Why we built InkDesk
The business of tattooing evolved. The software didn’t. So we built InkDesk around how tattoo artists actually work: booking, deposits, messaging, and waivers in one place.
More than fifty artists shaped it before we shipped anything.
The industry evolved. Its tools didn’t.
More people are getting tattooed than ever, and they come from everywhere. Teachers, nurses, parents, first-time collectors who saved up for months. They all expect a professional experience from the first message to the last session.
Artists evolved right along with them. There’s a name to protect, a book to keep full, deposits to chase, clients to look after, and, for plenty of artists, a studio and apprentices on top of that.
The software never caught up. Most artists are still running on tools built for salons and barbershops, held together with DMs, spreadsheets, and a notebook that does the real work.
We built InkDesk to fix that.
Artists deserve the same caliber of tools every other profession takes for granted, built for tattooing and priced for working artists.
It started with one question over dinner
InkDesk didn’t start as a plan to build booking software. It started as a conversation.
Over dinner one night, one of our founders asked a close friend who tattoos for a living a simple question: what do you like least about the job?
Her answer had nothing to do with difficult clients or long hours. It had nothing to do with tattooing at all.
It was everything around the tattoo. Answering the same three questions forty times a week. Rescheduling half a month around one cancellation. Chasing the same deposit for a third time. She was losing hours every week to the part of the job nobody gets into tattooing for.
So we kept asking. Over the next few months we sat down with more than fifty artists and studio owners. We thought we would hear fifty different problems. We heard one, over and over.
The business of tattooing had evolved. The software hadn’t.
Between us we have more than twenty years building software in other industries. We had never seen a gap this wide between how hard people worked and how little their tools gave back.
Everything since has been built with artists in the room. They tell us how they work, and we build around that.
Artists shouldn’t have to bend the way they work to fit their software. It should be the other way around.
The beliefs behind everything we build
Every one of these came from artists, not from us guessing.
Tattooing is a profession. The tools should act like it.
It’s a serious craft and a serious business. You shouldn’t have to prove that to your software.
Success shouldn’t create chaos.
The bigger your name gets, the more admin lands on you. Growing should feel like momentum, not a second job.
A tattoo isn’t an appointment.
It starts with an idea, references, a fit check, an estimate, a deposit, and often several sessions before anyone touches a calendar.
The best software disappears.
Most software measures success by how long you stay in it. We measure ours by how quickly you can leave.
Good tools shouldn’t be a luxury.
Software this good usually comes with a price to match. InkDesk starts at less than a single deposit a month, whether you’re four years into your career or forty.
Tech should never replace the relationship.
Clear communication and organized follow-up don’t make tattooing feel corporate. They make room for the work.
Mission, vision, promise
- Our mission
- To give tattoo artists the professional-grade tools big businesses run on — so they spend less time on busywork and more on the craft that built their name.
- Our vision
- A tattoo industry that runs like the serious, respected profession it has become — with software finally built for it.
- Our promise
- InkDesk takes the busywork off your plate, so your talent stays on the art.
About InkDesk, answered
Have another question?
What is InkDesk?
InkDesk is booking and client management software built only for tattoo artists and studios. It brings scheduling, custom booking forms, deposits, messaging, digital waivers, automated reminders, and client projects into one platform.
Why was InkDesk created?
InkDesk was created because the business of tattooing evolved while the software supporting it stood still. Artists today carry a full business alongside the craft, but most were still working out of Instagram DMs, spreadsheets, and tools designed for salons or generic appointment booking. InkDesk was built to close that gap.
Who created InkDesk?
InkDesk was founded by Kevin Hung and Andrew Dillion-Walshe, who between them have more than twenty years of experience building software. The idea came from a dinner conversation with a close friend who is a tattoo artist, followed by interviews with more than fifty artists and studio owners.
How was InkDesk built?
Alongside tattoo artists. Before writing code, we interviewed more than fifty artists and studio owners about how they actually run their books. Every major feature since has been shaped by artists describing their own workflow.
Who is InkDesk for?
Solo tattoo artists and tattoo studios with teams of roughly two to twenty artists, plus apprentices starting to build a book. It earns its keep once your demand has outgrown free tools.
Is InkDesk only for tattoo artists?
Yes. We build for one industry. Tattooing works differently from other appointment-based businesses, and building for tattooing alone is what lets InkDesk fit the way artists work instead of forcing artists to fit the software.
How much does InkDesk cost?
The Solo plan is $35 per month, or $25 per month when billed annually. The Studio plan starts at $50 per month and includes the first artist, with each additional artist at $15 per month. There are no transaction fees on deposits, and every plan starts with a 30-day free trial.
Grow the name you’re building.
Join the artists and studios running like the real businesses they’ve become.
No card to start · A fraction of one deposit covers your month