How we chose
We started from the thirty-four tattoo names Google Maps shows across Telford. Registration claims were weighed against the Telford & Wrekin Council licensing pages, which require tattoo and piercing operators and their premises to register [1]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and anything it must hold by law is in place. Two studios met all three. What customers say counts most toward the score — the star rating itself, since beyond a small handful of reviews volume adds nothing — then proof of registration, then trading history and stated cover, then pricing clarity and listing detail. All evidence is dated September 2026.
How to hire
Match the artist to the job first. Flash designs off the wall suit small, simple pieces, while custom work needs an artist whose portfolio already shows your style, whether fine-line, blackwork, realism or cover-ups. A few Telford studios also offer piercings or laser removal alongside tattooing. When you first enquire, describe the placement, the size, the style and the budget, attach reference images, and ask who would actually hold the machine.
You must be eighteen or over to be tattooed, with no exceptions for parental consent: tattooing anyone younger is an offence unless done for medical reasons by a qualified medical practitioner [3]. Take photo ID to your appointment, and expect the studio to check it. For piercings there is no single tattoo-style age law, so ask the studio's own age policy when you enquire, and take ID there too.
Check registration before you book. Telford & Wrekin Council requires tattoo and piercing operators and their premises to register, inspects the premises against its byelaws, and issues a certificate that should sit on display [1]. The council publishes no searchable register, so the check is the certificate on the wall, or a call to the council's Health Protection team to ask [1]. Claims such as health registered or fully licensed on a directory listing are the studio's own words, so treat them as a starting point rather than proof.
Get the money agreed in writing before any ink. A quote should name the design, the size and placement, the number of sessions, and whether the price is fixed, hourly or a day rate. Deposits are normal to secure a booking and cover design time, so ask what happens to yours if you cancel or reschedule. Check whether VAT is included in the figure, and whether aftercare products or touch-ups are part of the price. Send the same design to two studios and you can compare like with like.
Expect a proper consultation for custom work and a consent form covering health conditions, medicines and allergies before the machine starts. On the day, fresh single-use needles should be opened in front of you, gloves worn throughout, and the workstation kept wrapped and clean. The studio should turn away irritated or broken skin and answer questions about inks and healing plainly. If anything feels rushed or unclean, walk away and find another studio.
Leave with paperwork, not just ink. Take home written aftercare instructions, a copy of your consent form and a receipt, plus the touch-up policy in writing so you know what a free fix covers and for how long. Follow the aftercare sheet exactly while the piece heals, and keep everything together. If healing goes wrong, with spreading redness, swelling, pus or a fever, speak to a pharmacist or your GP promptly.
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough UK ranges run like this: small tattoos an inch or three across, £50 to £150; medium pieces, £150 to £400; large work such as sleeves or backs, £500 to £2,000 or more; hourly rates of £80 to £150 and full-day rates of £300 to £600 for bigger projects [2]. These figures come from a 2025 UK-wide studio pricing guide and cover the tattooing itself, and smaller-town studios often sit below big-city rates [2].
Time in the chair moves the price most: realism, colour and cover-ups cost more than simple line work, and experienced artists with long waiting lists charge more than newer ones [2]. Custom design time, awkward placements and several sessions all add up, with the first session often the dearest since it carries the design work [2]. A back piece or sleeve can run across many visits, so ask for the full estimate rather than pricing one sitting.
Closer to home, only one studio in this round states a rate, with Splattered Inks quoting £40 an hour for ongoing work. Bookings elsewhere commonly take a deposit, so treat the quote as the real price: it should name the design, the sessions, the rate, the deposit terms and the touch-up policy, and say whether VAT is included. A single fixed price for a multi-session piece with no breakdown is a question, not an answer.
Red flags
No registration certificate on display and no clear answer when you ask how the studio is registered with the council [1].
Fresh single-use needles are not opened in front of you, or ink caps and gloves look reused.
The studio will tattoo anyone under eighteen, even with a parent along to agree [3].
A large custom piece gets one fixed price with no breakdown of sessions, hours or design time.
Full payment is demanded before a design exists on paper, with nothing written about deposits or sessions.
You leave with fresh ink but no consent copy and no written aftercare instructions.
Questions about hygiene, inks or healing are brushed off, or you feel rushed to decide on the spot.
The bottom line
For most people, start with Horror Ink: a Shifnal studio with its health registration stated, custom work across styles, and a long trail of updates and reviews. It publishes no prices or insurance details and has no website of its own, so ask for proof of cover and a written quote before you commit.
Match the studio to the job: Ink Addixion where tattoos and piercings happen in one Madeley visit, Splattered Inks where an upfront hourly rate helps you plan bigger work. Then shortlist two studios, compare consultations on the same design, and check the registration certificate on the wall before any deposit changes hands.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.