'Can you cover this?'
An artist gets a DM with a dark, blurry photo of a tattoo on someone's shoulder, and the question 'can you cover this with something nice?'. She cannot tell the size, how dark the old work is, or what the client would like instead. She asks for a better photo in daylight, a measurement and some ideas. The client sends another photo, still in poor light. Three days and six messages later, she still cannot tell whether the cover-up is realistic.
Other cover-up enquiries go to artists who do not take them, and are forwarded around the studio.
Some clients, frustrated by the back and forth, give up and assume the tattoo cannot be covered, when in fact it could have been with the right design.
Cover-ups need specific information, and the first message never has it
Whether a cover-up can work, and what it could be, depends on details that clients do not know to send.
- Photos are taken in poor light, at an angle, or too close to judge size.
- No measurement is given, so scale is a guess.
- The client does not say what they want instead, or wants something smaller than the old tattoo.
- Some artists do cover-ups and some do not, and clients do not know which.
- Previous laser sessions or other history the artist needs to know about are not mentioned.
Slow answers and disappointed clients
Cover-up enquiries take several rounds of messages before an artist can even answer. Clients wait days to learn whether it is possible. Enquiries land with artists who do not do cover-ups. And when a cover-up is not realistic, the answer is often given badly because the artist is tired of the thread.
How we build a cover-up intake
- A cover-up option on your enquiry form opens specific questions: approximate size of the existing tattoo, placement, how long ago it was done and anything else your artists want to know, such as previous laser sessions.
- The form asks for photos in a guided way: one straight on in daylight, one with a ruler or coin for scale, and one showing the surrounding area.
- The client says what they would like instead, with references, and whether they are open to something larger or darker.
- The enquiry goes only to artists who take cover-ups, or to a chosen artist if they are on that list.
- The artist can reply from templates: possible, possible with a consultation, possible only with something larger, or not something they would take on, with an option to suggest other routes if your studio has a view.
- The decision is recorded, and possible cover-ups move into a consultation booking with the photos attached.
| Information | Why it matters for a cover-up |
|---|---|
| Clear daylight photo | Shows how dark and dense the old work is |
| Scale reference | Shows the size the new piece must cover |
| Placement and surroundings | Shows the space available |
| What they want instead | Shows whether it can realistically hide the old tattoo |
Whether a cover-up is possible is always the artist's judgement. The intake gives them what they need to make it.
Cover-up answers in one round
Artists open a cover-up enquiry with usable photos, a scale and the client's wishes in one place. Many can be answered straight away. Those that need a consultation go straight to booking one. Clients get a clear answer quickly, including when the answer is no, and they are spared days of back and forth.
The studio also builds a useful record of the cover-ups it has taken on, with before and after photos where clients agree, which helps the next client understand what is realistic.
Is this how cover-ups reach you?
- Cover-up enquiries arrive with a single poor photo.
- Artists ask for measurements and better photos every time.
- Enquiries go to artists who do not do cover-ups.
- It takes days to tell a client whether a cover-up is possible.
- Cover-up history such as laser sessions comes up late.