Tatoo cost?

Question

I was thinking about a tatoo, it would be a heart with wings, black and white only, with very slight shading, it would only be 1/2 inch high and 1 inch wide. any ideas of cost?

Answer 1

Different tattoo artists calculate their charges differently, so it's hard to know what to tell you. Additionally, general tattoo cost varies from area to area in the country.

Some charge by the design. They look at it, and decide how much time and effort it will take to draw the original and then apply it to your skin, and then they charge you accordingly.

Others charge by the hour. They simply have a base charge, like $100 per hour, and that's what they charge. They roll any consultation time into that, so if you have a meeting before the actual day you get tattooed (which is always a good idea, they need some lead time to get the design drawn--it turns out better if they have a little time to plan), they charge you for that and then for the actual tattooing time.

There are also some studios where the owner sets the prices if you get a piece of flash. Flash are the predrawn designs which are kept along the walls in a tattoo shop. I have been in shops where a quick look at the flash tells you that each design has its own price. I am not sure how those are set, but I would imagine it has to do with the intricacy of the design and how long, on average, it should take to apply it.

My completely uneducated guess is that your design will be, at most, $100, since it doesn't sound very complicated, and doesn't involve any color work, and is very tiny. However, as I said that's just a guess. My husband and I have thousands of dollars of tattoo work each, but since we became good friends with the tattoo artist when I got my first one, he never ever charged us what someone else would have. We get excellent work for a song because we are friends, and because we have always tipped very generously.

And let me just add that tipping is important. The tattoo artist is doing a service for you, so you should tip if you are happy with the work. Appropriate tipping depends on how happy you are with the work and with his or her professionalism when they have you in their chair (i.e. does he or she explain what they are doing, does he or she explain aftercare in an understandable manner, etc...), but usually ranges from 10% to 20% of the cost of the actual tattoo.

You should meet with the artist who is going to be tattooing you, so you can show them the design you want, and talk about the best place to put it, etc. When you talk with the artist, it is normal for you to come to an agreement on the price of the tattoo. Most studios and artists prefer to be paid in cash, so take cash with you the day you get inked.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

No one can really tell you an exact price because different places charge different prices. But at a professional tattoo parlor you'll probably be looking at it costing somewhere in the $75 - $100 range.

Also a word of advice, get the tattoo a bit bigger, you should never get a tattoo that small because as your skin ages and changes over time, a tattoo that small will end up looking like nothing but a dark blob on your skin.

Answer 3

depends on where you go. the place I go to charges $65 an hour (thats an hour the spend actually tattooing...if they take a break in the middle or have to stop for something that doesnt count) with a minimum cost of $40. I would say that where I go...that would probably cost $50, but then again...it all depends.

Answer 4

It really depends on where you live but most professional tattoo artists I know won't go under $60. The reason behind this (as it was explained to me) is that the cost of opening the new needle, the ink, etc is expensive and it's really not worth it to them to charge lower. I have a tattoo behind my ear that is about the size you're talking about and it was $60.

Answer 5

here is the basic thought on Tattoo pricing... good tattoos are not cheap and cheap tattoos are not good. Expect to start out at $100. The more color and detail you add, the more expensive. the average sized tattoo(about the palm of your hand) is about $100. Pay by the hour can get very expensive.

Answer 6

That's a really small tat. Should be under $50. Have an open mind and work with the artist.

Answer 7

It's so small, it will look like a blob,
in a couple of years no one will be
able to tell what it is.. I wouldn't do it.
Talk it over with your artist. He can
give you the best advice.
Every artist charges differently.
Go in for a quote...
Think Before You Ink

Answer 8

cost all depends on who does the tat. a simple japanese symbol can range up to 100 bucks.+ be careful who you choose.. everyone will tell you that you pay for quality, and i am guessing if your design requires any shading, and because it could be difficult to do on some body parts..(knuckles, feet,neck ect..) it may cost you around 45-90 bucks.....but like i said, you will mostly be paying for quality.

Answer 9

walk in/call your tattoo shop of choice and ask an artist. i'd peg around $75, but it honestly does vary.

you might wanna think about making it a smidge bigger, too. just so it doesn't look like a little blob. never be too careful.

Answer 10

Going rate is about $100/hour, and the artist will want it bigger than that. Otherwise it will just look like a splot on your skin.

If you want a tattoo, get it bigger than you think you should. Trust me.