Tattoo studio quote template with placeholder examples for first-year owners

What to take away

The template

Copy the fields; fill them from the studio's own rules.

Studio and artist. [Studio name], [artist name], [artist license reference if the licensing body issues one].

Client and piece. [Client name]. [Design description in one sentence], approved drawing attached or flash reference [ref], at [size] on [placement].

Rate basis. One of: hourly at [rate] per hour; per piece at [price]; session rate at [rate] per [block length]. The studio minimum is [minimum].

Estimate. Planned as [number] sitting(s) of approximately [length] each. Sitting length is set by the piece and by how long the client can sit; the estimate is an estimate and not a cap.

Design and consultation. [Design fee] credited to the booking, or [number] revision rounds included and [charge] per further round, or design time included in the rate.

Deposit. [Amount or basis], [credited to the final sitting / held per sitting]. Rescheduling with [notice] keeps the deposit; a no-show or a late change forfeits it.

Touch-up. One touch-up sitting included within [period] of completion, excluding [the studio's stated exclusions, matched to the aftercare sheet].

Exit. If the client stops before completion, [deposit forfeit rule; design ownership rule]. If the artist cannot complete, [studio's arrangement].

Consent and age verification. Completed at the first sitting as the [state or county health department] requires.

Validity. This quote holds until [date].

Example 1: a small flash piece, per piece

Rate basis: per piece at [flash price for this design at this size]. Estimate: one sitting of approximately [short block]. Design: none, flash as drawn; small placement changes included, redraws quoted separately. Deposit: [the studio minimum], credited. Touch-up: one within [period], exclusions per aftercare sheet.

What the example shows: the per-piece model works because the artist has recorded how long this design takes. The pricing and profit guide explains why the model belongs to flash and not to custom work.

Example 2: a custom forearm piece, hourly

Rate basis: hourly at [loaded hourly rate], minimum [minimum]. Estimate: planned as two sittings of approximately [length] each, the second booked at the end of the first. Design: [design fee] credited to the first sitting; two revision rounds included. Deposit: [basis], held to the final sitting. Touch-up: one within [period], exclusions per aftercare sheet.

What the example shows: the estimate is the sentence a client remembers, so it says "planned as" and "approximately" and states that the piece and the client's tolerance set the length. The hourly rate itself comes from the derivation in how sessions are priced, which loads unbilled design hours and touch-ups into it.

Example 3: a large multi-session piece, session rate

Rate basis: session rate at [rate] per [block]; estimate: [number] sittings spaced [interval] apart, design approved in full before sitting one. Design: [design fee], credited across the first two sittings.

Deposit: [basis] per sitting, taken when each is booked; touch-up: one after completion within [period]. Exit: if the client stops, [rule]; if the artist leaves the studio, [rule], which in a rental studio should be written with the renter's agreement in mind.

What the example shows: the session model shares the risk of a long piece. It only works with a sitting plan, and the plan is what the studio's break-even depends on; the break-even and margin derivation shows why a planned sitting that does not sit is the most expensive kind of empty hour.

Example 4: a cover-up, hourly with a written limit

Rate basis: hourly at [rate], minimum [minimum]. Assessment: the existing tattoo was assessed on [date]; the artist's written statement of what can and cannot be covered is attached and forms part of this quote. Estimate: planned as [number] sittings; length depends heavily on the existing ink. Deposit and touch-up as the studio's standard terms.

What the example shows: the written assessment is the protection. A cover-up quote without it is a promise about a result the old ink may not allow.

Checking a quote before sending it

What the template does not decide

The rate, minimum, deposit basis, and fee are the studio's numbers. The station the piece needs is separate.

Long sittings need the chair and layout that the equipment and setup guide describes and the opening-day equipment checklist itemizes. Do not quote a six-sitting back piece for a chair that cannot hold one.

For employed artists whose pay is part of the rate, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Tables give occupation and area wage estimates as one input; the quote itself never shows the artist's pay.

Common questions

Should a quote show an hourly rate and a total?

Show the rate basis and the estimate in sittings. A total stated as a figure becomes a cap in the client's mind, and the sitting length is not in the studio's control.

Can a quote be given by message?

The fields can be, and often are. The signed version at the first sitting is the one that matters, so the message should say the quote is confirmed on signing.

How long should a quote be valid?

Long enough for the client to book and short enough that the studio's rules have not changed. State a date; an open quote is a claim about future prices.

What if the client wants a discount on the quote?

Apply the studio's discount-authority rule and record the reason. A quote that is negotiated is a quote whose rules were not believed.