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May 30, 2023

A glimpse into Sacramento's changing tattoo industry

Art may be permanent, but the industry is always changing The latest breaking

Art may be permanent, but the industry is always changing

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Art may be permanent, but the industry is always changing

The tattoo industry in Sacramento has seen a lot of changes over the past decade.

Just ask Shawn Mahaffey. The California native has gone from apprentice to a respected custom-tattoo artist in that time, and he has seen many of the changes firsthand.

He's now one of the artists working at Old Republic Tattoo Company in Sacramento.

"Some of the mystery and toughness has left the industry," Mahaffey said. "But, we have cleaner shops now and a better business model overall."

Other artists include Jocelyn McGregor, Shrek "Mr. Shrekles" Matthews and "Big" Greg Puzon Jr.

When he first broke into the industry, Mahaffey said things were different.

"Every other month there was a new shop opening," he said. "Then in four or five months closing."

That was before 2013, when new regulations went into effect requiring tattoo artists and shops to get a license. In addition, tattoo shops have to be inspected to make sure they're sanitary. While the regulations mean more work for artists, Mahaffey said they have improved the industry.

"A lot of the fly-by-night shops, or shadier places, went out of business, because they weren't running clean shops," he said.

The owner of Old Republic, Josh Green, agrees.

MORE: 5 things to know before you get a tattoo

"Most reputable shops already operated within the standards that are now in place," Green said. "Now, any of the shops prone to lax health standards are brought up to the correct industry standards."

Green also believes the artists themselves have changed a great deal, saying today's artists are more likely to have a strong academic background.

"Many artists have aspirations to contribute in the comics, fine art or graphic design fields but realize they are either not lucrative enough to support themselves or exploited for little to no compensation by corporate types," he said. "Tattooing is more popular than ever, and there certainly isn't a shortage of artists trying to jump on the popularity."

Another big change is in the technology used to create the art. For decades, artists used coil tattoo machines. Artists needed to have several of the large, metal devices on hand while producing a single tattoo, and cleanup required extensive sterilization. The recent addition of cartridges has changed that.

"Computers have also created advancements in creating designs to be tattooed," Mahaffey said. "References for artwork are far more available now thanks to the internet."

The internet is helping artist do more than design. Social media is also helping connect artists, and customers.

"People now have the ability to see amazing examples of what is possible in tattooing," Green said. "To get a mediocre tattoo now means that person put in the least amount of effort possible."

Styles have also evolved over the past decade. More customers are moving away from simple designs, and looking for custom, artistic designs.

"It is more custom," Mahaffey said. "There's more focus on specialization."

Perhaps the biggest change in tattoos comes from the society's shifting views of skin art. Mahaffey said the stigma attached to tattoos, and the industry himself, has mostly vanished. A growing number of people are displaying their tattoos openly.

"The customers are changing also. While there are still lots of younger people getting tattoos, almost half of my business now is middle-aged women who now feel more comfortable going into a tattoo shop and feel more comfortable showing their art in public," Mahaffey said.

The changes have come with some drawbacks.

"The counterculture or edgy nature of tattooing is being stripped away at an alarming rate," Green said. "The craft aspect has given way to an almost retail feel, with some potential clients more focused on instant gratification and a deal than getting a top-notch tattoo and the process that is needed to achieve that."

Both agree, however, that there has never been a better time to get a tattoo.

"Amazing tattoo artists can be found in almost any town now," Green said.