You don't want your tattooer thinking you're a jerk, do you?
Strangely enough, they don't teach you much about tattoo etiquette in college. Thankfully, we're here to school you with everything you need to know about how not to seem like a clueless prick inside of a tattoo shop.
Do Give an Appropriate Tip
It's bad enough if you're the type of person who stiffs a server or a bartender when it comes to leaving a decent tip, but not tipping a tattoo artist (assuming they did a good job) is absolutely ridiculous. You trusted that person to permanently put a piece of art on you but you don't appreciate them enough to hand them a little extra cash to buy dinner? As a rule of thumb, leave at least 15 percent for an alright tattoo, 20 percent for a really good tattoo, and 25 percent (or more) for a tattoo you love. Hopefully, it's mostly that last one. As the saying in many shops (and bars) goes, "Tipping is not a town in China."
Don't Bring Too Many Friends
Generally speaking, it's alright if you want to bring your significant other or your BFF for an important tattoo. Just remember that you're not Vincent Chase and you don't need your entourage with you at all times. Bringing multiple friends can make tattoo shops crowded and awkward, and it often means you'll never really get the chance to find out what an awesome and wonderful person your tattoo artist might be. Your friends will all see it on your Instagram and Snapchat later anyway, so it's practically like they're with you when you're getting it done.
Do Guide Your Tattoo Artist
Many tattooers are very skilled artists, but very few are actual mind-readers. If you don't give your tattooer at least a little direction on what you want, there's no way for them to know what kind of design to draw up for you. At the same time, if you try to tell your tattooer exactly what to do, then you're basically asking them to be a human copy machine rather than an artist. You wouldn't commission a painting from someone and then stand over their shoulder and instruct them on how to paint it, would you? But you'd also probably give them some context for the painting before just letting them have at it.
Don't Show Up Drunk or High
Tattoos always seem like a good (and funny) idea when you're under the influence, but that's often when they're a huge mistake. For one thing, it's illegal in most cases for a tattooer to work on you if you're not sober, and it can actually be a pretty dangerous experience. You're already going to be shedding a good amount of blood, do you really want to take something that's going to thin it even further? Just go in sober and deal with the pain. Yes, it hurts, but not that badly.
Do Respect Your Tattoo Artist's Advice
To compare tattooers to yet another profession, you wouldn't tell a famous chef how to make a meal. If you've chosen someone to tattoo you, you should probably trust and respect their artistic skill enough to take any advice they give you to heart. If a tattooer says your idea would look better in another way or a little bigger or in a different spot, listen to them. They're the ones who are getting paid to design and create tattoos, and you're paying them to do it for you.
Don't Be Late or Leave Early
Get there on time and make sure you leave your day/night open enough to sit for as long as you can tolerate/your artist is available. This is their way of making money, and you wouldn't want someone to come into an appointment at your work late or have to bounce halfway through because they're going somewhere else. Remember that your time isn't the only thing that's valuable when you're scheduling around your tattoo.
Do Know the Traditions and History of Your Tattoo
Aside from knowing and understanding the content of your tattoo, it's also important to know the traditions of the style and historical context. If you're getting tattooed in another country, their culture may go about things very differently than we do in America. If you're getting a Chicano-style black and gray piece, it's probably best you know at least a little bit about Chicano culture before you just go ahead and make it a permanent fixture on your skin. That last sentence pretty much applies to all styles of tattooing.
Don't Bring One Tattooer's Design to Another Artist
Obviously, flash sheets and super common designs don't count. Other than that, if you like a tattoo that someone did, do your best to go to the artist who did it. Bringing in a design from one artist and asking another to tattoo it on you is a bit disrespectful to both parties. Just don't do it.
