FAQ about tattoos and Sunset

How do I get myself an awesome tattoo from Sunset?

The best way is to email us on info@sunsettattoo.co.nz or call the shop (09)3763423. We are happy to help with any questions you might have. If you are after a custom tattoo, designed by one of our artists, you can send us a description of what you are looking to get done, and we can pair you with the right artist for the style you are looking for. From there usually you can come in for a free consultation. At the consultation we can help you with making your concept into a great tattoo. If you already have an existing image that you would like to get tattooed, just send an image of it to us and we should be able to quote it for you. 

What kind of styles do you specialise in?

Our artists specialise in most styles of tattooing including Western Traditional, Japanese, Black and grey, lettering, Maori Tamoko, and Pacifica tattooing. We most definitely welcome enquiries of all styles and all sizes. 

Where are you located?

We are located in the heart of the city at 4a Cross Street Auckland 1010, which runs parallel to Karangahape Road and sits between Mercury Lane and Upper Queen Street.

Do I need to make an appointment?

We strive to have a tattoo artist available for walk in's at all time. A lot of our artists have designs ready to go and we love walk in's. Some of our artists have longer waiting periods than others, and do custom tattoos that can take a bit longer to design. 

How old do you need to be to get tattooed?

You need to be 18 years of age with proof of Identification to get tattooed. Parental consent for under 18 year olds is  NOT acceptable. And don't even try to fake it- we're not a bar.

What is the minimum price for a tattoo?

Our minimum charge is $100.00. This cost covers our minimum sterile set up, supplies, as well as wages for the artist. We strive to always have the highest possible quality supplies, tools, and utmost cleanliness, hygiene, and professional skill, and this is what the minimum cost is covering.

How much does a tattoo cost?

Cost depends on the time it will take to do your tattoo. The best way to get a quote is to come in to the shop in person or email us and we can give you an idea of price. Tattoos that can be done in one session can be quoted by the piece, and ongoing larger tattoos are charged by our hourly rate.

What is your hourly rate?

Tattoos are generally priced at an hourly rate of $175 per hour. Larger works are best booked in for a half-day session (3 hours) at $500 or a full day session (6 hours) at $950

*We feel it is very important to note that we get this question a lot! Hourly rates are often irrelevant. If you are looking for a cheap hourly rate, you are most likely looking for a bad or inexperienced tattoo artist. And an inexperienced tattoo artist is often a SLOW one, and can end up costing you MORE. Or you might end up with one that might give you a tattoo you end up regretting. Generally, the best tattoo artists in New Zealand will have a fairly similar rate, and your best bet is to pick an artist whose work you love and whose skill you trust. A busy artist has no reason to overcharge, and prefers to have happy customers who are return customers. A great tattoo artist usually simply loves their job and wants the best for their clients. 

How much do consultations cost?

Consultations are free and take place at 10.30am or 6.15pm Tuesday-Saturday.

Do I need to pay a deposit for my tattoo appointment and how much?

Usually we take a deposit of $50-$150 depending on the time involved in the project. Deposits are always cashed out at the end of the project. Deposits are non- refundable. If you need to cancel or move your appointment and give us more than 48 hours notice we will keep the deposit as shop credit for you.

Why do I need to pay a deposit?

Deposits are there to protect the artists from no-shows and last minute cancellations. They are a way of ensuring that the job will happen and that the client is serious. If you don't show up to your appointment your artist does not get paid. Failure to notify us within 48 hours or more than 3 reschedules will result in the loss of your deposit and the need to pay a new one to secure a new time.

Shop hours:

We are open from Tuesday through to Saturday from 10am till 6pm. Often our artist work after hours by appointment.

Things to remember before your appointment: 

Be on time for your appointment. It's best if you've had a good nights sleep and eaten something substantial before getting tattooed. The healthier you feel the better the experience will be. 

Aftercare: 

Remove bandage after two hours, wash well with warm soapy water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Air dry and apply a small amount of our recommended Protat after care cream. Repeat twice a day for fourteen days.
Please do not soak in water, do not swim in the sea or swimming pool, do not expose your tattoo to the sun until completely healed.
Do not itch, scratch or pick your tattoo. Keep clean at all times.

Human history and tattoos

Tattoos are nothing new. They’re not even old.

They’re ancient.

Humans have been tattooing themselves literally since before the dawn of civilisation. Think back to Biblical times with Jesus. Now keep going. Double that time frame to the building of the pyramids… and keep going.

In fact, double that again.

We’re heading back to a time when we had to worry about sabretooth tigers.

Timeline of Tattoos

10,000BC: We’re back in the Palaeolithic period, when tattooing for spiritual purposes is thought to have begun. We’re not certain, but it is believed tattoos were a way to ward off “evil spirits” and sickness.

3300BC: In 1991, two hikers in the Alps came across Ötzi the Iceman, a mummified Neolithic man. This 5,000 year old murder victim had over 50 tattoos!

1045BC-256BC: Tattoos in China during the Zhou Dynasty were associated with criminals, gangsters and bandits, with criminals often tattooed to warn others of their deceitful/dangerous past.

Samoa: The traditional method of Samoan tattooing has been carried out for 2000 years.

Maori: Moko tattoos of the past 1000 years differ from Polynesian tattoos in that the lines of the pattern are carved into the flesh rather than pricked into the skin.

1770s: Many of the global sailors exploring the planet along with the likes of Captain Cook, bring home tattoos from the pacific. This starts the long tradition and association of sailors and tattoos.

1876: Thomas Edison designs and patent an “electric pen”. In 1891 Samuel O’Reilly modifies the design to inject ink under the skin, and creates the first tattoo gun.

1898: An estimated one in five members of the British gentry was tattooed.

2010: The Ministry of Health releases guidelines on traditional tattooing to protect against infections, hepatitis and HIV.

2017: One in three Kiwis under the ages of 30 have a tattoo.

 

If you’re interested in getting a tattoo, Sunset tattoo studio in Auckland are the guys to call.

Tattoo ink in New Zealand

Surprisingly, the tattoo industry here in New Zealand isn’t regulated.

There are guidelines to follow of course, but actually following them is completely voluntary.

As long as all Health and Safety regulations are met, a tattoo artist here can get ink from anywhere in the world, and no one checks what’s in it.

We have some of the highest rates of tattooing in the world, with one in three Kiwis under 30 sporting ink.

Kiwi tattooists are expecting New Zealand laws to change soon when it comes to ink, as the European Chemicals Agency just published a list of potentially toxic chemicals used in some tattoos.

The Australian model

Tattoo artists in Australia are required to have a licence before inking someone, with breaches resulting in jail time, something New Zealand may soon copy.

And while there are plenty of reputable tattoo studios in the country, there are also far too many “home jobs”. Getting a tattoo in your mate’s garage because he was good at art in school is never a good idea.

Sunset Studio tattoo ink

Here at Sunset, we are proud to be an official distributor of the world-famous Eternal Ink.

Made from organic pigments, deionized water and hamamelis water, this bright coloured ink is free of animal by-products and even suitable for vegans.

They arrive sealed in a medical grade bottle, ensuring hygiene, and the ink pigments are regularly tested and comply with all health and safety regulations.

Eternal Ink is not tested on animals, so there’s no guilty conscious tagging along with every purchase.

Come to Sunset for your tattoo supplies

Not only do we use Eternal Ink, we also sell it. Through our sister site, Tattoo Studio, we offer the best selection of top-quality tattoo supplies at the most reasonable prices to the professional tattoo artists of New Zealand.

Eternal Ink are very picky about who they let sell their high-quality products. We are the only distributors in Auckland given this privilege and we take it seriously.

Contact us today if you’d like to order some of the finest tattoo ink at the cheapest prices, or head on over to Tattoo Station and take a look at the other tattoo supplies we offer.

 

 

May the 4th be with you!

It’s Star Wars day! And to celebrate, we’ve collected some of the coolest Star Wars tattoos we could find on the interwebs. All credit of course goes to the original artists, but if you want your own Star Wars tattoo, we’ll be happy to do one for you!

Darth Vader

Let’s start with the man himself. There are few cooler bad guys in all of fiction than Darth Vader, so who better to have by your side?

 

Darth Maul

The only thing good to come out of the Phantom Menace was this bad-ass. Darth Maul didn’t say much, but he made up for it with some kick ass backflips and to this day is the only person in the universe to kill Liam Neeson.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Everyone’s favourite father figure, an Obi-Wan Kenobi tattoo is a perfect substitute for the real thing not showing up as a ghost when the plot needs him to.

Han Solo

The galaxy’s most loveable rogue, who shoots first and asks questions later. Warning: A Han Solo tattoo may result in you smelling like a scruffy looking nerf-herder.

Boba Fett

A fan favourite, Boba Fett was for years the embodiment of cool - until someone pointed out he’s actually pretty crap. He only gets into one fight, and gets his ass kicked by a blind Han Solo.

Yoda

Yoda represents the Force, the balance between Dark and Light. He’s the very definition of calm, control and patience. That was until George Lucas had him jump around with a lightsabre in the prequels.

Princess Leia

The Galaxy’s greatest feminist, Princess Leia was chewing bubble gum and kicking ass from the start. And she ran out of bubble gum in the first five minutes of A New Hope.

R2D2

Beep beep, woop.

The Death Star

And of course the Death Star. There are few things more recognisable in the Sci-fi universe than the Death Star. With the power to destroy entire planets, one thing is for certain; that’s no moon.

If any of these awesome tattoos have given you an idea for one yourself, please don't hesitate to contact us today and we'll talk through your options.

Sunset get our tattoo supplies from Tattoo Station

Here at Sunset, we've been in the tattoo business for a long time. We know the difference between quality and cheap knock-offs. That's why we only get out supplies from Tattoo Station.

TATTOO STATION

Our sister company, Tattoo Station, started from humble beginnings, and is quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s finest tattoo supply companies, and all in an incredibly short period of time.

Sunset started as somewhere we could create artwork, in many different media, without stress or pressure, and in two short years we are now attracting some of the best tattoo artists in New Zealand, and overseas.

This studio may only be a few of years old, but we’ve all been in this business a long time, and after years of buying tattoo supplies at huge mark-ups from people who don't even tattoo, we became frustrated and decided to do it ourselves.

That’s when Tattoo Station was born.

CUT OUT THE MIDDLEMAN

Tattoo Station is a tattoo supply store for tattoo artists, by tattoo artists.

Forget the companies making a fortune off our backs; we’re bypassing them altogether.

We design and make our own tattoo supplies, and with combined decades of experience in the industry, we know exactly what works and what doesn’t.

We supply some of the highest quality needles in the world with our Botan range, along with one of the best aftercare creams available on the market, Protat.

Add to that the usual tattoo studio essentials, and we’ve got you covered for all your tattoo supply needs here in New Zealand.

Forget ordering from overseas, along with their huge mark-ups. Stay in Aotearoa, support Kiwi business, and save money and time while doing it.