How to Price a Custom Tattoo Design Before Inking

Price a custom tattoo design as its own paid deliverable, separate from the tattoo appointment: a flat fee for concept sketches, revisions, and a final line-art file delivered with written permission to have it tattooed. The fee scales with complexity and is paid upfront through a priced custom request, while the tattooing session itself is booked separately at the studio. Custom Work lets you offer clearly scoped commissions and services: you set the price, the scope and the delivery time, and followers submit a brief and pay before you start.

No monthly fee, you only pay a small platform fee when you get paid. 8% platform fee when a follower pays for work, 5% platform fee on tips and goals. Card processing is separate. Brillay, "Pricing", brillay.com/pricing

Design time is often bundled into the appointment rather than billed on its own. Six Feet Under Tattoo Parlor's published FAQ states that "preparation, drawing, and design will most likely happen the week or day of your appointment" (Six Feet Under Tattoo Parlor FAQ), and Skylla Tattoo Studio's published refund policy states that its non-refundable deposits "cover the artist's time in consultation, design work, and materials" (Skylla Tattoo Studio refund policy). Where design work is folded into a booking that never happens, the concept hours go unpaid — which is the argument for pricing the design as its own deliverable.

Brillay's published How It Works page explains that its offers are asynchronous — no live call, no scheduling — so clients pay for design or consultation work through the artist's page before the artist starts (Brillay, "How It Works", brillay.com/how-it-works). The tattoo appointment stays exactly where it already lives: a phone call, a studio booking system, or an in-person conversation.

What is a custom tattoo design commission?

A custom tattoo design commission is a paid deliverable where the artist creates original concept art — sketches, refined line work, and a final print-ready file — based on the client's references and placement, before any tattooing happens. The design is priced and delivered as its own product, whether or not the client ever books the appointment.

A custom commission differs from a flash sheet, where a client picks a pre-drawn design as-is at a lower fixed price with no customization; see flash sheet sale pricing for tattoo artists for that model. It also differs from a cover-up, which starts from an existing tattoo rather than bare skin and is priced with its own considerations — see how cover-up design commissions are priced for that variant. A custom commission can include references, placement notes, sizing for the body part, and a clearly defined design scope. That back-and-forth is exactly what justifies charging for the design phase on its own, rather than folding it invisibly into the tattoo price. A flash sheet starts with a pre-drawn image; a custom commission starts with one client’s brief, because the finished design is made for that person rather than sold as the same file to everyone.

On Brillay, a design commission fits a custom request: the artist writes down the price, scope, and delivery time, collects the client's reference images and placement details upfront, and sends one finished design.

Who owns the copyright to a commissioned tattoo design?

Under US law the artist who draws the design is the author and initial copyright owner, and paying for a commission does not by itself transfer that copyright. The client receives whatever rights the artist grants in writing — commonly written permission to have the design tattooed on their own body — not automatic ownership of the artwork.

The U.S. Copyright Office states in Circular 30 that a commissioned work is a "work made for hire" only when it falls into one of nine listed categories — a contribution to a collective work, part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, a translation, a supplementary work, a compilation, an instructional text, a test, answer material for a test, or an atlas — and the parties sign a written agreement saying so (Circular 30, Works Made for Hire). A standalone tattoo design is not on that list, so a commissioned tattoo design generally cannot be a work made for hire, and copyright stays with the artist unless it is assigned in writing.

"Any or all of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, or parts of those rights, can be transferred. The transfer, however, generally must be made in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed or the owner's authorized agent." — U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1: Copyright Basics

Working artists already handle the rights question with an explicit written grant. Crazdude's published tattoo-design commission terms include a "formally typed letter of permission — for your tattoo professional to reproduce my artwork on your skin" as part of the deliverable. Say in your own listing exactly what the buyer gets — for example, "one-time personal tattoo use, artist retains copyright and portfolio rights" versus "full copyright assigned in a signed transfer" — and price the two differently. This is general information, not legal advice; rights rules differ outside the United States, and a lawyer should draft any assignment.

How much should a custom tattoo design cost?

There is no published cross-studio benchmark for a standalone tattoo design fee, so price it from your own hours rather than from a market average. Published artist pages put the working range between a $100 flat design fee and a $1,500 starting quote, with the gap reflecting design hours, scope, and the rights the buyer receives.

Four published pages, all primary sources, set the anchors. Lizzy Dalton Tattoo's published custom-tattoo page charges a $100 design fee on top of a separate $100 booking deposit and states that the design fee "does NOT come off the total cost of your tattoo" (Lizzy Dalton Tattoo, "Custom Tattoos"). Crazdude's published tattoo-design terms add $100–$200 on top of an illustration commission to cover the custom design service, a tattooing-rights letter, consultation and research, and printed artwork. Artist Ken Allouis's published commission page states that "quotes for commissioned tattoo drawings start at $1,500" (Ken Allouis). Twistid Ink's published studio policies require a non-refundable, non-transferable drawing deposit before an artist begins a custom drawing, alongside a $100 studio minimum and a $100 appointment deposit (Twistid Ink studio policies).

"$100 is your design fee. This fee covers the time I spend designing and collaborating with you to create a unique, original design, and does NOT come off the total cost of your tattoo." — Lizzy Dalton Tattoo, "Custom Tattoos"

Hourly anchors come from the tattooing side of the same businesses. Six Feet Under Tattoo Parlor's published FAQ lists artist rates of $160–$300 per hour, a $100 shop minimum, and booking deposits of $40–$100 depending on the artist. Lizzy Dalton Tattoo publishes $200 per hour for blackwork and black-and-grey tattoos and $180 per hour for color, subject to a one-hour minimum. The industry guide Tattooing 101 — a secondary source, not a primary rate card — reports a wider $50–$300 per hour band nationally.

A formula for setting your own design fee

The following is Brillay's own recommended model, not a surveyed market rate: design fee = hourly design rate × estimated design hours + revision buffer + rights or licensing premium. Set the hourly design rate at or near your published tattooing hourly rate, because a design hour costs the same bench time as a tattooing hour. Size the revision buffer at the price of the extra rounds you expect to give away; Lizzy Dalton Tattoo publishes an additional design fee of $25–$100 when a client asks for more than one round of edits. Add the rights premium only when the buyer is getting more than personal tattoo use — a commercial licence or a full assignment.

Three worked examples at an illustrative $150-per-hour design rate (arithmetic, not a Brillay price list and not a guarantee of what a client will pay):

• Simple single element. Example: one design hour for personal tattoo use only at $150 × 1 hour = $150, plus a $0 scope buffer and a $0 rights premium = $150.
• Multi-element half-sleeve panel. Example: four design hours with two review milestones for personal tattoo use only at $150 × 4 hours = $600, plus a $100 scope buffer and a $0 rights premium = $700.
• Full-sleeve layout with commercial reuse. Example: eight design hours with an open-ended refinement scope when the buyer wants to reproduce the artwork on merchandise at $150 × 8 hours = $1,200, plus a $300 scope buffer and a $300 rights premium for a written commercial licence = $1,800.

The middle tier is the one no published cross-studio benchmark covers, so the arithmetic — hours, revision count, and rights — is what sets it rather than a comparable rate card.

The dollar figures in the table are real published examples from named artists and studios, not a guarantee of what any given design should sell for. For broader labor-market context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $55,290 in May 2025 for the craft-and-fine-artist occupational category, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $31,490 — a general labor benchmark, not a Brillay earnings claim.

Should the design fee apply toward the tattoo?

Whether a design fee credits toward the eventual tattoo cost is the artist's own studio policy, tracked and honored at the studio. Published studio terms genuinely diverge on whether the fee credits, so the only safe answer is to state your policy in writing before the client pays rather than assume an industry default exists.

Four published policies show the split. Lizzy Dalton Tattoo separates the two payments explicitly: a $100 deposit that "comes off the final cost of your tattoo" and a $100 design fee that "does NOT come off the total cost of your tattoo". Twistid Ink takes the opposite position on its drawing deposit: "If the tattoo is completed, the drawing deposit will be subtracted from the cost of the tattoo. If the tattoo is not completed, the deposit covers the time allotted for the artist to complete the drawing" (Twistid Ink studio policies). Rabble Rouser Tattoo's terms state "DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE" while also allowing that a deposit "may be applied to a future appointment" when a client cancels with at least 48 hours' notice. Skylla Tattoo Studio's refund policy states that all deposits are non-refundable and "cover the artist's time in consultation, design work, and materials," with no credit-toward-the-tattoo language.

State your own policy plainly before the client pays: for example, "design fee is non-refundable and does not credit toward the session" or "design fee credits toward your appointment if booked within 90 days." Because Brillay processes the design payment and states that there are "no live video calls or appointments to schedule," the artist tracks and honors any credit toward a studio session at the studio.

How do you scope revisions for a tattoo design commission?

Prevent scope creep by stating the concept, file format, usage rights, and exclusions before the client pays; delivery is one-time, and once it's sent the order page still gives the client a way to message you back for a correction or revision — settled by the correction and revision policy you publish, not a built-in revision counter. For a custom request, collect the full brief upfront and write down what the client gets, what you need from them, and what is not included before one finished delivery; if the client later wants another direction or extra changes, price that as a new order.

Published studios price extra rounds rather than absorb them. Lizzy Dalton Tattoo states that "more than one round of edits may require an additional design fee of $25-$100, and may require me to reschedule your tattoo". Studio Lumos Tattoo includes exactly one drawing in the appointment and warns that "excessive revisions during the sketching/mock-up process" may incur an additional drawing fee (Studio Lumos Tattoo FAQs). Unlimited revisions are a deliberate premium choice, not a default: Ken Allouis pairs a stated $1,500 starting quote with "unlimited revision until you are satisfied with the final outcome". If you offer unlimited rounds, price for them.

Because a design commission is a custom request, the artist controls price and delivery time and can turn down out-of-scope work: Brillay's published How It Works page states, "You can decline it. You're always in control of what you take on." Spell out one finished delivery, reference-image requirements, and file-format delivery (PNG, PDF, or vector) in the listing description; tattoo design revision limits and stencil change fees covers the post-approval side in detail.

Can a client ask questions before committing to a design?

Yes. A client pays your set price upfront to ask one private pre-design question — style fit, placement sizing, aftercare basics — and you send back one written reply on your own time, with no consult to schedule. Price it as a short written answer rather than a reference review.

A paid pre-ink question gives a hesitant client a low-cost way to get a real answer before paying for full concept work, and gives the artist a priced alternative to answering the same questions for free in an inbox. Brillay's published How It Works page confirms that you reply in writing on your own time, with "no live video calls or appointments to schedule". A question that requires the artist to look at a reference photo or an existing tattoo belongs in a custom request instead.

One question that comes up often is blood donation, and the honest answer is short: the American Red Cross states that "in most states, a tattoo is acceptable if the tattoo was applied by a state-regulated entity using sterile needles and ink that is not reused," and that a tattoo from a state that does not regulate tattoo facilities carries a three-month wait. Deferral rules vary by jurisdiction and by the individual blood center's own policy, so send the client to the operating blood center rather than answering for them. Aftercare and eligibility questions belong in a separate paid-question offer, not in a design commission — see paid pre-ink tattoo consultation questions for that format. This is general information, not medical advice.

Why separate design pricing from the tattoo appointment?

Pricing the design separately protects concept hours from clients who never book. Demand is broad and repeat: 32% of US adults have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one, per a Pew Research Center survey of 8,480 US adults fielded July 10–16, 2023.

The same Pew Research Center survey found that 24% of tattooed Americans say they regret getting one or more of their tattoos, and that 69% of tattooed adults cite honoring or remembering someone or something as a reason for a tattoo. Both figures argue for a paid design phase with a clearly defined scope: reference-heavy, meaning-heavy briefs take time, and catching a design a follower would regret is cheaper before it is permanent.

The market itself is fragmented into very small businesses, which is why individual pricing pages differ so widely: IBISWorld puts the US Tattoo Artists industry at $1.3 billion in 2026 across 23,774 businesses as of 2025. Safety and standards guidance for the trade comes from bodies such as the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, which describes itself as "devoted to uniting professional tattooists and educating all stakeholders on tattoo safety standards and best practices,".

What else can a tattoo artist sell alongside design commissions?

From one Brillay link, a tattoo artist can sell custom designs and flash sheets through Custom Work, offer Paid Questions, accept Tips, and create Goals for studio gear. Each offer is one time, no membership, and none requires booking an appointment through Brillay.

• Flash sheet sales: pre-drawn, fixed-price designs sold as-is, for clients who don't need a custom concept.
• Paid Questions: quick pre-ink text questions on style, sizing, or aftercare.
• Tips: a way for followers who enjoy an artist's process videos or portfolio posts to support them without commissioning anything.
• Goals: funding toward studio gear, a new machine, or other equipment — a goal with a progress bar, not a product purchase.

Custom illustration artists outside tattooing use a similar structure: the same design-fee framework applies to commission pricing, and the same attachment-free format works for answering paid art questions without booking a call. The same design-fee-first approach shows up across other custom digital art niches, from pricing a custom Discord emote pack to commissioning a custom VRChat avatar to pricing custom intro and outro animations for streamers.

Frequently asked questions

Does Brillay handle booking the actual tattoo appointment?

No. Brillay processes payment for the design or consultation work, and its published How It Works page states that "There are no live video calls or appointments to schedule". The tattoo appointment itself is booked directly with the artist or studio, outside Brillay.

Does the client own the copyright to a tattoo design they paid for?

Not automatically. The U.S. Copyright Office states that a transfer of copyright ownership "generally must be made in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed" (Circular 1), and a commissioned tattoo design does not fall within the nine work-made-for-hire categories listed in Circular 30. Absent a signed assignment, the client typically receives a stated permission to have the design tattooed, not the copyright. This is general information, not legal advice.

How much do artists actually charge for a design-only commission?

Published examples range widely. Lizzy Dalton Tattoo charges a flat $100 design fee separate from a $100 booking deposit, Crazdude adds $100–$200 to an illustration commission to cover custom tattoo design service and a tattooing-rights letter, and Ken Allouis states that quotes for commissioned tattoo drawings start at $1,500. No published cross-industry benchmark exists for a standalone design fee, so treat those figures as endpoints and set your own price as hourly design rate × design hours + revision buffer + any rights premium.

Is a custom tattoo design a Paid Question or a custom request?

Use a custom request for the actual design commission: clients can upload references, and you can deliver the finished file.

What happens if a client wants unlimited revisions on a design?

State the scope and delivery time in the listing description before the follower pays, while Lizzy Dalton Tattoo publishes an additional $25–$100 design fee for expanded editing. On a custom request, Brillay states, "You can decline it. You're always in control of what you take on."

What does Brillay charge to sell design commissions?

Brillay's platform fee is stated in the pricing section above; typical US online card-processing rates apply on top of that separately: Stripe's published pricing lists 2.9% + $0.30 as typical US domestic online-card pricing (Stripe pricing), with different rates for international cards and other methods. Brillay has no follower minimum and nothing to apply for.

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