Q - I want to become a tattoo apprentice. What do I have to do?

A - The first thing you have to do is put together a professional portfolio of your artwork and take it to the tattoo studio that you are thinking of apprenticing with. If they like your art, they will explain the apprenticeship procedure, which is two years long, with no sick/vacation days and no salary.

The apprentice must first sign a binding contract which usually involves a $10,000 promissory note along with several other considerations. The apprentice must then register with the Suffolk County Board of Health, and fulfill their requirements, as well. These requirements involve 1,000 hours of observing and/or completing body art procedures under the direct supervision of a Licensed Mentor Artist. The Suffolk County Board of Health requirements for apprenticeship (Article 14, Section 760-1403) can be found here.


Q - Is getting a tattoo/body piercing safe?
A - Yes. Getting a tattoo or body piercing at Dark Child is perfectly safe. All of our needles are sterile, single-use needles and are disposed of in a biohazard Sharps Container immediately after your procedure is complete. In addition, all of our artists wear a new pair of disposable gloves for each procedure and all surfaces are cleaned and sanitized after every procedure. Dark Child Tattoo is a member of the Alliance of Professsional Tattooists as well as the Alliance of Professional Piercers and as such, we follow rigorous safety guidelines (in addition to fulfilling the Suffolk County Board of Health's safety requirements).

Q - Does it hurt?
A - Perception of pain varies from person to person and depends on the part of the body being tattooed or pierced. You may or may not experience discomfort during your procedure. The best advice is to try to focus on how good the finished result of the tattoo or piercing will look.

Q - How do I make an appointment?
A - All appointments must be made in person at Dark Child Tattoo. A minimum $100 deposit is required in order to secure said appointment. This deposit goes toward the total price of the tattoo.

Q - Can I reschedule my appointment?
A - You are entitled to reschedule your appointment at no cost, provided you notify Dark Child Tattoo at least one hour prior to your scheduled appointment. If you arrive thirty or more minutes late and have not notified Dark Child, you may lose your appointment and your deposit will be forfeited.

Q - What is the store minimum?
A - The store minimum for a tattoo is $50. If you are unsure about how much your tattoo will cost, come into the shop and ask one of our artists, as we do not discuss prices over the phone or internet. All prices quoted are final and non-negotiable.

Q - I was at _____ shop, and they only charged $20 for that tattoo.
A - When choosing a tattoo studio, shopping solely for the cheapest price can be a terrible mistake. Our prices are directly corrolated to the quality of tattoo that our artists will provide you with. When choosing a plastic surgeon, for example, you would never choose the doctor with rock-bottom prices; it seems common sense that you will walk away with a much lesser quality of procedure that will likely deteriorate with time. The same applies to tattoos; the less a studio charges, the lesser the quality of their tattoos, safety procedures, and customer service are likely to be. And when a tattoo is of low quality, it is more likely to fade and/or turn into an unrecognizable ink blob" with time.

Q - I want a detailed tattoo on my ____, but I want it the size of a dime.
A - Something that must be considered when a tattoo is done too small is that in a few years' time it is going to look like a blob of ink on your body. If you want your new tattoo to stay beautiful for more than 6 months to a year, the image must be bigger. How much bigger will be determined by the artist based on the amount of detail in your tattoo.