’t come cheap.
There are many reasons why good tattoos cost a lot of money, which I’ll discuss shortly. If you want a well-done tattoo, you should expect to pay higher rates. Since the popularity of tattooing in the mainstream, people have been shopping around for the best deal on a tattoo.
We will get emails like, “I’m just shopping around for a quote…”
We give a rough quote, knowing we won’t hear from that person again because they will be able to find someone down the road to do their tattoo for half the price. Occasionally, we might hear back asking, “Do you do cover-ups?”. As a result, they end up paying well over the cost of the tattoo we originally quoted.
A tattoo will be on your body for the rest of your life, so you want to be proud and feel good about wearing it.
I have met many people over the years who have an awful tattoo that they struggle to live with. Although rare, some people are so ashamed of their tattoos that they won’t sit on a beach in swimwear or do other things that involve exposing that tattoo for the rest of the world to see.
It’s worth noting that you can pay a premium for a tattoo and not get the best results. I always encourage people to educate themselves on what quality work is and always check the artist’s portfolio before making a booking.
There is no way around it; a cheap tattoo will get you a low-quality tattoo.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES TO GETTING A CHEAP TATTOO BY AN INEXPERIENCED ARTIST?
Below are the potential risks if your search term is “Cheapest tattoos in my area.”
- Scarring
- Colour drop out during healing
- Excessively blown-out lines
- Needing a cover-up
- Tattoo removal
- Unprofessional experience.
- Higher risk of cross-contamination and infection.
- Slower healing process
FACTORS THAT AFFECT TATTOO PRICE.
I will point out some of the most significant factors that affect tattoo prices.
The price range will vary from county to county and town to town, depending on the cost of living. I’m pointing out the universal factors that explain why a quality tattoo costs as much as it does and what to consider before enquiring about a tattoo.
-TATTOO ARTIST’S EXPERIENCE
Getting tattooed by an experienced artist will and should cost a premium.
This “premium” will vary depending on where the tattooer is located, how long they have been tattooing and how in demand they are. Either way, you will be paying what that artist is worth.
Let’s take myself as an example. Not to boost my ego; it’s just an easy example.
I charge £90 per hour. A fairly standard rate, give or take £10 an hour unless you’re getting tattooed in London, New York or any other major city. Then you can expect to pay £120 per hour and up.
The reason I charge that amount is because I have been tattooing for nearly 20 years.
You are paying for 20 years of expertise and dedication to my craft. It is mostly what I think about day in and day out. Every day, I’m still honing my skills, drawing and painting, and working hard to get better at what I do.
I am passionate, and I love tattooing.
These are a few reasons why I charge what I do. I can sleep at night knowing that every client is getting professional service and value for their money.
-SIZE OF THE TATTOO
To some, this may seem so obvious I shouldn’t be pointing it out.
The time it takes to do a small palm-sized tattoo compared to a full sleeve is light years apart (not literally). If a palm-sized traditional rose tattoo takes, say, 1.5 hours and a Japanese sleeve takes 40 hours, for example, and both tattoos are charged at an hourly rate, then it goes without saying that the sleeve tattoo will cost a lot more money.
-COST OF MATERIALS AND RUNNING A BUSINESS
When you pay for a tattoo, you are not only paying for the artist to apply the tattoo; that £90 per hour doesn’t go into the artist’s pocket.
Many overheads go into running a tattoo studio and producing a tattoo. This has to be accounted for in order to run a business and earn the living that the artist deserves.
All materials involved in making a tattoo are disposable for obvious reasons.
An experienced tattoo artist will always use the best quality materials possible—everything from cling film, kitchen roll, needles, and ink caps. The needles are used once per tattoo and disposed of after use. The overhead of making a tattoo is very high.
If you are searching for the “cheapest tattoos in my area” the materials used will be of low quality, resulting in a less-than-average tattoo.
-COMPLEXITY OF THE DESIGN
Let’s take one person for this example and the exact size tattoo.
Like most other human beings, this person has two legs. The left leg is blacked out, and the right leg is a Japanese sleeve. The left leg is going to be considerably quicker.
There is no detail in the blacked-out leg! The tattooing process involves lots of black ink, one huge shading needle and you go to town on that leg.
The opposite can be said for the Japanese tattoo, which is a complex design. A lot of drawing and preparation goes into this tattoo beforehand. A lot is drawn on with pen, and the tattoo has more detail overall. This type of tattoo takes a lot longer and affects the final price.
-LOCATION OF THE TATTOO
A small tattoo on the forearm can be much quicker and take less time than a small tattoo on the ribs.
This will depend on several factors, including how well you sit. All body parts have a different pain level, and everyone feels it differently. Generally, the ribs are a sensitive area and hurt more. If this is the case for you, they can take longer to tattoo.
This example is based on whether you are charged by the hour rather than given a price for the tattoo.
The most painful places to be tattooed require the artist to slow down a little. Again, this compassion only comes from the artist’s experience and commitment to the trade.
TATTOO PRICING STRUCTURE
Various price structures affect the price of your tattoo.
-MINIMUM CHARGE
Every shop has a minimum charge that seems to range from £40 up to £100.
This could be described as a set-up charge. Remember that all materials are disposable, used only once, and cost money. Also, the artist’s time has to be taken into account.
So, if you get a dot tattooed on you, which takes one second of tattoo time, you will be charged the shop’s minimum rate.
-FLAT RATE
A flat rate is charged for tattoos that are smaller and done in one session.
In our shop, generally, tattoos that take less than four hours are charged a flat rate. Anything over four hours is charged at an hourly rate.
-HOURLY RATE
Large-scale tattoos are charged at an hourly rate.
Sleeves, back pieces, body suites or anything else that takes multiple sessions are charged hourly. It’s very hard to put an exact time scale on how long a tattoo of this size can take. Being charged by the hour is the most efficient and fair way to price a tattoo for the client and artist.
WHY THE AVERAGE COST OF A TATTOO IS MEANINGLESS
When doing a quick Google search for tattoo prices, I found plenty of articles about the “Average cost of a tattoo.”
I wanted to mention this as it’s misleading to the consumer. There isn’t an average cost of a tattoo. What we charge for a tattoo in our shop will be completely different to what another person will charge two streets away and completely different again in LA or another major city.
From town to town, you can expect an average cost per hour to be roughly the same unless you live in a city. Then, you can expect to pay a higher price per hour but to say, “A sleeve will cost roughly this” or a “back piece will cost roughly that” is completely wrong. Your best bet would be not to pay any attention to these articles. They are generally written by people who are not tattoo artists or, at the very least, are inexperienced tattooers who are unaware of the various factors involved in making a good tattoo.
There are so many variables that affect what an artist charges.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON LOOKING FOR THE “CHEAPEST TATTOOS”
In summary, If you want a tattoo but are searching for the “cheapest tattoos in my area” quote, that’s fine, just don’t expect a quality tattoo.
Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. Good tattoos do cost a lot of money and so they should. A tattoo is on you for the rest of your life. Once it is on you, it’s very hard to “polish a turd”, leaving you with a less than desirable results.
If you are getting your first tattoo, do your research, check portfolios and ask around for the reputation of the tattoo artist.
Please do not choose your artist based on lower rates. A tattoo is not disposable and shouldn’t be treated like an accessory that you would wear out on a Saturday night. The quality of your tattoo matters.