Come see us before getting a tattoo

Tattoos are considered part of the sub-culture, but in New Zealand they’ve always been part of the wider community. One in three people under 30 have a tattoo of some description in this country, so you almost certainly know someone with some ink.

But like everything in life, tattoos and piercings come with a risk. Tattoos are a great and popular form of self-expression, but anyone wanting a tattoo should always go to a professional tattoo studio. Here at Sunset Tattoo, we have all our licences in Health & Safety, so you know there’s no chance of us skipping hygiene procedures or putting you at unnecessary risk. Luckily tattoos and piercings are safer than ever, but before visiting us, you should still do your homework. If you’ve any questions about tattooing then we’ll be happy to sit down with you and have a chat.

You’ve been working on a cool design and saving up for your first tattoo, for the love of god don’t go round to your mate's house. Just because he was good at art at school and bought a tattoo gun off Trade Me, doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing! It’s unsafe and let’s be honest, you’re probably not going to be happy with his “masterpiece”.

Getting a tattoo from un-sterile equipment and inexperienced artists can put you, and the artist, at risk for life-threatening infectious diseases. Hepatitis or skin infections can be caused by certain bacteria, so make sure you come to a studio that’s professional with a good reputation. A studio with experienced and skilled tattoo artists. A studio that has a long list of satisfied customers.

A studio like Sunset.

Searching for an Auckland tattoo studio?

If you’re searching for an Auckland tattoo studio, then you’ve found Sunset. For classic, Pacifica and custom tattooing, Sunset Tattoo provides a professional and friendly setting for you to get your next tattoo.

History and location

In December 2014, after ten years of studying tattoo art around the world and in New Zealand's best tattoo studios, Tom McMillan opened his own Art studio together with his wife, well known NZ artist, Misery. The studio began as a private space for the pair to make art and tattoos, and has now grown into a busy art studio and tattoo shop. A year later their humble Auckland tattoo studio is now busier than ever. We pride ourselves on creating beautiful and bold tattoos to a professional standard and continue to share a huge passion for the craft of tattooing. We tattoo classic traditional pieces as well as custom work and are happy to tattoo flash straight off the wall too. We are also set up to take walk-in's most days.

The team

Tom McMillan has been tattooing for over 10 years and focuses on specializing in his own unique take on western traditional and Japanese tattoo styles. Tom switches easily between large-scale full body tattoos to palm size one-shot tattoos, and is always on the lookout for new, original design challenges.

Tristan Marler is of Te Rarawa descent, from the Hokianga in the far north. In 2014 he graduated from the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts institute with a diploma in Whakairo Rakau (traditional wood carving). Tristan is now tattooing full time, and specializes in Ta Moko, Blackwork, pattern work, geometric and dot-work tattoo styles.

Fabian Bidart hails from Chile, and has been tattooing in Auckland City since 2007. He specialises in western traditional tattooing.

Make a booking at Sunset

If you would like to request a booking or consultation you can send us an email, call us, or pop into the studio. If you have reference photos to show us please be sure to attach them to your email or print them off if you are coming into the studio. Please note that some of our tattoo artists are booked up for weeks so it pays to book in advance if you have a specific date in mind that you want to be tattooed on. As for consultations, they usually take around 10-20 minutes and are free of charge.

A Celtic knot by Tristan

So if you're interested in getting a tattoo, whether it's your 1st or 50th, there's an Auckland tattoo studio that knows exactly what you want. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Always do your research when it comes to tattoo designs

Before getting a tattoo it is essential that you spend some time looking at tattoo ideas, designs and fonts. This week we talk about how to source good tattoo ideas.

The last thing you want on (or rather under!) your skin is a design that you might regret in a few years. So here’s our first advice on tattoo ideas: find something unique. Don’t copy anyone else’s tattoo. The Internet is a good starting point to start looking for tattoo ideas. You can use Google images as a tool for inspiration.

Our tattoo studio in Auckland has folders with tattoo ideas and designs to flick through. Always keep in mind that these are just ideas. Ultimately, you should ask your tattoo artist to come up with a unique design for you. This might take a few days, but it is worth the wait. For a true tattoo artist (and for you!), nothing will be more satisfying than juggling with ideas. So really the best thing you can do is speak to a tattoo artist directly.

If you are looking for inspiration, why not drop in at Sunset tattoo in Auckland? Our tattoo artists Tom, Fabian and Tristan will be happy to discuss your tattoo ideas with you. They can design a tattoo from scratch and give you honest advice.

Simply give us a call, or drop by our studio in Ponsonby. We’re always happy to help with any questions you may have.