How much is a good tip for a tattoo artist?
I got another tattoo last night and my brother said I tipped WAY too much. The tattoo cost 230 dollars and I gave a $40 tip. I told my brother I had no idea what a good tip is for that particular service. He says since he was the owner of the shop a 20 would have been fine since he doesn’t have to split his tips. What do you think?
Skin & Body
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artist, good, much, tattoo
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6 Responses to “How much is a good tip for a tattoo artist?”
Themocracy
im a tattoo artist and any tip is much appreciated. there is alot of work, prep and clean up involved aside from doing the actual tattoo. many people forget this..even if a tattoo only takes 20 mins to do…it really took at least an hour to get everything ready. by tipping well you are appreciating the entire process not just the part you were there for. what you tipped was perfect, you probably made that person’s day.
I always tip 20%, just like I would for any other service (restaurants, etc.)
For a $230 tattoo, a 20% tip would be $46. You did good by me!
My first tattoo was $225 and I gave him a $40 tip :] I always tip well because it makes my artist happy and more inclined to work with me (and go out of his way to make sure I’m happy!) next time :]
I normally tip 20%, regardless if it’s the owner or whatever. For me, tipping is just my way of saying how much I appreciated the new peice of art that I got. Now, if the artist was an jerk or I wasn’t happy with their work, I wouldn’t tip at all. It’s totally up to you.
Tat artists don’t split tips, like hairdressers do.
i think thats a fine amount! most people tip between 15-20%, so $40 is a good amount.
an artist deserves the tip. just think, the other $230 you gave him isnt going straight to his pocket. its going to the shop for ink, needles, and everything else. THEN he or she gets the rest. so by giving them a tip, its a boost to how much they’re making.
additionally, its good to tip (or even “over-tip”) because if u go to the shop again, you want good service! when i got my tattoo i tipped my artist well and when i went back for a touch-up he didn’t charge me. and i know that next time i go in ill get great service from him again!
First, tattoo artists do not split their tips with the owner as a rule. They do split the fee charged, generally at 50% or even more if there are other considerations like supplies, etc., involved.
There is no hard fast rule on tipping an owner or not. Generally I don’t get tipped but it is really a nice gesture. I always tip my hair stylist even though she is the owner of her salon. It means you really appreciate the work. We have gotten tips at 100% on occasion.
All in all, what you did was great and I am sure appreciated by the artist. It tells us you really liked the work and in this economy we can all use a little extra help.
Most people don’t tip. The average tip is a twenty spot. We are well aware that people scrimp and save to merely afford a sitting on a coveted piece. Occasionally, someone will tip percentage, but it’s rare, as well as overkill. A lot of times we’ll get a tasty snack. It’s cool. We make our money. Take care.