Our Tattoo Process
Below is a step-by-step guide to our tattoo process, helping give you a clearer understanding of what to expect before, during, and after your appointment.
Initial Consultation and Design Development.
For a custom tattoo design, the artistic process begins with an initial email consultation where Katy takes the time to understand your vision, preferences, and the specific subject matter you would like included in your tattoo design.
Please make sure to send your enquiry email on or after Katy’s tattoo booking open date. Her next booking round opens on September the 1st 2026, for appointments running from January through to July 2027.
The information we require from you when first reaching out is as follows:
1 — Your full name and phone number.
2 — A basic description of the subject matter you would like included in your tattoo design.
3 — A general idea of the size and placement you imagine your new tattoo to be.
4 — Any reference photos you feel may help communicate your ideas. Please feel free to label the images and include a small description explaining what you like about them.
For example:
- “In photo 1 I like the placement and size of this tattoo.”
- “In photo 2 I like the shape of this bumblebee.”
It is important to be as informative as possible in your initial email to help avoid lots of back-and-forth questions and allow us to better understand your vision from the beginning.
We will always strive to capture your idea accurately and visualise it in a cohesive and beautiful layout.
If we don’t feel your idea will work well within our artistic style, we will do our best to recommend another artist who may be better suited, or suggest adjustments that could work well for both the artist and client.
Planning and Preparation.
Once the idea is approved, we will move on to giving you an approximate idea of the cost.
Katy does not offer quotes but she can roughly guess whether a design will take more than 1 day session.
Katy charges $290 per hour. She also has a day rate option of $1500, this consists of being tattooed from 10.30am to 5.30pm(ish).
If your tattoo takes less time than the day rate option then you would be charged via her hourly rate.
Once you have accepted the cost, Katy will send you a list of her available dates to choose from- these will be subject to change so it is important to try and reply as quickly as possible with your preferred date option.
To confirm your appointment we will require a $290 deposit via internet banking, this comes off the price of the tattoo on the day.
You will not see Katy’s design until the day of the appointment, however Katy is more than happy to make any changes to your tattoo design on the day & will go out of her way to make sure you don’t feel any pressure about the design from her.
The tattoo day is here!
The final stage of our tattoo process is the execution and application of the design. Once you have arrived and settled into the studio space (you will have been shown the kitchen, including hot chocolate, tea and coffee, our mini fridge, microwave, and of course the toilet!), you will be presented with your custom drawn tattoo design and given a little space to take it all in.
Once you have said yes to the design, Katy will go over the placement and size with you again, holding the design up against your body in the mirror and making sure you are completely happy. The design will then go through our thermal copier / stencil machine to create a purple stencil that can be transferred onto your skin (this gives you a basic idea of how the finished tattoo will look).
The stencil can be placed as many times as you like — there is absolutely no rushing this part. Once we have confirmed the placement of the stencil, Katy will help you get nice and comfortable on the tattoo bed before beginning the tattoo, including wrapping up assorted pillows if needed!
We highly suggest bringing some “in ear” distractions such as an audiobook or podcast, or potentially watching a movie / TV series (on your phone, iPad or laptop) that you have been really wanting to see but just haven’t found the time for until now ;)
Once the tattoo begins, Katy will make sure you feel comfortable letting her know if you need a toilet break, stretch break, or snack break at any point throughout the session.
Throughout the tattoo process, Katy will keep you updated on how the tattoo is progressing and whether it may take more or less time than originally expected.
When she believes the tattoo is complete, she will give it a clean using “Hustle Helper” foaming soap and conduct a thorough review to check whether any final touches are needed before committing to saying “it’s finished!” (happy dance following this announcement) to ensure the artwork is completed to her highest standard.
Before you leave the studio, Katy will go through the aftercare instructions with you once again and answer any questions you may have about the healing process over the coming days.
Katy will also ask for your consent to take photos of your completed tattoo for her records and make sure you are happy with anything that may be shared on her social media pages too.