Tattoo pricing is weird. Clients see a small design and think "that's quick, should be cheap." They don't see the drawing time, the stencil prep, or the years you spent learning to put ink in skin without scarring someone.
This article is part of our Complete Guide to Pricing Your Art — the definitive resource on art pricing.
Here's how to think about pricing flash vs. custom work.
Flash: price for volume
Flash is pre-drawn. You draw it once, tattoo it many times. Price it to move:
- Small flash (2-3 inches, simple): $60-$100
- Medium flash (4-5 inches, detailed): $120-$200
- Large flash (6+ inches, complex): $200-$350
The key with flash: your design time is amortized across every client who picks it. Price it so the 5th client is pure profit.
Custom: price for the drawing AND the tattooing
Custom work means you're drawing something that exists once, for one person. Charge accordingly:
- Design fee: your hourly rate × drawing hours. A 3-hour custom design at $60/hr = $180 before you touch a machine.
- Tattoo session: priced by size, placement, and estimated chair time.
- Total: design fee + session price. Don't bundle them invisibly — show the client both.
Custom should cost 2-3x equivalent flash. If it doesn't, you're subsidizing custom work with flash profits.
The shop cut changes everything
Most shop artists give 40-60% to the shop. A $200 tattoo at a 40% shop cut means you take home $120. Work backwards: decide what you need to take home, then divide by (1 - shop percentage) to get the client price.
Example: you want $200 take-home, shop takes 40%. Client price = $200 / 0.60 = $333.
Color costs more (and should)
Color tattoos take longer, use more ink, and often need touch-ups. A 25% premium over black and grey is standard. Don't feel guilty about it.
FAQ
Should I charge hourly or per piece?
Per piece for flash, hourly or per-piece for custom. Hourly punishes efficiency — if you're fast, per-piece rewards it.
How do I raise prices without losing clients?
Raise them for new clients first. Existing regulars get 60-90 days notice. Most won't blink.
What about tiny tattoos?
Set a shop minimum ($60-$80). A 1-inch tattoo still takes setup, sterilization, and aftercare explanation.
Stop doing the math in your head. The Tattoo Flash Pricing Calculator handles design fees, shop cuts, color premiums, and take-home targets — $19. Code LAUNCH25 takes 25% off.