Pricing

 

 

 

Pricing at Tattooed Heart Studios

Shop Minimum – $80

Deposit for Tattoo Appointment – $80 and up

Charge for Custom Tattoo Artwork / Drawing Fee – NONE

Pricing Per Artist at Tattooed Heart Studios

John Garancheski – $180/Hour

Paul Natale – $150/ Hour

Amy Nicholls – $150/ Hour

**Scalable hourly pricing for the above artists is based on different factors, many which are explained below.**

How Much Do Tattoos Cost?

Are you thinking of getting a tattoo? Before you make a decision, it is important that you know how much tattoos cost first. This will help you prepare your finances as well as help avoid last minute surprises.


Typical Tattoo Cost

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin.

Quality tattoos are not cheap. Especially if you want bigger ones, the cost can easily rise up to thousands of dollars. The typical cost of a tattoo starts from $120 to $200 per hour for the tattoo artist’s rate. Meaning, the longer your tattoo is worked on by the artist, the higher the cost will become. An average one session tattoo at our studio takes anywhere from 2 – 4 hours to complete.

Some tattoo pricing is not done by the hour. Instead, clients pay per project. However, with this kind of pricing, the lowest rate you can get a tattoo for is $80 for even the smallest tattoo, such as a small dot. This is the minimum rate in most tattoo studios anywhere you go.

We cannot quote you an exact price until you choose the design you want to ink on your body. Hence, the best way to know the exact price of your tattoo is to pick a design and location on your body for the tattoo, show it to an artist, and ask for the price quote.

 

Factors Affecting Pricing

Tattoo costs usually vary due to several factors. Here are the most common factors that directly affect tattoo prices:

  • Size. Average tattoo prices are determined usually by size. The bigger the tattoo, the higher the price will become. This is true because the bigger the tattoo, the more work there is to do for the artist. Size is usually not the only determinant of the actual price of getting a tattoo as there are a lot of other factors than can affect the cost of tattoo designs.
  • Placement. The place where you want to be inked will more often than not determine the price of tattoos. The more sensitive the area is, the higher the price can become. Least sensitive areas include the calves, shoulder blades, outer thighs, buttocks, upper arms, and forearms. Sensitive areas, on the other hand, are the lower back, neck, underarm, ankles, head, and groin area. The most sensitive areas and probably will cost higher include the genitals, ribs, sternum, feet, and hands. Usually the increased price is not because of the area itself, but rather the time or effort it can take to complete a tattoo in a sensitive or difficult area.
  • Design. Simple tattoo designs come cheap, usually $80 to $120. This is true because the overall work time of a simple tattoo design can be less than an hour. On the other hand, complex tattoo designs can cost a lot higher.
  • Artist. Professional tattoo artists usually charge more per hour or per work. This is in exchange for a guarantee of a good quality work. A cheaper hourly rate does not necessarily mean that the quality of the work will be less though. Some tattoo artists work slower which can lower the hourly rate but equal out in the end to a tattoo artist who charges more but works faster.

 

Additional Costs Involved

The upfront cost of tattooing is not all there is when speaking of tattoo prices. Additional costs are always in the picture including the following:

  • Tip. It is customary that you tip the tattoo artist, especially if you are satisfied with the outcome of the tattoo. Though, you are not required to tip your artist. Tattoo artists put a lot of time and effort into the tattooing process and they usually are not getting paid the full price of the tattoo that you pay. A portion of the money that you pay the artist goes to pay the shop, as well as towards tattoo supplies. Usually, clients will pay 15 to 20 percent of the total cost as a tip to the tattoo artist.
  • Tattoo aftercare. During the healing process, a moisturizer is necessary to help with the healing process. Ointments and lotions like this are priced anywhere from $5 to $15 depending on the size of the package. Your artist will recommend a product to purchase for aftercare of your tattoo.
  • Touch ups. We guarantee all of our work. However, if you neglect your tattoo during the healing process you can adversely affect the final healed product. If your tattoo needs to be reworked because you did not follow the care instructions, you will be required to pay all costs associated with the follow up visit. Touch ups are not to be confused with follow ups. Often we will schedule you a quick follow up session to finalize the small details in your tattoo and rework any areas which may have lightened during the healing process. We are not machines and everybody heals differently so follow ups are common, especially with lager tattoos. We can only fit a finite amount of work and detail into one tattoo session without risking overwork to your skin. Your tattoo artist should advise if you will need multiple sessions to complete your tattoo so that you can plan accordingly.
  • Removal. In any case you want to remove your tattoo, the cost can be even more than how much you have spent for getting the tattoo in the first place. Laser tattoo removal costs thousands of dollars, which can surely hurt your budget. If you do not want this happening to you, make sure you are fully decided on getting a tattoo as well as on the design and its location on your body. If you are not sure about your decision you should not get tattooed until you are ready to commit to a permanent change to your physical appearance. Laser removal technology has come a long way but in some cases a laser will not be able to fully remove your design. Proceed wisely and always be sure to get all of your questions answered before you make any lasting decisions about your body.

Shopping Around and Getting Discounts

Getting a tattoo is not something that should be bargained. Every person who wants a tattoo must keep this fact in mind.  Though it may be tempting to find cheap tattoo parlors and artists, it never is a practical idea to go for the cheapest one in the market. What is important here is you look for the quality.

It is also not a good custom to haggle the price with the tattoo artist as this is somewhat disrespectful. Remember, the artist asks for a price according to his skills, experience, and quality of work he offers. If you cannot pay for the quality, wait until you are able to afford it instead of finding cheaper deals or haggling on the price. This is very important for you to consider because a tattoo is something you will wear for life. If you don’t pay for quality today, you might regret getting one after some time.

However, there are times that you can get good deals from a good tattoo parlor without haggling for the price. Some artists will give you discounts especially if you are a regular customer.

Getting a tattoo is a very serious decision. So before you go get a tattoo, make sure you are one hundred percent sure with your decision. This is true because a tattoo is expensive to get and even more expensive to remove in the long run.

 

3 Easy Steps to Getting a Totally Custom and Unique Tattoo from Tattooed Heart Studios.

1. You may call, email, or walk- in to talk to an artist about your tattoo idea. We encourage you to contact us with your ideas via email or phone first, so that we may set up a consultation time especially for you.

2. During a consultation your artist will discuss your ideas, and we will answer all of your questions. Custom tattoos generally require a consultation before an appointment can be set because the artist needs time to create the artwork.

3 Some artwork can be accommodated on a walk-in basis, depending on the intricacy and size, in addition to artist availability. Otherwise, we will set you up with an appointment to get tattooed at a time that is convenient for you.

 

Please let us know f you have any further questions about the content of this page. We are here to help :)