Artist Guidelines

Portfolio authenticity

Only upload tattoos you personally tattooed. Do not upload another artist's work, stock artwork, AI-generated images presented as finished tattoos, or heavily edited photographs that misrepresent the result.

Anyone can report a portfolio image as "not this artist's work". A single report never removes an image or marks an artist as dishonest. Reports are held as evidence, and a STNCL moderator reviews the image before any action; we may ask you for proof such as healed photos, session photos or client confirmation.

Confirmed portfolio theft leads to removal of the image, loss of verification, and suspension or termination for repeated or deliberate cases.

Licensing and legal practice

You must hold every license, permit and registration your city, county or state requires to tattoo, and keep them current. Verification on STNCL is based on the information you submit; submitting expired, altered or borrowed documents ends your account.

You are responsible for your own insurance, taxes and business compliance. STNCL does not employ you and does not supervise your work.

Hygiene and client safety

Work in a clean, licensed environment. Use single-use needles and cartridges, sterilise reusable equipment, wear gloves, protect surfaces, and dispose of sharps properly.

Never tattoo anyone under 18 through STNCL, anyone who appears intoxicated, or anyone who cannot give informed consent. Provide aftercare instructions in writing and answer aftercare questions promptly.

Accurate pricing

Quote prices you intend to honour. Be explicit about whether an amount is fixed, a range, or a rate that depends on a consultation, and say what the deposit covers.

Do not add charges the customer was never told about, and do not use a low quote to win a booking and raise it in the studio. Where a design genuinely changes scope, explain the change and agree the new price before you start.

Professional communication

Reply to customers you have sent a proposal to. Keep conversations on-topic and respectful, and keep them on STNCL until a booking is confirmed, so there is a record if something goes wrong.

Do not send unsolicited personal messages, romantic or sexual advances, pressure tactics, or requests for payment outside the platform's deposit flow.

Rescheduling and no-shows

If you need to move an appointment, tell the customer as early as you can and offer an alternative date. Repeated late cancellations affect your standing on STNCL.

If you cancel, cannot carry out the work, or do not show up, refund the deposit in full regardless of timing. Customer no-shows and cancellations are governed by the Refund & Cancellation Policy.

Reviews

Reviews can only be left by a customer who completed a booking with you through STNCL. Do not offer discounts, free work, or anything else in exchange for a review, do not ask a customer to remove or change a review, and do not create accounts or bookings to review yourself.

You can reply publicly to any review of your work. If a review breaks these guidelines, report it instead of retaliating; moderators can hide a review that breaches them.

Prohibited content

No sexually explicit imagery, nudity beyond what a tattoo photograph genuinely requires, hate symbols, gang or extremist material, images of minors, gore unrelated to tattooing, or other people's private information.

Tattoo photographs on sensitive body placements are allowed, but must be marked sensitive so they are shown blurred until a viewer chooses to see them.

Verification misuse

Do not claim, imply or display a verification level STNCL has not granted you — including in your bio, portfolio captions, studio name or messages. Verification badges belong to the account they were granted to and cannot be transferred or shared between artists.

Suspension and termination

Breaking these guidelines can lead to a warning, removal of content, loss of verification, restriction of proposals and messaging, suspension, or permanent termination, depending on severity and history. Safety, minors, fraud and hate-related breaches are actioned immediately without a warning.

You will be told what was decided and can respond by emailing help@getstncl.com. We keep moderation records so decisions can be reviewed.