F.A.Q.

➤ Do you take credit cards?
Yes. And we do not keep cash on the premises so we usually cannot make change.

➤ How much will my tattoo cost?
Most custom tattoos will be billed hourly although some may have a flat fee agreed upon in advance. Individual artists may have different rates. Visit the artist’s page to view their details: Rebecca or Sasha

➤ Do I need to pay a deposit?
Most artists will require a design or booking fee to keep an appointment. This fee covers design time or the cost of set up supplies and is usually not deducted from your total.

➤ Can I see my drawing before paying a deposit?
We typically do not do any drawing before receiving a non-refundable deposit. While we understand the fear that you won’t like the drawing, you are presumably choosing an artist because you like their style and you trust them to create something good. It’s important that artists get paid for their work. However, every tattoo artist wants you to be happy with your tattoo, and we will work with you on the design to ensure it encompasses your vision. If, after working together, we are still unable to create something you love, you are under no obligation to follow through with the tattoo, and I’ll still have been paid for the time and work we put in for you.

➤ Will you send me my custom design in advance?
We generally don’t email custom designs under any circumstances. Sometimes we’re still tweaking and adjusting designs up to the morning of your appointment and we don’t want you to have an outdated design in your head. If it’s absolutely crucial for you to see your design in advance we can arrange a consultation appointment to discuss it in person.

➤ Can I take your design to another artist to get it tattooed?
In general it’s best if the artist that created the design does the tattoo. We will not usually provide art for another artist to tattoo.

➤ Do I own the design you drew for me?
Unless you purchase additional rights to our designs, we retain all copyright. That means we may make prints of the design or use it as advertising. We generally will not tattoo a design more than once, with the exception of small flash pieces, but we reserve the right to do so.

➤ Do you take walk-ins?
During COVID-19 we will not be accepting walk-ins.

➤ Do you tattoo dark skin?
We tattoo all skin tones!

➤ Will a tattoo look good on my dark skin?
Tattoos can be beautiful on any skin tone. Your artist will work with you to design the best approach for your skin. Tattoo ink lives in the dermis layer of the skin, while melanin, the pigment that makes skin dark, is in the layer above it, the epidermis. That means that your tattoo will always have a layer of melanin covering it and your artist should create a design with that in mind, usually a work with stronger contrast to shine through and interact beautifully with the layer of melanin. Darker skin can also be more prone to keloids, or very fibrous scars, so your artist may ask you to split your tattoo into multiple sessions to avoid overworking it in a single session while still putting in enough pigment to create a bold, beautiful tattoo.

➤ Do you do free touchups?
Each artist has their own touchup policy and you should inquire with them directly. Most artists offer free touchups for at least a six month period after your appointment as long as you’ve taken good care of it. Poor aftercare may result in a withdrawal of the free touchup offer.

➤ Do you do cremation ash tattoos?
We do not do cremation ash tattoos at Oak Iris. While ash is sterile when it is first burned, it is not treated in a fully sterile way after that and can pick up contaminants during handling and transfer. We do not want to insert those possible contaminants into your skin. Cremation ashes are also of inconsistent sizes and are usually of particle sizes too large to be cleanly tattooed, potentially causing blowouts and scarring. In order to be safely tattooed, cremation ashes must be resterilized and finely filtered, processes we are not equipped to complete at Oak Iris Tattoo. If you work with an ash ink company to create sterile tattoo ink with your loved one’s ashes, Oak Iris artists may be willing to work with that on a case by case basis. Reach out directly to your artist to inquire.

➤ Do you sell art?
Oak Iris is both a tattoo shop and a gallery/retail space. We sell original art and prints of our own work as well as that of other Portland artists.