Tattoo Pricing at Ancient Marks

If you're only looking for CHEAP prices, we are certainly NOT the shop for you.

We are just fine with that. There are numerous other shops in Salt Lake and the surrounding communities that can accommodate you with quick, cheap and dirty tattooing. If Cheap is your #1 goal, then I'd suggest that you look to another shop to assist you.

With cheap comes cutting corners, sub-standard pigment, mediocre equipment, and usually inexperience and/or desperation for your cash. These shops and so-called tattooers will be more than happy to take your money and cheaply slap any image you want onto your skin where it will reflect your impulsive cheap decision forever. 

If you're looking for a Quality Tattoo, applied Professionally, Safely, and Efficiently, even if you have a limited budget to work with, then read on....

Quality is what we strive for at Aloha Salt Lake Tattoos. Quality at a fair price is what we provide. If you are looking for quality artwork that will last a lifetime. If you are looking for a tattoo that you can be proud to show off for the rest of your life, then Ancient Marks may just be the the shop for you.

The "cost" of your particular tattoo.

It's tough to answer the question "how much will this particular tattoo cost" over the phone, via text or SMS, or via email. It's probably the #1 Question we get asked.

So many people call asking our price per hour. I need to stress the fact that every tattoo shops hourly rates are not comparable! Most people do not realize that an hour of one artist's time is not the equivalent to an hour of another artist's time...

The only thing we can respond with is: It really depends. It depends on specifics. To be honest, it depends on the... Exact Design, Exact Details, Placement on the body, Exact Size, Specific Colors vs. Solid Black or Black and Grey, or even a Combination, Skin Type, how well you take the tattoo both physically, mentally, and how your skin takes the pigment, the artist's expertise, the time it takes to do the tattoo, etc... to name a few. In other words, there are numerous factors that go into pricing. So it's nearly impossible to determine without seeing the area we are going to tattoo, and determine the specific size, placement, and at least rough idea of the specific design.

So, the only direct answer we have for you is:  Pricing on your tattoo depends on the specifics of that particular tattoo, on that particular person, done by that particular artist, at that particular time, and could vary drastically depending on numerous factors.

We basically have two ways of charging, and depending on the tattoo that you're looking to get, your tattoo will fall into one of the two pricing categories; Hourly or Set Price and occasionally we use a combination of the two.

Some tattoos will be charged at a set price, and no matter how long, or short, the tattoo session lasts, you will know the exact price up front. We do this with smaller tattoos and occasionally larger tattoos and sessions to stick to a particular client's budget. Set prices are loosely based on the Hourly Rate but actual tattoo time does not impact that price. 

The other common method of charging is Hourly. an hourly rate is used when the tattoo is a bit more complex and will take over 1-2 hours. On some session work, we will set a price for that session, so that you know exactly how much will be charged prior to starting. We generally ask what your budget is for each session, and use that to gage the time spent on the tattoo for that session. It sounds complicated, but it's actually pretty straight-forward once you get a feel for how it works. We aren't here to get rich of any one person, or any one tattoo. Instead we take pride in being fair with each client, providing superior service at an honest price.

Session Rates for Jon Poulson

Jon generally charges by the session. Session rates are:

$1500 for a full day session — up to 7 hours,

$1,000 for a half day session — up to 4 hours.

These Session rates includes station setup, and break-down, Equipment costs and Preparation, drawing time required during the session, including sizing, stenciling, freehand drawing on the skin, and other artwork preparation, and of course tattoo time and wrap-up time. The cost of aftercare is also included in this session rate.

The tattoos Jon does takes Time, Planning, and Precision. Usually a tattoo from Jon Poulson requires commissioned artwork. this alone takes weeks and generally costs between $400-$1200 to Prep for a tattoo. note: this commissioned art is not finalized artwork. it is the basis of the tattoo.

Full Sleeve tattoos generally take 4-12 sessions to complete. The average being 6 Sessions.

Main Elements - 2-4 sessions, Background 2-8 sessions. (this is an average)

Half Sleeves generally take 2-6 sessions to complete, but that varies depending on coverage.

Main elements - 1-2 sessions, Backgrounds 1-4 sessions

Outer Top half sleeves (the part of the arm that shows, leaving the inside, underarm alone) half the coverage, so take less time than a full wrap, generally 1-3 sessions

Back Pieces generally take 4-12 sessions, the average being about 6-8 Sessions.

The level of detail usually determines the amount of time needed to complete a piece. Backgrounds and detailed areas take longer, but skin condition, size, and pain tolerance plays a big factor.

People often break these larger tattoos up by sections,: for example, we do the main elements outlines, then take a break… then do the main elements Shading and Designs, then take a break. then wait to do the background. Then background. The background often comes in the middle, leaving the final shading/fill of the main elements last.

We need 2 weeks between sessions to heal, often 3 weeks - 1 month works well for most people.

Sessions can be done Back to Back days, 2-3 days in a row (for those traveling in to Salt Lake City, Utah) but i like to limit it to 3 days in a row with a 1 month minimum break.

Hourly Rates

We charge by the hour on certain pieces, and other pieces we charge by the piece. When it's by the hour, we charge $250 per hour depending on the style, the complexity, the artwork, etc... Sessions are often cheaper per hour, and include all of the time it takes to set-up, prep the area, finalize the artwork in prep for the tattoo, etc….

It's really RESULTS that you should be looking for, instead of a cheaper hourly rate.

I want to stress the fact that every tattoo shop's hourly rates are not comparable! So many people call asking our price per hour. But what most people do not realize is an hour of one artists time is not the equivalent to another artists time... An efficient artist can finish a piece with amazing accuracy and attention to detail in 1 hour, where it will take another, cheaper artist 3 hours to do the same work, and the second one, the one that took 3 hours, doesn't look half as good, and cost twice as much in the end, and on top of it all, you had to sit for an extra 2 hours in pain! And will probably need to go back for a touch-up at least once, so even more pain in the long run. 

More Money, and More time in Pain is NOT my idea of a good deal!

Don't fall into the trap of looking for a cheap per hour artist. You'll end-up paying more, and get a lower quality work in the long-run. We are experienced and very efficient. We care about your tattoo, your time during the procedure, and the amount of pain you are in, so we work efficiently to get your tattoo done quickly, and perfect the first time. Leaving you with AMAZING results in far less time than many other artists.

You can ask any of our clients... The way we tattoo makes a huge difference in your overall experience.

Shop Minimum

Jon has a $250 minimum for most areas of the body. Certain areas are harder to tattoo, and if not done properly will certainly require a touch-up due to the nature of the skin exfoliation and limited dermis available in those areas; for this reason, there are a few areas that are more expensive to tattoo. So, certain areas have a $120-$150 minimum. But we are very up-front and honest about not only the minimum for those areas, but also the potential for troubles in any of those areas so you are well aware of potential issues before we will even agree to tattoo anyone in those areas.

We always use all completely disposable supplies, and the best pigments available. This comes at a premium cost... other shops may have lower minimums, but they cant boast the high standards we maintain.

If you're only looking for cheap, and only care about getting something quickly, then we are certainly not the shop for you.

And we are just fine with that. Quality is what we strive for. Quality at a fair price is what we provide. If you are looking for quality artwork that will last a lifetime. If you are looking for a tattoo that you can be proud to show off for the rest of your life, then Aloha Salt Lake Tattoos is the shop for you.

We never price match; Other shops are not offering the same service we are offering. At Aloha Salt Lake Tattoos, we maintain the highest sanitary levels, and we produce fantastic art in less time than most. Leaving you with a piece of customized artwork created by the hand of a skilled master-craftsman just for you. Done in Less Time, With Less Pain, and Guaranteed for life.

Scheduling a consultation to answer your questions

If you would like to know the price of a particular tattoo that you are interested in getting, It's best to schedule a consultation so that we can sit down and discuss the specifics of what you're looking for, along with your wants, needs, and expectations from this particular tattoo.

Booking a consult is easy,  Start with the Inquiry form and we will get you where you need to be.