We follow all tattoo studio standards of practice in accordance with Vancouver Coastal Health and WorkSafe BC.
Masks are optional in our studio but please bring a mask with you in case your artist prefers you wear one during your session.
If you would like your artist to wear a mask during your session please let them know. We want you to feel comfortable.

We are diligent in ensuring we prevent the spread of any disease with frequent hand washing, sanitizing, and routinely wiping down all hard surfaces with hospital-grade disinfectants.
Guests have access to hand sanitizer when entering and exiting the shop and there is also hand-sanitizer at each station.
Please stay home and call the studio as soon as possible prior to your appointment if you exhibit any symptoms of respiratory illness, fever or common cold; we will reschedule your appointment. If you have been diagnosed as covid positive please provide a copy of this proof to receive a full refund of your deposit should your appointment require a last minute rescheduling.
If your artist is exhibiting symptoms and needs to reschedule your session we will contact you to ensure you do not become infected.

Do not drink alcohol, take aspirin or ibuprofen before your session…and do not be hungover either (there is still alcohol in your blood).
These substances thin the blood and cause you to bleed more, which can push out the tattoo ink, effecting how your tattoo heals and how it looks in the end.

Please let your artist know if you take blood thinning medications and check with your doctor first, you may need to skip your dosage for that day, depending on what you are taking but you must discuss this with your doctor first. If your doctor has given you the OK to get tattooed while taking blood thinners and if your tattoo requires a touch-up because of its effect on your tattoo application and healing process, a touch-up fee may be required upon artist discretion.

Don't take illegal drugs before getting a tattoo, these could also promote more bleeding and they impair your decision to get a tattoo. This decision lasts a lifetime folks! Be smart about it.

- Make sure to eat a good meal, drink adequate water the days before to hydrate your skin and get a good sleep before the appointment.

Bringing snacks and a drink to your appointment is encouraged.

-Some feel that during their menstrual cycle and a ½ week before and after it, the pain of receiving a tattoo is more intense. You may want to consider this when booking your tattoo appointment.

- When you are NOT Pregnant or breastfeeding. If you get an infection there is a high chance it will spread to your baby.

-When you are sober. We will not tattoo you if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

-When you WILL NOT be doing the following during the 3 weeks following your tattoo session:
- exposing direct sunlight to your tattoo…don’t book it right before your trip to Mexico.
-swimming and other water activities…including baths or hot tubs or saunas.
-vigorous activity that will cause you to sweat heavily…don't book it before your marathon or hot yoga session.
-going to a dirty job or activity that has a high risk of your tattoo getting dirty.

-When you will have the opportunity to relax and take care of your tattoo properly…if you expect a very hectic week after your tattoo session, maybe consider another time in your calendar to get tattooed.

*Your tattoo is an open wound that can get infected, you need reasonable time to heal - keep it clean, dry and out of the sun!

On each artist page there is a preferred method of contact.

The pain of a tattoo will be different for everyone as people have different pain thresholds. The location of a tattoo placement affects the level of discomfort, for example a tattoo over a bony/ less fleshy body part will be more sensitive than a thicker area ( example shins vs calves).
Tattoo pain has been described as a bee sting or sunburn pain.
To make it a more pleasant experience, bringing calming music and headphones and having a relaxed mind helps the most. Being tense will increase the pain.
Remember this is a temporary discomfort.

Many artists do not like the way numbing affects the texture of the skin and prefer you don't use it. However others can work more efficiently because their client is more relaxed. Talk to your personal artist about their policy on using numbing creams.

Yes.
After your correspondence with your artist, you are required to put down a deposit to secure your appointment time/ date and to initiate the design process.
Your artist will tell you how much the deposit to book with them is.

Deposits range from $100.00 to $180 +gst (5% tax) depending on the artist and the tattoo project.
Your deposit will be applied toward the cost of your tattoo session or kept and forwarded toward a future session.

Deposits, regardless of circumstance, WILL NOT be refunded if you cancel within 72 hours of your appointment. Last minute cancellations are difficult to fill, and our artists appreciate you respecting the value of their time. If you need to cancel outside of our shop business hours, you must directly contact your artist by their preferred method to cancel or reschedule your appointment(s). Otherwise please call the shop during our business hours to do so.

If you are going to be late, contact the artist or studio immediately. If you are more than 20 minutes late without contacting your artist, your deposit will be forfeited.
You are allowed two reschedules. If you have to reschedule for a third time, you will lose your deposit.
Your artist will let you know if you will be required to pay a design fee and how much it will be.

Options to pay your deposit are:
1. Going to SHOP on the home page, selecting DEPOSIT, selecting the amount your artist specified and following the payment cues.
2. Send an e-transfer to copperkrakentattoo@gmail.com in the amount specified by your artist. Please list the project, appointment date and artist in the message on your transfer page.
3. Visit us in the studio to pay in person. We accepted all major credit cards, debit and cash.

Please DO NOT bring more than ONE friend to your appointment.

Please DO NOT bring your children to the tattoo shop. Our tattoo shop is an adult environment.

This shop does welcome walk-ins if an artist is available to work with you.
Walk-in tattoos are not guaranteed if all artists are booked.

Our shop will occasionally offer flash walk in days events on specific days (Canada Day, Friday the 13th, etc.) Please note that not all of our artists will be tattooing at these events, so please see our instagram page to find out the details of these events!

Please allow the artists at least 7 days to reply. If the artist has not gotten back to you, please send them a follow up message. Artists can have a high volume of messages to sort through each day.

PLEASE NOTE: If you fill out your inquiry form with as much information as possible, it will allow your chosen artists to be more efficient with the consultation process.

Our artists generally only tattoo their own custom artwork for their clients.
However, they are happy to take inspiration from others artwork as a reference.
If the original artist gives permission directly to your tattoo artist, they may agree to tattoo the artwork on you.
Our artists will not copy another tattoo artist's artwork under any circumstance!
If the artist is famous and deceased ie: you want the Mona Lisa tattooed, we will accommodate your request.

Yes, however these are not guaranteed tattoo sites and if touch ups are required ( which they usually are) they will be done at the clients expense.

*We do not tattoo faces.

*We do not tattoo genitals.

*We do not tattoo eyeballs.

*We do not tattoo permanent make up.

Please find all our artists rates listed on the artists bio page.

We have a minimum shop charge of $100.00 + taxes regardless of tattoo size or complexity (Artists discretion)

Sorry but The Copper Kraken Tattoo Emporium will not tattoo anyone who is under the age of 18, even with parental consent or if your guardian is with you at the appointment. It's better to wait for this kind of commitment until you are an adult.

All clientele of The Copper Kraken Tattoo Emporium appearing to be under the age of 30 are required to show a valid form of government issued photo I.D as proof of age. Please make it easy for everyone by bringing this to your appointment.

Letting you see the design beforehand is a very generous gesture from our artists, as most tattoo artists do not send you your design until the day of your appointment. This is because of design theft, so please be courteous and patient to your artist.

You will have a maximum of three design reworks / alterations before your appointment. If you request four or more modifications, you will be required to pay an extra fee.

If for any reason you decide you want to change your design or tattoo size drastically, add colour, move the tattoo to a different spot, or alter the tattoo considerably, your artist has the right to start charging hourly from that point on. So please make sure you are happy with your design prior to your appointment. Our artists are very easy to work with and encourage you to communicate your thoughts for your tattoo.

If you complete the inquiry to the best of your capability and with all the proper information, your artist may be able to give you an approximate estimate.
Every artist works differently, and there are many factors that can alter the cost of your tattoo such as tattoo placement, size, intricacy and how well your skin is able to take the ink…and maybe you are very squirmy and hard to work on…this factors in how long a tattoo will take to complete therefore affecting the price.
Therefore giving an accurate and definite price for a tattoo before starting the tattoo process is not always possible.
Estimates are exactly that… simply an idea of what you can expect to pay, always be prepared to pay more than the estimated price just to be safe.
Tattoos are an investment and a professional skill worth paying for.

Our artists take pride in the quality of their work, and apply each tattoo properly and professionally. However, we understand that sometimes life happens and you may need a quick touch-up on your tattoo.

If your tattoo does not heal as intended or the colour hasn’t set all the way in, you have 3 months ( from the day you got tattooed) to book a touch-up appointment with your artist. Free of charge. (Excluding fingers, hand and foot tattoos)

If you wait until after the 3 month period to book your touch ups, or if your lack of aftercare affects the way your tattoo heals, you will be charged your artists hourly rate for touch-ups.

You as the client are responsible for your tattoo once you leave the studio with your proper aftercare instructions. Please refer to our Tattoo Aftercare section to refresh yourself on tattoo aftercare if needed, or call the shop if you have any questions!

Our artists do not do free touch ups on other artists' work.

We are open to looking at your re-work or cover up project but cannot guarantee taking on the project. We encourage you to talk to the artist who did your tattoo to have them make improvements to their own work if possible.

If you think your tattoo is infected, contact us immediately!
Take a photo of your tattoo and email it to contact@copperkrakentattoo.com along with the following information:
Your name
Phone number
Artists name
Date you received the tattoo
Location of the tattoo
What aftercare products you used

You may also wish to call us or stop by the studio.
We will guide you on the next steps to take.

**If you can't contact us, don't wait! Consult your doctor. You may have an infection and be in need of antibiotics.

Please follow the advice of your artist closely after getting your tattoo to reduce the risk of getting an infection!

2 hour maximum free Parking is located in front of the studio across from the building. If your appointment will take longer than 2 hours, do not park here as you may not wish to leave the studio during the tattoo process to move your car.

There is also free parking west of the shop at the Save On Foods Parking lot and East at the Dollar Tree or Royal Bank. All parking is within a 10 min walk of the studio.