Tattoo Booking Software — Clients Show Up Prepared and on Time
Use Tymeslot as your tattoo booking app — separate consultations from session bookings and make sure clients show up prepared, deposited, and on time.
Why do tattoo artists lose entire days to no-shows and booking confusion?
A no-show on a three-hour tattoo session isn't a minor inconvenience — it's a day of lost income you can't recover. When bookings are managed through Instagram DMs and text messages, there's no confirmation, no reminder, and no record of what was agreed. Clients arrive for a session without having done a consultation. Others ghost on the day. Tymeslot separates the consultation from the session, keeps a paper trail of every booking, and sends reminders automatically — so the only thing you need to focus on is the work.
Why DM-based booking leaves a tattoo artist's day exposed
Most tattoo artists run their books out of Instagram DMs, with deposits taken (or not) via PayPal friends-and-family, a bank transfer, or cash on the day. Calendly and Acuity weren't designed for a four- to eight-hour session that needs a non-refundable studio deposit before the slot is held, and Booksy's deposit and staged-payment workflows sit behind paid tiers most independent artists don't subscribe to. The result is the same gap every working artist knows: a confirmed slot with nothing financial behind it.
The damage on a no-show is hard to overstate. A full-day session at €120 an hour walks away as €700–€900 of lost income against fixed studio rent, and even a single half-day no-show a month adds up to four figures over a year. Add the design hours spent on clients who ghost between consultation and session, and a busy artist can quietly lose €3,000–€5,000 a year to gaps that a deposit at booking would have closed.
Tymeslot puts a non-refundable studio deposit at the front door of every session. Stripe collects the deposit when the client picks a slot, paid consultations filter time-wasters from serious enquiries, and large multi-day pieces can be split into staged payments tied to each sitting — so the only clients in your chair are the ones who have already put real money down.
Everything Tattoo Artists need. Nothing they don't.
Purpose-built scheduling features for your practice — without the bloat.
Separate Consultation and Session Types
Create distinct booking types for design consultations (short, no charge) and tattoo sessions (long, with a deposit note in the booking message) — so the two are never confused.
Long-Session Scheduling
Configure session durations from one hour to a full day. The calendar only shows slots where the full session fits, preventing accidental overbooking.
Reminders with Pre-Appointment Instructions
Send clients an automatic reminder before their session. Include pre-appointment instructions — eat beforehand, wear appropriate clothing, bring consent forms — so they arrive prepared.
Non-Refundable Deposits & Staged Payments
Collect a non-refundable studio deposit at booking via Stripe, charge for design consultations, and split large multi-sitting pieces into staged payments tied to each booking. The chair is only held once the deposit clears.
Privacy-First, No Tracking
Client data stays between you and them. No third-party analytics, no ads, no data sharing. Fully open source and self-hostable.
See the difference
Same profession. Completely different scheduling experience.
Without Tymeslot
With Tymeslot
Common scheduling scenarios
How other Tattoo Artists use Tymeslot every day.
How do I manage the consultation-to-session pipeline without losing track?
Tattoos are a multi-step process. Keeping consultations and sessions in separate booking types makes it clear where each client is in the process and prevents sessions being booked without a prior consultation.
- Create a 'Design Consultation' event type: 30 minutes, free, with a note asking clients to describe their idea and bring any reference images.
- Create a 'Tattoo Session' event type: variable duration (1–8 hours depending on piece size), with a deposit instruction in the booking confirmation.
- After each consultation, send the client directly to the session booking link with their preferred dates in mind.
- The client books their session, receives a confirmation with deposit details and pre-appointment instructions, and is reminded the day before.
How do I prevent no-shows on long, high-value sessions?
A no-show on a half-day session is devastating. Automatic reminders and a minimum advance notice policy close off the easy escape routes.
- Enable automatic reminders for session bookings — sent 48 and 24 hours before the appointment.
- Add pre-appointment instructions to the reminder: arrive hydrated, eat a meal, bring photo ID.
- Set a minimum advance notice of 48 hours so cancellations give you time to fill the slot.
- Require clients to include a deposit confirmation message when booking their session.
How do I stop myself from accidentally booking too many pieces in one day?
One large back piece and two sleeve sessions in a single day is unsustainable. Precise working hours and buffer times make your limits automatic rather than relying on manual calendar management.
- Configure your working hours precisely — the calendar only shows slots within those boundaries.
- Add buffer time after each session for cleanup, machine sterilisation, and setup for the next client.
- Long session durations naturally limit how many pieces fit in a day — a four-hour session leaves no room for a second large piece.
- Block additional time in your connected calendar on days you want to close entirely — those times disappear from the booking page automatically.
How much time could you save?
Adjust to match your practice and see your potential savings.
Calculate your time savings
Drag the sliders to match your practice.
100
minutes saved per week
86.7
hours saved per year
€10404
annual value of saved time
Which calendar and video apps do tattoo artists use with Tymeslot?
Connects to the tools you already use. No extra setup.
Start free, upgrade when you're ready
Core scheduling is always free. No credit card required.
Free
€0 / month
- Unlimited bookings
- Calendar sync (Google, Outlook, CalDAV)
- Auto video rooms (Meet, Teams, Zoom, MiroTalk)
- Booking page at tymeslot.app/you
- Email reminders & notifications
- Intake forms & custom questions
Pro
€9 / month
- Everything in Free
- White-label branding
- Custom domain
- Remove Tymeslot branding from booking pages
- Support open-source development
See Tymeslot in action
Try both booking themes live — no account needed.
"I used to dread Mondays because I never knew who was actually going to show up. Now every client has a confirmation in their inbox, a reminder the day before, and instructions on how to prepare. I had one no-show in three months after switching — down from several a month."
Jonas W.
Tattoo Artist, Zurich
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a non-refundable studio deposit and staged payments for large pieces?
Can I book sessions that last 4, 6, or 8 hours?
How do I handle multi-sitting tattoos?
Is Tymeslot free to use?
Does Tymeslot integrate with Google Calendar and Outlook?
Can I switch from Calendly to Tymeslot?
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