rates

I calculate my rates based on hours and effort, but do my best to give concrete estimates before work begins. Generally, my rates look like:

• 25% deposit to hold your appointment
• $120 minimum (first hour)
• $100 per additional hour
• $400 full day rate (5 hours or tap out – split it with a friend for +$20)
• Consults are free
• Touchups within the first year are free
• No design fee

payment

Deposits are paid online via Square. For your appointment, I can accept cash, card, or Apple pay via Square. However, I do not carry change, so please bring exact amounts if you plan to pay in cash. I don’t have a preference for how you pay. Really!

Flash

For flash tattoos I designed, the pricing is based on size (using the time estimate model above). You can ask for small changes to flash; I’ll let you know if I can meet the request, and if it will cost extra.

Click here to see my flash designs and current pricing.

Customs

I recommend a free consult to discuss customs, but I can also work with a written description. I’ll try to give you my best estimate of cost when I receive your prompt, and we can confirm the cost when you come in and approve the design. Most customs run between $200 and $800 depending on the size and whether they require more than one session.

Designs you bring in

I will give you an estimate of cost and time when I see the design. Some designs can’t be tattooed, or require additional work; I may charge you for the additional work if needed. Examples of reasons I might need extra time to convert a design you bring in (or not be able to tattoo it at all) in include:

• The design includes effects that I can’t tattoo
• The design can’t easily be converted to black, black/gray, or black and a single accent color (I don’t specialize in full illustrative color)
• The design was drawn by another tattoo or visual artist and you don’t have their permission to use the work
• The design was made using AI
• It’s simply too small to tattoo

deposit & cancellation policies

Please cancel or reschedule via written communication in the same thread where we discussed your appointment (e.g. Instagram DM, email, or text message). 

Your deposit is 50% refundable if you cancel more than 48 hours in advance of your appointment. I can also forward the full amount of your deposit to a new appointment time if you need to reschedule (up to 2 times before your deposit becomes non-refundable and non-forwardable).

Unless otherwise negotiated, if I do not receive your deposit within 48 hours of sending the invoice, I will cancel the appointment. Please let me know if you do not receive the invoice to pay your deposit or if you anticipate it will take you longer than 48 hours to pay it.

If you cancel within 48 hours of your appointment (or are a no-show), your deposit will not be refunded.

If you do not arrive to your appointment within 15 minutes of your appointment time, and do not send me a message letting me know where you are or when you’re going to arrive, I will consider the appointment a no-show. You will receive an emailed notification when I mark your appointment as a no-show.

If you show up more than 15 minutes late to your appointment, I may need to reschedule you out of respect for my other clients, as I often have multiple appointments per day.

Obviously, emergencies and exceptions occur. If you missed your appointment and wish to reschedule, you’re welcome to reach out to explain what happened. I may accept a reschedule at my own discretion.

Also note for custom designs that if you cancel/no-show and do not reschedule, I may make your design available to others at my own discretion.

The studio is in an office building in Bloomington with a free, private parking lot. I will send you the address and directions when booking your appointment.

Please note that the studio is on the second floor and there is no elevator in the building. One short flight of stairs with a landing in the middle is required to access the studio. I am available to assist you up and down the stairs; please let me know when booking your appointment so I can be ready.

As of June 1, 2026, I have access to a location that is wheelchair accessible! Availability is more limited as it’s a space I borrow, but it is near my studio. If you’re interested in having your tattoo done at this location, please let me know in your query.

For hygiene and safety purposes, tattooing is a practice that is associated with a high amount of single-use and plastic waste. That said, there have been many improvements in how we can make tattooing more sustainable and eco-friendly.

Whenever possible, I use compostable and biodegradable products (with a priority on compostable first, biodegradable second). This includes my gloves, other barriers (tray and chair covers, machine and bottle bags), ink/water cups, and bibs, as well as sourcing eco-friendly options for single-wrapped disposable items like razors (my razor handles are compostable!), sticks, and even skin markers.

While these items still end up in the regular waste for sanitation reasons, they are at least not made of plastic.

Many of my supplies come from Good Judy.

Please reschedule your appointment if you are sick. I know it’s a bummer to have to reschedule, but if you’re not feeling well, it’s for the best for everyone. Your deposit is transferrable to a new appointment.

I’m happy to wear a mask during your appointment if you would prefer – just ask.

As a queer person of Chinese descent, it’s important to me that my space is welcoming and safe for the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.

I will have to see and make a copy of your ID for record keeping. IDs are required for proof of age only. Copies I make of your ID are not stored digitally. I photocopy the ID and store it in a physical location in the studio. These may be accessed by state health officials or the owner of the studio for reasons pertaining to health code and tattooing.

Explicitly, but not restrictively, my tattoo chair is a safe place for trans and gender non-conforming folks. I am eager to refer to you by the name and pronouns of your choice.

I always ask before taking photos of your tattoos. Any photos I take may be posted to my Instagram; you are COMPLETELY WELCOME to decline to consent to my taking a photo. I do not post photos that show the face of the client.

I am trauma informed both by training for professionals and by personal experience. Please let me know if you have special needs relating to trauma, and/or if the area you are being tattooed is an area that has experienced trauma. I will need to touch you in order to tattoo you. (for information specifically regarding scars, please see my FAQ)

You may disclose any of the above information either in writing in advance of the appointment, or in person during the appointment.

Feel free to bring a guest (a person who is not getting tattooed) to your appointment. However, due to limited seating, please don’t bring more than one guest per appointment. For example, if you and a friend are getting tattooed at the same appointment, the guest limit is still one.

Please do not bring children to the studio.

group rates and policies

I’m able to accept small groups (1-3 people) at my studio and larger groups (4+) at a nearby shop.

group rates

Each person pays the regular rate as if they were coming individually.

Alternatively, you can book an all day (5 hours) appointment and split up the time and payment as you like. Note that one person will still be require to pay the 25% deposit for the entire appointment.

My all day rates are as follows:

• 1 person: $400
• 2 people: $420
• 3 people: $600
• 4-5 people: $800
• More than 5: Inquire

customs

I enjoy doing custom designs and welcome inquiries regarding them. When you hire me to do a custom for you, you’re hiring me to do it in my style; please don’t ask me to emulate a style that is wildly different. Be sure to take a look through my portfolio so you have an idea of what I do.

Customs can be initiated either with a consult meeting or through email, depending on the scope. If you don’t have many visual references, if you have existing tattoos you want to work around, or if you want something very big and involved, I recommend a consult. I do consults at no charge, and they usually last 20-45 minutes.

If you have strong visual references/inspiration and a strong idea of what you’re looking for, it’s likely I can work with a written description and reference images.

Once I agree to take the project, we will set a date and you will pay a 25% deposit based on the amount of time I estimate the tattoo will take (or the amount of the first session, if we anticipate more than one session). The total amount will be updated on the day of the tattoo.

Once I receive a deposit, I begin working on designs typically 1 week before the appointment. Like many artists, I do not share final designs prior to the appointment. You will see the design when you arrive for your appointment.

We can make minor adjustments to the design on the day of your appointment; if you’re unhappy with the design, you are not obligated to proceed with the tattoo. I may keep up to 50% of your deposit to cover design time and/or supplies costs if you decide not to proceed. You are also welcome to give feedback on the design and reschedule your tattoo day, with your full deposit being forwarded to the new date.

If you would like to come in and see the design prior to your appointment, you are absolutely welcome to drop by when I am in the studio to see it. Just let me know if you’d like to do this, and I’ll let you know when I’ll be in the studio the week leading up to your tattoo — typically 3-4 days a week in the afternoon. Please check with me before coming by the studio; do NOT just drop by unannounced, as I am not in the studio every day!

If it’s really, really important to you to see the design in advance, you’re also welcome to book a one-on-one appointment (like a second consult) to see the design. At this meeting we can also stencil the design on you if you’d like. A design preview appointment takes about 30 minutes and requires a $20 additional deposit that will go toward the final total of your tattoo. It’s best to book this appointment when we schedule your tattoo, so if it’s of interest to you, let me know when we book you and we’ll book both at once.

tattooing your artwork

I have no problem tattooing your own artwork on your body. Many of my friends and quite a few clients are visual artists. I’m always down to give feedback to help you adjust your artwork so it will work as a tattoo, and then do the tattoo for you. Just mention it in your inquiry form.

Unless explicitly agreed as a collaboration, I would NEVER tattoo your artwork/designs on another client.