How Much To Tip Tattoo Artist 2016?

Tipping the Artist – A much agreed upon metric for tips among most tattoo artists at least 15% for their tattoos. So if your artist takes $150 an hour and works for four hours, your bill will be $600. But you will have to pay your artist at least $90(15%) as a tip for their efforts.

Now, this is, of course, a tip for mid-priced tattoos but this 15% can look quite hefty on more expensive tattoos like those that cost over $1500 or $2000;
On $1500 alone, your 15% tip can look like $225, and this is not a price most people are will to give;

So on most orders that exceed $2000, tattoo artists will also accept a tip of 10% for the total bill as it can also make quite the hefty tip for the artist. Now if you are someone who doesn’t want to go through the complexities of doing the math about how much you have to pay them, you can always give them a predetermined amount of money.

Most clients tend to do this, as they give their artist a $100 regardless of how complex or how much time the tattoo took. However, for some people, even 10% of their total order is a little too much to ask.

With loans, rent, and bills, it is easy to see why people may struggle to pay a tip up front. And if you feel this is getting a little too relatable, then here is how you can still tip on a budget. Also See: Top 12 Tattoo Shops In New York City.

Contents

0.1 How much should you tip a tattoo artist?
0.2 Tipping Your Tattoo Artist
0.3 How much does it cost to get a tattoo?

1 What percentage of a tattoo artist’s earnings go back to the shop?
2 Why are tattoo artists so bad at tips?

How much should you tip a tattoo artist?

Tipping Your Tattoo Artist

How Much to Tip – If you decide to tip, the next step is to calculate exactly how much to add to the final tattoo price. The general consensus in the tattoo community is that 20 percent is the typical amount to tip — just like at a restaurant or a hair salon.

However, consider this number a baseline, as some tattoos require more or less work than others;
Just like there is no one tattoo experience or price, there’s no one-size-fits-all tipping option;
“The more you spend on the tattoo, the more you should tip, as they are putting more work into the piece,” says Fiore;

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Weed, however, notes that there is one thing that every tattoo experience needs to have to warrant a tip: It needs to be great. Your artist is putting time into the behind-the-scenes of your tattoo, but it’s also their responsibility to ensure you’re comfortable and having a good time while it’s happening.

How much does it cost to get a tattoo?

Now, this is, of course, a tip for mid-priced tattoos but this 15% can look quite hefty on more expensive tattoos like those that cost over $1500 or $2000;
On $1500 alone, your 15% tip can look like $225, and this is not a price most people are will to give;

Most clients tend to do this, as they give their artist a $100 regardless of how complex or how much time the tattoo took;
However, for some people, even 10% of their total order is a little too much to ask;

What percentage of a tattoo artist’s earnings go back to the shop?

While we’ve previously touched on many other areas of tattoo etiquettes, from finding an artist to client hygiene, a topic that is frequently skipped over is tipping. This is because there is plenty of hot discussion within the tattoo community and the mainstream world at large about tipping a tattooer. Why You Tip a Tattooer Tipping is a huge factor in the tattoo process and there are several critical reasons why you should tip an artist for their services. First and foremost, many service industries, from restaurant to hairstyling to cab driving to bartending, feature tipping as an opportunity to thank the worker for their personalized service. Unlike buying groceries at a store, tattooing is a process that requires the artist to give unique and specialized attention to each one of their clients.

However, today we’re going through every step and question of the process to ensure that you leave feeling 100% confident about tipping etiquette. Let’s get started with discussing why tipping your artist is important in the first place.

An artist deserves to be compensated for going the extra mile with a tattoo that will last forever—much like a waiter or waitress deserves a tip for servicing a table of dinners. You wouldn’t skip out on tipping a waiter, therefore, tipping a tattoo artist shouldn’t be any different.

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When evaluating the tipping process, it is also important to consider that your artist will not receive all of the money that you paid for your tattoo. Tattoo artists typically take away 30 to 70 percent of every tattoo’s earnings, with the rest going back to the shop.

The percentage taken by the shop helps pay for the shop’s rent and utilities, wages for shop managers or assistants and the monthly business taxes. And if that wasn’t enough, most artists fund all of their own supplies, from needles to ink, which adds up over time. How Much to Tip a Tattooer Now that you understand why you should tip a tattoo artist, then next question is how much you should tip. There’s no right answer for this question, however, most artists would agree that 15% is an appropriate minimum with 20% being the norm. Therefore, if you spent $200 flat on a tattoo, you a should tip between $30 and $50. Some clients will tip more than 20%, but most artists will be grateful with the standard amount.

Lastly, if you plan on going to your artist again, it’s important to make a good impression on them and show that you value their services;
An professional artist won’t hold it against you if you don’t tip, however, if you make the impression that you’re a good client then it will work in your favor as your build a relationship;

Additionally, cash or electronic tips are the way to go. This ensures that the artist receives 100% of their tip and in most shops, they’ll have you pay for your appointment in cash anyways. When to Tip a Tattooer You should tip your tattoo artist after the tattoo is complete. You wouldn’t tip a waiter before your meal, therefore you should wait after the tattoo is complete. It doesn’t matter if you pay for the appointment or tip the tattooer first, there is no right or wrong way to conduct this process. Are There Any Exceptions? While it is expected that you tip your artist, there may be a few special exceptions. For example, many shop owners don’t expect tips but this goes from person to person. You shouldn’t ask if they take a tip, because most people will say yes. In very rare cases, artists will accept gifts or services for tips, but we don’t recommend that anyone approach this option. Share Your Thoughts What do you think about tipping tattoo artists? Do you think tipping is outdated or a necessary part of the tattoo process? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section on Facebook..

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Why are tattoo artists so bad at tips?

What If I Can’t Afford Tipping Them? – Tipping is and always has been optional. If you have a genuine reason why you can’t tip or feel like the quality of the ink is not up to par, you can skip tipping them. Most artists are very understanding, and do not make a big scene if you say no.

Tattoo Artists hold a very strange place in the service based worker industry. Where barbers, waiters, and cab drivers can expect the same person or a multitude of people to show up multiple times through the year, tattoo artists offer their services to people they don’t expect to see ever again throughout their career.

Hence why their strange place makes a thing like tips a little more complicated than they should be. And while tattoo artists don’t hold tipping against you, especially if you have a genuine reason, some may silently judge you. So if you do plan on getting one tattoo and never visiting the artist again, be sure to leave them at least a 15% tip.

Julia