Payment Policy
Our shop is cash only with the exception of booking fees. Booking fees may be paid with cash or card (cash preferred), but the remaining balance of your tattoo services and any tip you wish to leave for your artist must be paid with cash on the day of your appointment. Some artists accept payment applications (Zelle, Venmo, etc.) but not all, so please plan to bring cash. We also have ATMs available for use for a small fee in our studio.
Booking Fee Policy
We require a non-refundable booking fee to schedule an appointment. The booking fee amount is on a sliding scale according to the amount of tattoo time needed and ranges $75-$500. The process of booking an appointment is often a multi-step process that requires both administrative and operational costs realized prior to your tattoo services. This booking fee is applied toward your tattoo services performed at Canvas Tattoo. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances, included but not limited to sickness (including COVID), transportation issues, family emergencies, etc.
In the event that an artist you have a booking fee on file for leaves Canvas Tattoo, you may apply the booking fee toward services with any other artist at Canvas, but it is non-refundable.
Requests to reschedule your tattoo appointment are considered cancellations and it is at the artist’s discretion if they permit you to keep your booking fee on file or require a new booking fee to reschedule.
Cancellation Policy
We do appreciate notification if you cannot make your scheduled appointment. This allows us the opportunity to attempt to fill the open spot and helps to ensure a living income for our working artists. For missed appointments, your booking fee is paid to the artist to offset a small portion of the income they were scheduled to earn. If you cancel or no-show two times in a row (regardless if you have given a notice each time), all of your future appointments will be erased from the schedule and offered to other clients without any notice.
Touch-up Policy
Touch ups are a complimentary service offered by the artist who originally completes your tattoo. Tattoos generally require a minimum of 4 weeks of healing time before they may be eligible for a touch up and touch ups are given by the original tattooing artist at their own discretion. If the artist feels that a touch up would not benefit the tattoo, they reserve the right to deny a touch up request.
In the event that you are tattooed by an artist that later leaves Canvas Tattoo and Art Gallery, Canvas is not liable for providing complimentary touch ups and any work performed by an artist other than the original tattoo artist will be considered a rework and charged accordingly.
All touch up requests must be made within 60 days of the tattoo’s original completion date. Touch up requests made past this 60 day period will also be considered reworks and charged accordingly.
How old do I have to be to get a tattoo in North Carolina?
LEGALLY you MUST be 18 years of age.
If I am under the age of 18 years, but my parents are willing to sign for me, can I get tattooed?
No. This is not allowed by NC Regulations.
What does it cost to get tattooed?
Every shop has a minimum for small tattoos. This is for tattoos that take 30 minutes or less to complete. At Canvas Tattoo, this price is $150 for resident artists with 3+ years of experience and $100 for junior artists in their first year of tattooing. The price for larger tattoos ranges from $160 or $250 per hour, depending on the category of artist. How many sessions it will take to complete your tattoo will depend on the design, the placement, and your pain tolerance. Some artists will offer day sessions at a flat rate for larger projects and that may be discussed during your consultation.
Do I have to have an appointment to get tattooed?
Please call the shop at (980) 299-2588 to inquire about our walk-in availability. Generally, we have walk-in availability every day!
Is your studio licensed by the state of North Carolina?
Yes! We are licensed by the state of NC under the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Environmental Health Section 15A NCAC 18A .3200. We are also Blood Borne Pathogens Certified and renew our First Aid Certification every year. We follow all NC laws. We are also randomly inspected by the NC Environmental Health Services Section
Needles arrive sterilized from the manufacturer. After a needle is opened and used on a client it is disposed of after a single-use.
Before tattooing, we begin by washing our hands. Then wearing gloves, we will wrap all equipment (ie. tattoo chair, bottles, clip cords, metal trays, etc) with barrier film to ensure our area is clean. When done tattooing, we use a medical grade cleaner, such as Cavacide, to clean all surfaces. This cleaner kills all bacterial, viral, and fungal microorganisms such as AIDS, HIV, Hep A, B, C, MRSA, etc.
We use an autoclave sterilization device on the bottle and ancillary instruments utilized during the tattooing procedure. Our autoclave is independently certified and runs automatic programs designed for each load. It utilizes an indicator light, which results confirm that the cycle was successfully completed resulting in complete sterilization. We log the cycle in our autoclave log book and mark each sterilized pouch with the sterilization date. We regularly clean and maintain our autoclave and spore test it monthly with two separate testing procedures utilizing a testing control to validate the procedure. This is a step above what is required by the NC Code and is done to ensure your safety. Our spore testing process is done in-house, in our very own studio, so we can ensure the quickest action if any test would indicate a failure.
Before tattooing, we set up our station wearing gloves, and wrap all equipment (ie. tattoo chair, bottles, clip cords, metal trays, etc) with barrier film to make sure we keep our area clean. When done tattooing we use a medical-grade cleaner, such as Cavacide, to clean off all surfaces. This cleaner kills all bacterial, viral, and fungal microorganisms such as AIDS, HIV, Hep A, B, C, MRSA, etc. All of our artists are required to be tested for MRSA, HIV, and Hepatitis before performing any service at Canvas Tattoo to ensure your health and safety.
We have set in place practices and equipment to make sure you’re in the cleanest possible environment, protecting both you and our artists and ensuring a safe environment for our future clients.
How do you provide a sterile tattoo procedure?
Needles arrive sterilized from the manufacturer. After a needle is opened and used on a client it is disposed of after a single-use.
Before tattooing, we begin by washing our hands. Then wearing gloves, we will wrap all equipment (ie. tattoo chair, bottles, clip cords, metal trays, etc) with barrier film to ensure our area is clean. When done tattooing we use a medical grade cleaner, such as Cavacide, to clean all surfaces. This cleaner kills all bacterial, viral, and fungal microorganisms such as AIDS, HIV, Hep A, B, C, MRSA, etc.
We use an autoclave sterilization device on the bottle and ancillary instruments utilized during the tattooing procedure. Our autoclave is independently certified and runs automatic programs designed for each load. It utilizes an indicator light, which results confirm that the cycle was successfully completed resulting in complete sterilization. We log the cycle in our autoclave log book and mark each sterilized pouch with the sterilization date. We regularly clean and maintain our autoclave and spore test it monthly with two separate testing procedures utilizing a testing control to validate the procedure. This is a step above what is required by the NC Code and is done to ensure your safety. Our spore testing process is done in-house, in our very own studio, so we can ensure the quickest action if any test would indicate a failure. Before tattooing, we set up our station wearing gloves, and wrap all equipment (ie. tattoo chair, bottles, clip cords, metal trays, etc) with barrier film to make sure we keep our area clean. When done tattooing we use a medical-grade cleaner, such as Cavacide, to clean off all surfaces. This cleaner kills all bacterial, viral, and fungal microorganisms such as AIDS, HIV, Hep A, B, C, MRSA, etc. All of our artists are required to be tested for MRSA, HIV, and Hepatitis before performing any service at Canvas Tattoo to ensure your health and safety.
We have set in place practices and equipment to make sure you’re in the cleanest possible environment, protecting both you and our artists and ensuring a safe environment for our future clients.
Are walk-ins allowed?
Effective October 7, 2022, walk-in appointments are now allowed!
How can I book an appointment?
Schedule a consultation with an artist, pay a booking fee, and schedule the needed appointments depending on the size of your tattoo. In certain circumstances, the consultation may not be necessary. You can email us at info@canvastattoos.com with a description of the tattoo you’d like, including placement on the body, sizing, if you’d like color, and any reference images you may have to determine the necessity of a consultation.
What can I expect to happen at my consultation?
You will sit down with your artist to discuss your tattoo idea. We will brainstorm, look at some reference pictures, and trace out the body part where the tattoo is going so we can take flow into consideration. We will take notes on color preferences, and what the tattoo symbolizes for you.
What does it cost to get tattooed?
Every shop has a minimum for small tattoos. This is for tattoos that take 30 minutes or less to complete. At Canvas Tattoo, this price is $150 for resident artists with 3+ years of experience and $100 for junior artists in their first year of tattooing. The price for larger tattoos ranges from $160 or $250 per hour, depending on the artist. How many sessions it will take to complete your tattoo will depend on the design, the placement, and your pain tolerance. Some artists offer flat rate full day sessions for larger tattoos and that can be discussed at your consultation.
How can I best prepare for my tattoo?
Make sure you get a full 8-hours of sleep the night before and drink plenty of water. You want to be well-rested and hydrated to make the tattoo process go well for you. Avoid alcohol, and anything containing niacin in it 24 hours prior to getting tattooed. You will want to eat a larger meal 1-2 hours before your session to avoid feeling lightheaded. You can bring snacks or drinks, but we do provide candy, snacks, and drinks to keep your blood sugar where it needs to be. This happens when you experience a decrease in blood sugar levels during the tattoo process because your body is reacting to the pain via surges of adrenaline.
Can I take a pain pill or consume alcohol before getting tattooed to relax?
No. Consuming alcohol or taking pills of any kind can thin the blood and make it hard for the artist to do the best job possible. This can also lead to excessive scabbing during the healing process. It is illegal for us to tattoo someone who is under the influence. Also, any and all prescriptions MUST be disclosed to your artist to make sure your prescription will not have an adverse effect on your tattoo.
Can I use a numbing product before I come in for my tattoo?
Our artists request that you do not use any type of numbing product prior to coming to your tattoo. If you are concerned about pain, please speak with your artist before applying anything that could affect the healing process. Our artists are well versed in numbing products and can answer any questions you have prior to beginning your tattoo.
Can I obtain a tattoo if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
No. The main concern is an infection, which is why it is not advisable to get a tattoo when you are expecting a baby or breastfeeding. Little information is available about the safety of skin dyes used for tattooing during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. It is possible that the chemicals in the dye may affect the development of the baby and an increase in exposure to blood-borne pathogens. While it is unlikely that tattoo ink will get into your milk supply, there is not enough data available for us to permit tattooing during this time.
Can I have an allergic reaction?
Although not common, allergic reactions can happen. We only use organic inks and most of the other products we use on the skin are all-natural or vegan. We ask each client about allergies before we begin the tattoo. It is important to be honest with your artist so they can use a different product if needed in order to avoid a reaction. Our preferred healing product is Saniderm, and the adhesive can cause a rare and minor reaction to your skin that can cause slight irritation and red spots, which will simply pass once the product is removed.
Do you sell gift cards?
Yes, eGift cards are available for purchase in person or over the phone.