Guides
Field notes.
How to take a deposit, run a flash day, and get off salon apps. Written from a shop, not a boardroom.
Deposits and policies
5- 01Taking tattoo deposits online in CanadaE-transfer works until the $80 has no name on it. CAD deposits, Stripe, and a calendar that actually holds the chair.
- 02How much should a tattoo deposit be?Flat amounts, percentages, and what the deposit is really paying for. How tattoo artists pick a deposit that holds the chair without scaring off the booking.
- 03Tattoo cancellation and no-show policyWhat to put in a tattoo cancellation, reschedule, and no-show policy, with sample wording you can adapt and tips on where clients will actually see it.
- 04Tattoo touch-up policy and booking touch-upsWhat a tattoo touch-up policy usually covers: the free window, what's excluded, and how clients send healed photos and request a touch-up.
- 05Selling tattoo gift certificates onlineHow tattoo artists sell gift certificates online: amounts, what to tell the buyer, expiry rules to check, and how redemption works.
Booking clients
6- 06How to run a flash dayOne date, timed slots, designs that sell themselves. How to run a drop that does not turn into a DM pile.
- 07Booking tattoo clients from InstagramHow tattoo artists turn Instagram followers into booked, deposit-paid appointments: what goes in the bio link, how to answer DMs, and how to share a booking link.
- 08A custom tattoo request form that gets real answersWhat to ask on a custom tattoo inquiry form, what to leave off, and how to go from request to quote to deposit without a week of messages.
- 09Tattoo appointment reminders that cut no-showsWhy tattoo clients no-show, what a good reminder says, when to send it, and how email and text reminders work on Studio Haven.
- 10Opening your books and running a waitlistWhen to close your tattoo books, how to keep a waitlist while you're closed, and how to announce books open so the right people hear first.
- 11Booking a tattoo guest spot before you arriveHow traveling tattoo artists fill guest spots in advance: announcing dates, taking deposits, local time zones, and keeping home bookings separate.
Paperwork and your page
3- 12Tattoo consent forms, signed before they walk inWhat a tattoo consent and release form usually covers, why sending it before the appointment helps, and how to set one up online.
- 13Tattoo aftercare instructions people actually readHow tattoo artists send aftercare after the session: what to say on day one, what to follow up with, and how to ask for healed photos and touch-ups.
- 14Does a tattoo artist need a website?What a tattoo artist's site actually needs, why your booking page can be it, and how to connect your own domain.
Switching apps
6- 15Tattoo booking platforms, comparedWhat a tattoo booking platform has to do if you actually tattoo. Honest notes on Studio Haven, Venue, InkDesk, Bookedin, and Square.
- 16Tattoo booking software that is not a salon appWhat belongs on the page (flash, deposits, customs) and what 'free' usually costs you in cuts or marketplace rent.
- 17Leaving Acuity as a tattoo artistAcuity is a solid scheduler. It still treats a tattoo like a salon service. Where it fights you, and how to leave without a dramatic cutover.
- 18Calendly is a meeting linkCalendly books meetings. A tattoo needs a design, a deposit, and a chair. What to put in the bio instead.
- 19Square Appointments when you tattooKeep Square for the till if you want. Flash, customs, and deposits need a page that is not a generic appointment type.
- 20Getting off BooksyBooksy will send you people. It also lists you next to everyone else. How to keep the clients and own the page.
Consent form, deposit policy, aftercare card, and price calculator: free tools