Frequently Asked

Describe your tattoo idea, the body area, the approximate size in centimeters, and the style you have in mind. Reference images help us better understand your idea. If you do not already have a specific artist in mind, we will match you with the right one.

Send your request through our booking form. For short-notice requests, you can also contact us via WhatsApp or Instagram.

How long you have to wait depends largely on your tattoo idea and whether you prefer a specific artist. Smaller tattoos can usually be done relatively quickly. For larger or more complex designs and artists with longer waiting times, we recommend getting in touch with your tattoo idea as early as possible. You can check the current booking periods on the Instagram profile of the respective artist.

This is handled individually by each of our artists. In general, our artists only accept projects during the periods when their Instagram profile says “Books open”. The best way to find out about current booking periods is to check directly with your preferred artist.

This depends on the individual artist. Their Instagram profile shows when their books are open. You can send us your project through our booking form at any time.

No. We work by appointment only. You can send us a request through our booking form. However, short-notice appointments are more often possible than you might think. If an appointment is canceled or a session finishes early, time may become available. Simply message us via WhatsApp or Instagram with what you have in mind and when you are available. We will see what we can do.

The studio is staffed Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. By appointment, we can also offer appointments outside these hours, including Sundays and public holidays. We do not accept walk-ins. Please book an appointment in advance through our booking form.

We only tattoo clients who are 18 or older. We do not tattoo anyone under the age of 18, even with parental consent.

International guest artists regularly join us at the studio. On our page, you can see who will be tattooing in Vienna and filter by date. Booking a guest spot works the same way as booking one of our resident artists, through our booking form.

Whether a personal consultation makes sense, and in what form, is something you discuss directly with your artist once they have accepted your project.

It covers the motif, the size, the placement and what is realistic. On size in particular, you will sometimes hear from us that a design should be larger than planned, or that some details are better left out. Fine lines need room next to each other, otherwise they move together over the years.

Yes, but only at your appointment. We don't send designs in advance. Your artist prepares different ideas and proposals beforehand, which you can review and choose from at your appointment. The details can then be adjusted and refined together until your custom tattoo feels right for you.

First you go through the prepared ideas and designs with your artist. Together you choose, adjust and finalize the design. Then the stencil goes onto your skin, more than once if needed, until the placement works. Only then does the tattooing begin.
Until the stencil is settled, everything is still changeable. Take your time looking at the size and position, and say so if something bothers you.

How long your appointment takes depends on size, level of detail, style and placement. Your artist can estimate the time involved in advance.

You can see what an appointment with us looks like in the video on our page about your first tattoo.

In the days before: drink plenty. If your skin tends to be dry, start using a simple moisturizer regularly a few days ahead. No sunburn on the spot.

Before the appointment: avoid alcohol immediately beforehand. If you take medication regularly, check any questions with your doctor in advance and don't stop anything on your own.

On the day: come rested and don't arrive on an empty stomach. Don't apply a rich cream to the area right before the appointment.

Comfortable clothing that leaves the spot accessible. And don't forget your photo ID, we're not allowed to tattoo without proof of age.
The full version is in our article on how to prepare your skin before a tattoo.

How painful a tattoo feels depends heavily on the placement and your individual sensitivity to pain. As a rough comparison, the sensation can be similar to that of a graze or abrasion. Some areas of the body are considerably more sensitive than others.

Please come to your appointment alone. Tattooing requires a high level of concentration and a calm atmosphere. Of course, someone can accompany you to the studio and pick you up afterwards.

We want you to be happy with your tattoo in the long term. If a small correction is needed after the tattoo has fully healed, we offer a free touch-up in many cases. About a month after your appointment, we will email you and ask you to send us a photo of your healed tattoo. Based on your photos, we can determine whether a touch-up is needed.

Please make sure to bring a valid photo ID. We need to verify your age and cannot tattoo you without appropriate identification. Wear comfortable, preferably dark clothing and remember to bring a snack.

The price depends on factors such as size, level of detail, style, color or black and grey, and placement. We can give you a reliable estimate once the design, size, and placement have been established. Your artist will give you an estimate before the appointment is confirmed.

Our tattoos are generally charged based on time. The hourly rate varies from artist to artist. For certain projects, some artists may agree on a fixed price or day rate in advance.

This is why we do not have a general price list. We explain in detail how tattoo pricing works in our article How Much Does a Tattoo Cost?. You can also read our article Fine Line Tattoo in Vienna to find out why a small tattoo is not necessarily less expensive.

When booking an appointment, a non-refundable deposit is required. The amount depends on your artist and your motif. The deposit confirms your appointment and is deducted from the total price.

The deposit is necessary because your artist's work begins as soon as the appointment is confirmed, including image research, designs and drawings. You can pay in cash at the studio Monday to Friday between 9 am and 4 pm, when an assistant is on site, or by arrangement outside those hours. Many of our artists also accept PayPal or bank transfer, but not all of them. Guest artists mostly do not.

Payment is made directly after your tattoo by cash or bank transfer. Unfortunately, we do not accept card payments.

You can purchase our tattoo voucher for Vienna with any amount you choose, either as a gift or for yourself. Payment is made directly through the order form via QR code. Under Austrian law, paid gift vouchers can be subject to a validity period. At True Canvas, our gift vouchers are valid for 5 years from the date of issue. It's also worth checking back from time to time: we regularly run special offers on gift vouchers and announce them through our newsletter.

Immediately after your tattoo, your artist will explain all the important steps for tattoo aftercare and give you detailed instructions to take home. As a general rule: clean the tattoo gently, apply a thin layer of aftercare product, don't scratch it, and protect it from direct sunlight during the first few weeks. You can find detailed instructions in our care recommendation.

The healing time of a tattoo depends on factors such as its size, placement, your skin, and individual healing factors. The surface of the skin usually heals within around 2 to 3 weeks. However, it can take 4 to 6 weeks or longer for the skin to fully regenerate and for the tattoo to settle into its final appearance. Larger or highly detailed pieces, such as realism tattoos, may take somewhat longer.

If your tattoo doesn't look as expected after healing for example, if the ink has healed unevenly or some lines appear lighter than expected, simply get in touch with us. Around one month after your appointment, we'll automatically send you an email with further information. Small corrections as part of a touch-up are free of charge at True Canvas.

If you're unsure whether your tattoo is healing properly, simply call us or send us an email or WhatsApp message with a photo. We're always happy to help and take a look. If you notice anything unusual, such as severe redness, discharge, or persistent pain after several days, we also recommend consulting a dermatologist.

Light movement is usually fine again after a few days. With intense exercise, saunas, steam rooms and swimming pools, wait until your tattoo has healed. As a rough guide, our aftercare page says around four weeks.

The real issue isn't the calendar, it's heavy sweating and friction on the fresh spot. That's why the break also depends on the placement.

A tattoo on the upper arm won't get in the way of a run, one behind the knee or across the back will. If in doubt, ask your artist, they know the placement.

Everything on healing is in our aftercare guide.

Yes. Cover-up requests are handled by Sergo Mazur, one of our regular guests. You can find him under artists. For an assessment, we always need a photo of the existing tattoo, ideally in daylight and uncovered.

Whether it can be covered depends on size, color, saturation, placement, and the new design you have in mind. A cover-up is not a style of its own. Which design works mostly depends on what needs to be covered.

Depending on the starting point, it can make sense to lighten the old tattoo with a laser first. This gives you much more room for the new design. We work with Dr. Petra Hirtler for this. You can find more on our tattoo removal page.

In principle, it is possible to tattoo over scars. However, it is difficult to predict exactly how ink will behave in scar tissue beforehand. If you have significant or raised scar tissue, we recommend consulting a dermatologist beforehand to determine whether tattooing is appropriate. Read more in our article Tattoos Over Scars.

Moles are generally left untouched when tattooing. Tattooing over other pigmented areas may be possible in some cases, but should be discussed with a dermatologist beforehand.

If it's a realistic piece and your reference is a photograph, yes. A reference image can absolutely be used as inspiration, but we don't create one-to-one copies of existing designs.

Our artists each have their own styles and areas of expertise, and they work best on projects that fit their skills and portfolios. We therefore reserve the right to decline projects that none of our artists feel comfortable taking on or that don't fit our portfolio stylistically. If that's the case, we're happy to recommend another studio or artist who may be a better fit for your project.

The styles we work in are listed in our overview of tattoo styles.

No, we don't offer face tattoos.

No. We do not tattoo during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Yes. In cooperation with Mayduna, we offer professional piercings at a beautiful studio on Lindengasse 34 in Vienna's 7th district, just around 15 minutes away from us by bus 13A.