Where are you located?
We can be found at Shop 6/2478 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, on the Gold Coast. On the corner of Atlantic Ave, across the road from AS Colour and from Club X. What more could you want? We are a short 10-15 minute walk from Pacific Fair and Broadbeach South tram station. If you are catching public transport, bus route 700 runs directly past the shop coming from either north or south.

I hate catching public transport. Is there parking available at the studio?
There’s plenty of free street parking around the studio and you’ll usually have no troubles finding something within a block or two. Keep in mind however that we are not the local council, parking inspectors, nor law enforcement. We can’t and don’t guarantee you a park within a certain distance of the studio. Mermaid Beach is a very busy area, increasingly more so every day, so please allow a little extra time to find parking and make your way to your appointment. If you are running late please let us know in advance!

What are the shop hours?
Our opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Tuesday through Saturday and there’s always someone available to talk to you about your tattoo ideas during these times. The first and last hours of the day can get a little busy however, as we get clients ready for the first sessions of the day and finalize the last, so after 11am and before 4pm are ideal times to talk over all aspects of your tattoo.

How old do you have to be to get tattooed?
You must be at least 18 years of age. Valid ID (license, passport etc) is required to get tattooed.

I’m not 18 yet but my mum said it’s ok. Will you tattoo me if she gives consent?
Nope, sorry. We can only tattoo you if you’re 18 or over. Full stop. Period. We will however tattoo your mum.

Do you guys do any piercing?
None at all. We are a tattoo studio only.

My jewellery has fallen out though . Can’t you guys just help me put it back in?
Hmmm…no, we’re a tattoo studio. You’ll need to see a professional piercer for such a task.

What’s the minimum price for a tattoo?
The studio minimum is $150.

How do you price tattoos?
We price based on the piece being tattooed. The studio minimum is $150. Everything starts there and goes up depending on size, style, location and detail. Larger work of 5 or more hours in total, including pieces requiring multiple sessions are booked and priced at either an hourly rate, or as half/full day sessions, STARTING AT  $600 for half days, and $1000 for full days respectively. Smaller work will be quoted by the counter staff in consultation with the tattooists, and are NOT priced at an hourly rate. All sessions are ultimately priced on an individual basis on the day of the tattoo in order to take into consideration any changes to design/size/location/detail etc. This guide however, will give you an idea of what to expect.

Do you have to have an appointment to get tattooed?
We work by appointment but gladly accept walk-ins if our schedule allows. If you don’t have an appointment we do recommend calling ahead to check availability. If you are seeking larger work, we always start with an initial consultation prior to the date of the tattoo in order to fully establish design requirements, location, restrictions etc.

How do I make an appointment?
To book an appointment with any of our artists, we prefer you to visit or contact the studio first to discuss the work with our studio manager. They’ll be able to advise you of suitability/availability of artists, and walk you through the initial stages of the tattoo design process.  It’s at this point that we’ll book a consultation/tattoo with the relevant tattooist.

If it’s difficult for you to drop past to chat, or maybe you just don’t really like people that much, feel free to complete our Inquiry Form and our bookings manager will contact you ASAP to book a consult and/or tattoo appointments.

I want my whole back tattooed and know what I want, can I come in today and get it started?
No. Larger pieces require careful consideration, thought and design on the part of the tattooist and it’s just not possible to start large scale work on a client without proper consultation and appropriate time to design and draw the piece.

My mate has drawn up a design for me, it looks bloody awesome. Can you tattoo it for me?
The majority of work done by our tattooists is drawn by them for the client. We can certainly have a look at your design to evaluate its suitability for tattooing but can’t promise we’ll be able to tattoo the design exactly as it’s drawn. Generally in these instances, our tattooists will look at using the original piece of art as a starting reference point and draw you a custom piece to tattoo.

I have my reference material on a USB stick. Can I download it to your studio computer?
No. You’ll need to bring in your own devices (laptop, iPad, phone etc) or better yet, print out your references before you come into the studio. We don’t provide facilities for you to download or print.

I work most days and it’s hard for me to get to the studio during opening hours. Can I just book online?
While we do prefer to talk to you in person at the studio about your tattoo ideas, it is possible to book consults and tattoo appointments online. Simply complete the Inquiry Form or email us with a detailed written description of what you’re after, including style, desired size and location, preferred artists, as well as reference images that help illustrate what sort of work you’d like. Please note however that we do NOT make any bookings or give quotes of any kind via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any other social media platforms.

I sent an email/inquiry last night and still haven’t heard back. Are you ignoring me? Why don’t you like me? I like me?
No. We’re a very busy studio and receive a large number of emails and messages all day, every day. We aim to reply to each within 24 hrs of receiving but we’re only human and every now and then have other work that needs to be done (crazy, but true). Please be patient. Emails are generally a time consuming method of communicating. If you want more immediate attention, come into the studio and talk to us in person. Also, please allow for a delay if you email during our closing times (IE: if you email us on Saturday night, it may not be read until we open the studio again the following Tuesday).

…so anyway,  I sent you a message on Facebook and haven’t heard back? What gives bro?
More than possible. Facebook and Instagram are great ways for us to show you our work and keep you involved in the process of getting tattooed. They’re not, however, where we spend our day. It’s quite likely that any message sent on Facebook may simply be missed by our very busy staff or get buried under an avalanche of comment/like notifications, posts to timelines, shares etc. We simply don’t have the time to sit and check social media all day every day.

I want to get tattooed by a specific artist. Will they answer my emails personally?
No. All requests are filtered through our studio manager who will liaise with each artist until a job has been fully booked. If our tattooists answered all email inquiries they’d be lucky to start a single tattoo each day. It’s not that they don’t like you, they’d just rather be tattooing than typing.

How can I pay my booking fee?
We accept cash, PayPal, payID and in some cases bank transfer when in the studio. If you can’t get in to see us, we do accept online PayPal transactions, or you can give us a call to process your payment over the phone. Contact the studio staff for details.

Booking fee? Whad’ya mean? I’m good for it brah!
To make an appointment/s beyond the initial consult we require a non-refundable booking fee to set up and hold the appointment. The price of the booking fee will depend on the size and design requirements of the piece being tattooed. A small piece will require $100 booking fee (our minimum booking fee), a half day $250, and a full day will require $250-$500. This booking fee amount comes off the total price of the tattoo and is held until the final session. A great deal of work goes into setting up and preparing for an appointment. Taking a booking fee gives us security to begin research and prep work and gives us more assurance that a client is serious.

If I cancel my appointment or change my mind, can I just get my booking fee back?
All booking fees are non-refundable. When you book in at Westside Tattoo, we set aside that time slot just for you. If you cancel with late notice it impacts us and our artists significantly, and inconveniences the many other clients we had to turn away because we are fully booked. Because of this, we require a minimum of 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule your appointment/s. Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will result in the immediate loss of your booking fee. If you do not show for your appointment, this will also result in the immediate loss of your booking fee and we will record this on your client history for future reference. Please give us as much notice as possible if you need to cancel. Please note that we’re unable to accept cancellations by Facebook or via messages left on our service outside of operating hours.

I’ve already had my consultation but have changed my idea. Can I just come in on the day and get the new design done?
If you change your idea, you need to contact the studio as far in advance as possible. It takes a lot of time and work to prepare for a tattoo and it’s possible that either the tattooist won’t be able to get the new idea ready at such short notice, the tattooist doesn’t work in the style you’ve now chosen or of course, the new idea simply won’t work. Yep, it’s true, not everything works!

How do I look after my tattoo?
We’ll provide you with complete aftercare advice on the day of your appointment. You can view the same advice online here at any time. The more well versed you are and the more serious you are about looking after your tattoo, the better it will heal and last.

Do your artists do coverups?
Absolutely. We will, of course, need to see your existing tattoo before we can advise you of the best approach to achieve your desired outcome. Some tattoos can be covered up quite simply, while others may need to be lightened first before a cover-up is possible.

Can you rework/finish my old tattoo?
Possibly. We’re often very limited in what we can do with an existing tattoo, whether it be from a design perspective, or due to poor condition. We’ll need to see exactly what you have before we can say yes or no. If we feel we’re unable to make it a better tattoo, we’ll certainly let you know and may choose not to take on the job.

Can I bring my child into the studio?
Children are more than welcome at the studio, but are not permitted to come with you into the work areas. We also do not offer baby sitting or child care in the front waiting area... Looking after 10 tattooists is basically the same thing. (Please leave your kids at home)

Will you tattoo my neck?
As a general rule, we won’t tattoo your neck, hands or face unless you are VERY heavily tattooed already and no, those few pieces of script on your left arm do not constitute “heavily tattooed”.

Hey you don’t need to worry, like I fully know I want my face tattooed and don’t care about jobs and shit like that. FTW!!
Awesome. We respect your right to have any part of your body tattooed with whatever you want tattooed there and ask that you respect our right to choose what we tattoo and where.

What about just on the inside of my little finger or like maybe under my foot or like inside my lip?
We aim to only do tattoos that will hold up well over time. Some areas of the body simply won’t allow that and for that reason most of our artists choose not to tattoo them. In some instances, exceptions are made and will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Feel free to request it but please don’t be offended or surprised if we choose not to take on a job of this nature.

What about all white tattoos?
For much the same reason, most of our artists choose not to do all white tattoos. Again, feel free to talk to our counter staff about your ideas but please understand that your job may not be undertaken.

So what about that fully sick UV ink then?
Nope. That one’s a definite. Nobody here at the studio will tattoo you using UV ink.

Sheesh, all these rules! How about vegan inks?
Now we’re getting somewhere. We can certainly accommodate your request for vegan inks and in fact a large amount of the ink used at the studio contains no animal products. You will need to understand however that in some instances the inks required for a particular job or chosen by your tattooist as those that will achieve the best result may not be guaranteed vegan by your artist and they may choose to pass on the job rather than compromise the confidence in their work by using alternatives. A good number of our tattooists and staff are vego/vegan and this is an area of tattooing they have had to research intensively for themselves and come to their own ethical conclusions with regards to. Feel free to discuss it with them to help form your own. Friends not food, am I right!?

OK, so I want to get a tattoo, but it has to be super tiny? Can I get this highly detailed piece done small enough so that nobody can see it with the naked eye?
Tattoos have to be large enough to work and hold up well over time. Each design will require a different minimum size depending on many factors such as placement, detail, colours and most importantly, design. We can advise you on the smallest each piece can be tattooed in order to age well with you. What we aim to do is give each design and hence, each tattoo the space and placement on the body that it requires to look good forever.

Does it hurt?
Yep, although some parts of the body will be more painful than others. First timers often find the experience less painful than they expected.

Can my friends come in and hold my hand?
Having a friend drop in to say hello while you’re getting tattooed is no problem but having an extra person hang out with you in the work area for multiple hours or the full day while we are trying to prepare for and execute your tattoo is counter-productive. In most instances our artists do not allow extra people in the work spaces but there is no harm in asking. We don’t bite... hard.

I’m from out of town, how can I get tattooed?
If you’re not local to the Gold Coast, we’re happy to facilitate the tattoo process by conducting initial discussions as well as all consults via email. Each person’s circumstances are different though, so the best thing to do is just contact the studio and let us walk you through what will be required for yours. For any firm tattoo bookings to be made, please note that we do require a booking fee. Non-locals can send payment via PayPal, or over the phone with credit card details.

How long is the waiting period?
Anything from one hour to 6 months. Waiting periods vary greatly depending on the tattooist, the time of the year, the size of the tattoo, preparation required etc. We’ll do our utmost to book your appointments as close to your desired schedule as possible.

Do you guys have any merch available? I saw this bloke wearing a sick Westside shirt at the pub.
Heaps!!! Our tattooists have t-shirts, limited edition prints, sketchbooks, posters, flash sets and more available both in store, and online via our big cartel merch store. If you can’t make it into the studio to check everything out, head to our webstore and go HAM!!!

What about vouchers? I forgot the missus’s birthday is tomorrow!
Yep, absolutely. They can be purchased in store or online at our webstore.

What’s the best dollar figure to add to a gift voucher?
There’s no minimum or maximum dollar figure that a voucher can be purchased at but as a general guide for those who aren’t sure what to buy, the minimum booking fee that any client will be required to leave to book a tattoo appointment is $100 and the minimum cost of any tattoo regardless of design/size is $150, so that is often a good dollar figure to go with. Of course, if you’re feeling generous, go HAM!!!

You guys will tattoo any designs, right?
We cover a wide range of tattoo, art and design styles at Westside but if there’s something we think simply won’t work as a tattoo, we’ll tell you.

If I love a particular tattooists work and have a design in mind that’s not the style they usually work in, will they tattoo it for me?
It will depend on what you have. Tattooing in different styles is about so much more than just laying out a different design on the skin. Our artists want to make sure you are getting the best possible tattoo in the style you’re after and if they don’t believe they’re the person best suited for a particular piece, they’ll tell you. Each tattooist can and does, work outside their areas of specialty however, so don’t be afraid to ask. We’ll evaluate each request on it’s particular parameters and merits.

I saw a wicked cool tattoo on the internet and want the exact same tattoo. Can you do it for me?
The only tattoos we reproduce exactly are classic flash pieces that were drawn and sold for that purpose (eg: Sailor Jerry, Amund Dietzel, Bert Grimm etc). In all other circumstances our tattooers will use the piece as a starting reference point only and design you a tattoo based on it. Generally that means it will contain elements of the work you brought in, but will NOT be the same tattoo. That’s a good thing by the way.

I’m booked in for multiple sessions to finish my tattoo. How do I pay for it?
Each session needs to be paid for on the day. We accept cash and PayPal/payID for the outstanding amount of each session. There are several ATM machines nearby but we recommend withdrawing money before you come to the studio. The ATMs mentioned all have transaction limits set that may require you to withdraw multiple amounts in order to pay for your session and each transaction will of course incur an ATM/bank fee. If you’re unsure of the cost of each session, ask the counter staff and they’ll be able to give you an idea of what to expect. Your booking fee is retained until the final session, at which time it comes off the cost of that day’s work.

Can’t I just pay for the tattoo at the end of the job? That’s how I usually pay for stuff?
No. All sessions must be paid for on the day.

Can I come in and have the design temporarily drawn on?
We don’t offer any kind of service to provide temporary tattoo designs.

Can I see the artwork a week or two before the tattoo?
Due to an extremely busy working schedule, we’re unable to provide final artwork prior to the session. With proper consultation, your tattooist will make sure they have everything ready for you on the day.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS 

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL THE STUDIO:

PH: (07) 5679 5898

EMAIL: westsidetattoomermaidbeach@gmail.com

SHOP 6/2478 GOLD COAST HIGHWAY, MERMAID BEACH, 4218