If this will be your first time getting a tattoo, we don’t blame you if you become anxious about the whole experience. The idea of needles piercing the skin constantly isn’t the best image to be thinking about, let alone feeling. During your session, however, you shouldn’t be making the tattoo artist’s life any harder by doing things that will disturb them or get in the way of them doing their job.

When you are at the tattoo studio, here are four practices you should know before you get your first tattoo:

1. Give as many details as possible

If you show up to the artist and ask how much for a tattoo, they may not be able to give you a direct answer. It’s much like asking how much is it for a motorbike without giving any details on what kind of bike you want.

If you want to get an accurate quote and not waste the artist’s time, do plenty of research and collect as many details as you can about the tattoo you want before the appointment. The more details you have, the easier it is for the tattoo artist to figure out a quote for you!

2. Always act professionally

While the atmosphere of a tattoo studio might be one that exudes feelings of friendliness, it is still a professional environment where tattoo artists make art.

For this reason, treat the place as you would if you were at a bank or another environment that exudes a professional environment. While you can still be friendly with the artists, you don’t have the freedom to walk around and do what you want. Remember, when you respect the artists, they’ll respect you in return.

3. Never ask to copy a tattoo

Asking a tattooist to copy another tattoo is like asking another painter to copy another painter’s work. While you might think there’s nothing wrong with this, the tattoo artist might feel offended that they cannot employ their creative imagination.

In doing so, you might even run into some problems regarding the non-authorized use of someone else’s design. To stay out of trouble entirely and ensure that you and the artist are both happy, you can still show what kind of tattoo you want, but let the artist’s imagination flow and make the tattoo unique to you.

4. Tip the tattoo artist

Despite how expensive the tattoo job might be, tipping the artist is always a good practice. However, keep in mind that it isn’t necessarily like tipping in another venue, such as a restaurant. When you tip at a restaurant, you merely tip the individual waiter for the service. With the tattoo artist, on the other hand, your tip is more of an appreciation for the excellent work they did.

This means that you can tip whatever amount you feel like tipping as well. However, a small tip might mean that you’re unhappy! A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you’re happy with the outcome, you should give a tip of at least ten percent of the total price.

Conclusion

Before you head out to get your first tattoo, keep these tips mentioned above in mind. That way, not only are you making the entire experience a more enjoyable one for yourself but also you’re not accidentally annoying the artist and ending up with the result that you didn’t want. Remember to do plenty of research, act professionally, work with the artist for a unique tattoo design, and always give a tip at the end.

If you want a tattoo designed by award-winning artists in Buffalo NY, get in touch with us to see how we can help.