The StencilIntake magazine
Craft, money and compliance for US tattoo artists and small studio owners taking custom commissions.
Nine reported pieces on the parts of the job that happen away from the machine: the consultation, the deposit, the permit binder, the ink shelf and the arithmetic behind an hourly rate. Every article was published on .
practical guide
A step by step walkthrough of the consultation that turns a vague inquiry into a sized, placed, priced piece with a signed deposit and a stencil plan you can actually draw.
comparison
Booth rent, percentage splits and hybrid deals pay out very differently once supplies, card fees and self employment tax come off the top. Here is the math on both, side by side.
mistakes to avoid
Vague terms, verbal reschedules and a deposit taken through the wrong payment channel are what lose a chargeback. Here is how to write terms that hold up when a client pushes back.
regulation and compliance
State body art permits, bloodborne pathogens training and an exposure control plan all leave a paper trail. Here is the file an inspector opens first and what belongs in it.
case study
Two federal court fights over tattoos in NBA 2K set out how far a copyright in your custom work reaches. Read what the rulings turned on and what to put in your client paperwork.
trends and outlook
European pigment restrictions, FDA authority under MoCRA and repeated recalls for contamination keep reshaping what sits on the ink shelf. Here is what is changing and what to stock.
checklist
Wash schedule, film wear time, what counts as normal healing and when to call a doctor. A printable checklist for the aftercare sheet you hand over before the client leaves the chair.
numbers and benchmarks
Rent, insurance, needles, ink, card processing and the hours you are not tattooing all land in one number. Work out your true cost per chair hour before you quote an hourly rate.
field report
Temporary body art permits, booth fees, travel and a portable station that passes inspection. What a convention weekend actually asks of you, and what comes back after expenses.
From reading to booking
Everything covered in Ink and Ledger starts at the same place: a message with no references, no placement and no budget. StencilIntake turns that message into a consultation sheet with the deposit attached and the aftercare already scheduled.
Every article here connects back to one process: the consultation that turns a vague message into a scoped, funded booking. Read that guide first, then use the rest to sharpen the pricing, paperwork and aftercare around it.
How to Run a Custom Tattoo Consultation That Ends in a Deposit
Then work outward: the eight other pieces in Ink and Ledger each take one part of it further, and every one links back here.