How do I book an appointment?

Each artist handles their own booking and each artist prefers to do things a little differently. The best way to book an appointment is to contact the artist you are looking to have do your piece directly. You can do this by clicking on the portfolio button under each artist’s photo which will take you directly to their Instagram page. From there you can contact the artist based on their individual booking instructions. We also invite you to contact the shop either by phone or email with any questions you may have about booking or rescheduling appointments.

How do I book with a guest artist?

Much like our resident artists, our guest artists all handle their own bookings. If you are interested in booking with one of our guest artists please contact them directly either through their social media or my email. How

Do you take walk ins?

Our artists will advertise via our website and their social media when they are available for walk ins. If you are attempting to come in for a walk in and we do not have an artist available, we are more than happy to book you an appointment in our soonest available spot.

What is your cancellation and reschedule policy?

We understand that life happens! If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment we ask that you do your best to give your artist at least 48 hours notice to allow them to fill your spot. It is important to remember that this is how each artist makes their living and if they are unable to tattoo due to last minute cancellations or no shows it can become a financial burden for them. We appreciate open communication about scheduling conflicts or hesitations so please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Do I have to put down a deposit?

In short yes! Each artist requires a deposit to book an appointment. These are collected by the individual artists at the time of your booking and not by Brightside Tattoo. If you have questions about deposits, please direct them towards the individual artists.

Do you do free touch ups?

At Brightside we pride ourselves in doing high quality tattoos that are meant to last and age gracefully. If you do have a tattoo that requires a little TLC we are happy to help. All of our artists guarantee their work and will provide touch ups free of cost for up to one year after getting the tattoo. This is of course as long as we can determine that the cause for touch up is not due to negligence in the healing process. If your tattoo requires any touch ups outside of the one year period or has been damaged through wear and tear we are happy to retouch it at our individual hourly rates.

What is the shop rate?

Each artist has their own rate. We do not have a shop rate and if you have questions about the cost of your piece, we invite you to discuss it with your artists directly.

What should I do before my appointment to prepare?

We recommend that the week leading up to your appointment you take care to hydrate and get plenty of rest. It is very important to eat a well-rounded meal before you come in for your tattoo to ensure your body has lots of energy. We have snacks and water free of cost for you to have to help keep your energy up but it’s important to come in well fed. You will want to avoid consuming alcohol in the 24 hours leading up to your appointment as it can thin the blood and can make it very difficult to tattoo you. It can also negatively affect the healing process. You can take ibuprofen before your appointment but please avoid Tylenol or any medications with blood thinning properties. Please ensure that you practice proper hygiene to the best of your abilities before coming in to get tattooed. It helps us to ensure that that we can keep your procedure area as sanitary as possible as well as increase the likelihood of healthy healing.

Do you tattoo/tattoo color on melanated skin?

Yes! All our artists have extensive experience tattooing color and black and gray on all different skin tones. We are confident that we can guide you towards the right decisions for your tattoo based on your skin tone. If you are interested in a color test tattoo to get a sense for how certain colors will heal in your skin, please let us know. All our artists are happy to help you with this!

Can I bring a friend?

Please make sure to double check with your individual artist but we love visitors at Brightside! We ask that if you bring your children in that they stay in our waiting area and do not go into the procedure area. We ask that any visitors that you have maintain a peaceful and safe environment for our artists and clients. Visitors need to mind their proximity to the client chairs and make sure that they are not disturbing the artist or client during the tattoo process. We reserve the right to ask any person to leave our shop who is not creating a safe and supportive environment for our artists and patrons.

Can I bring food and drinks?

We do not allow food in the procedure area, but we have a comfortable waiting space where you can take a break and have a snack. We encourage you to have water in the procedure area with you and if you would like to have any other drinks, we just ask that they be in spill proof containers.

Do you finish other artists work?

Some artists do, some artists don’t. The best thing to do is ask your artist.

What are your lasting Covid-19 protocols?

At Brightside our number one goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy. We are always staying up to date on the status of Covid and we may alter our protocols at any time in accordance with CDC and local health official recommendations. We are currently not requiring masking inside the shop but are more than happy to mask if that makes you more comfortable. Please do not hesitate to request that we mask if you are immunocompromised or would simply feel more comfortable if we do so. We want everyone to feel safe while getting tattooed. Outside of masking we pride ourselves in keeping the shop clean and sanitized and provide hand washing and sanitizing stations for your convenience. Please feel free to call or email the shop with any questions regarding our Covid policies and procedures.

Can I use numbing cream?

This will be a question you need to direct to you artist however the short answer is usually yes! Your artist can advise you on particular brands to use and to avoid. We also use topical numbing sprays and salves during your tattoo if requested so please feel free to inquire about the use of numbing agents. If you would like to use a numbing cream for your appointment, please make sure you discuss it with your artist before your appointment. There are some creams that can change the integrity of your skin to such a degree that you will not be able to get the tattoo.

How do I heal my tattoo?

Please see our section on aftercare in the menu!