There are two honest ways to get a tattoo. You point at a design the artist has already drawn, called flash, or you have a design drawn for you, called custom. Neither is the lesser route. They suit different people, different timelines, and different levels of certainty about what you want, and a Matthews studio calendar shows both kinds of work every week of the year.
This piece uses the calendar on purpose. Flash and custom do not just differ in how the design is made. They differ in when you book, how long you wait, how many conversations happen before the appointment, and what seasons of the year do to availability. Reading the year through both lenses helps you pick the route that matches your idea before you put down a deposit.
The two routes across the year
| Stage | Flash route | Custom route |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the design | Pick from the artist flash sheets or books, often the same week you want the tattoo | Describe the idea, share references, and wait for a drawing made for your body and placement |
| Booking lead time | Short; flash fits walk-in days, gap slots, and flash events | Longer; consultation first, then drawing time, then the session is scheduled |
| Revisions | Limited by design; size and placement adjust, the drawing itself usually stays as drawn | Built into the process; expect feedback rounds before the stencil is made |
| Busy seasons | Spring and summer flash events fill fast; arrive early for popular sheets | Large custom work books out furthest in spring, when everyone wants healed tattoos by summer |
| Deposit role | Holds a specific design or event slot where the studio requires one | Holds the appointment and covers drawing time; forfeited if you vanish, which is standard practice |
| Best suited to | Classic motifs, spontaneous but sound ideas, smaller budgets of time | Personal imagery, cover-ups, large work, anything that must fit a specific body area |
What flash actually is
Flash is pre-drawn design work, and it has a long history in tattooing. Traditional flash sheets carry proven motifs: eagles, roses, daggers, swallows, and their modern descendants. Studios also produce their own flash for holidays, charity days, and seasonal events, sometimes at set prices for that day only. The designs are drawn to tattoo well, with line weights and shading that the artist knows will heal properly.
Choosing flash does not mean choosing someone else's tattoo in a bad sense. It means choosing a design an artist stands behind and can execute cleanly, often the same day. Many collectors build whole sleeves from flash picked over years. The constraint is real but narrow: the drawing is the drawing. You can usually change size, mirror it, or adjust color, but a request to redraw half of it turns the job into custom work and should be booked that way.
What custom actually involves
Custom work starts with a consultation, which at Opal Heart Tattoo is offered free. You bring the idea, reference images, and the placement you have in mind. The artist talks through what will and will not translate to skin, takes measurements or photos of the area, and agrees on direction before drawing. For large pieces this conversation also covers session count and how the design wraps the body.
Then comes drawing time, which is skilled work done before your appointment and is why deposits exist in tattooing generally. The deposit reserves the artist's time at the drawing board and in the chair, and it normally comes off the final session cost when you show up as booked. Expect to see the drawing at or shortly before the session, with room for small adjustments. Major changes after drawing are a new conversation, not a small tweak, and may move your date.
Picking your route by season and certainty
If your idea is a classic image and you want it soon, flash is built for you, especially around studio flash events. If your idea involves names, memorial elements, a cover-up, or a design that must flow over a shoulder or around an arm, custom is the only serious route, and you should book the consultation well ahead of the season you want to wear it in. Summer skin is made in late winter and spring appointments, for both routes.
Certainty is the other test. Flash rewards people who see a design and know. Custom rewards people who know the subject but want an artist's hand in shaping it. Either way, eat before your appointment, bring ID showing you are 18 or older, which North Carolina requires for tattooing, and do not book the week before a beach trip. Fresh tattoos and sun, sand, and swimming do not mix, whichever route drew the design.
Common questions
Is flash cheaper than custom?
Flash is often priced per design and can be quicker to apply, while custom pricing reflects drawing time and session length. Ask the studio directly, since pricing varies by artist and piece.
Can I bring a design I found online and have it copied exactly?
Studios generally will not copy another artist's custom work line for line. Bring it as a reference and let the artist draw their own version in that direction.
What does a deposit do?
It reserves your appointment and, for custom work, the drawing time before it. Studios typically apply it to the final cost when you attend as booked and forfeit it on a no-show.
Photos in this guide are representative stock images.
← All guides from Opal Heart Tattoo← Back to Opal Heart Tattoo