Community Guidelines
The standards that keep InkFreakz a professional, respectful, and thriving community for tattoo artists and enthusiasts.
Our Mission
InkFreakz exists to celebrate tattoo culture and connect artists, shops, and enthusiasts in a professional, inspiring environment. These Community Guidelines exist to protect that environment for everyone.
Whether you're a tattoo artist building your portfolio, a shop owner looking for guest artists, or a client searching for your next piece of ink — you are part of this community. We ask everyone to treat each other with the respect and professionalism that this craft deserves.
These guidelines apply to all content, communications, and interactions on the InkFreakz platform, including profiles, posts, messages, contest entries, and bookings.
Community Standards
All InkFreakz members are expected to uphold the following core standards:
- Authenticity: Be genuine. Use your real identity or professional artist name. Do not impersonate others or misrepresent your credentials.
- Respect: Treat all community members with dignity regardless of their skill level, style, background, or identity.
- Professionalism: Maintain the standards expected of a professional in the tattoo industry.
- Integrity: Be honest in your dealings — with clients, with other artists, and with the platform.
- Responsibility: Take responsibility for the content you post and the commitments you make through the platform.
Content Rules
What You May Post
What You May Not Post
Content featuring graphic tattoo imagery (e.g., horror, gore-style tattoos) is permitted as part of legitimate tattoo art but must be tagged appropriately. We reserve the right to remove content that crosses the line into gratuitous or harmful material.
Professional Conduct
InkFreakz is a professional platform. All members are expected to conduct themselves accordingly:
- Respond to booking inquiries and messages in a timely and professional manner
- Honor confirmed appointments and bookings. If you must cancel, provide as much advance notice as possible
- Be transparent about your pricing, availability, and services
- Do not solicit clients to pay outside the platform to avoid platform fees — this is a violation of our Terms of Service
- Do not post negative or disparaging content about other artists, shops, or clients by name
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date profile information, including your location and availability
Artist Verification
Artists who wish to be verified on InkFreakz must provide proof of professional experience and licensing where applicable. Misrepresenting your credentials or experience is a serious violation that may result in immediate account termination.
Contest Integrity
InkFreakz contests are designed to celebrate genuine talent. To maintain fair competition:
- Submit only original work that you personally created. Submitting another artist's work is plagiarism and will result in immediate disqualification and account suspension
- No vote manipulation: Creating fake accounts, using bots, or organizing coordinated voting campaigns is strictly prohibited
- No vote trading: Exchanging votes with other contestants undermines the integrity of the competition
- Accurate representation: Submitted photos must accurately represent the tattoo work — no heavy digital manipulation that misrepresents the actual tattoo
- Client consent: Ensure you have your client's permission to submit photos of their tattoo in a contest
Contest fraud — including vote manipulation and submitting others' work — will result in permanent account termination. We actively monitor for suspicious voting patterns.
Guest Spot Conduct
Guest spots are a cornerstone of the InkFreakz community. Both visiting artists and host shops have responsibilities:
For Visiting Artists
- Arrive on time and prepared with all necessary equipment
- Respect the host shop's rules, culture, and client relationships
- Maintain your own professional standards and hygiene practices
- Do not poach the host shop's regular clients for off-platform bookings
- Honor the compensation terms agreed upon in the booking
- Leave the workspace clean and in the same condition as you found it
For Host Shops
- Provide the workspace and facilities described in your listing
- Treat visiting artists with the same respect you expect from your own team
- Provide clear house rules and expectations upfront
- Honor the compensation terms agreed upon in the booking
- Do not cancel confirmed bookings without adequate notice and justification
Client Interactions
Artists and shops must treat all clients with respect and professionalism:
- Be clear and honest about pricing, session length, and what to expect from the process
- Obtain informed consent before beginning any tattoo work
- Provide accurate aftercare instructions
- Do not discriminate against clients based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
- Handle client complaints professionally and in good faith
- Protect client privacy — do not share photos of a client's tattoo without their explicit consent
Reporting Violations
If you encounter content or behavior that violates these guidelines, please report it. Your reports help keep InkFreakz safe and professional for everyone.
How to Report
- Content: Use the "Report" button (flag icon) on any post, profile, or comment
- Messages: Use the "Report" option within the messaging interface
- Urgent issues: Email safety@inkfreakz.com for urgent safety concerns
All reports are reviewed by our moderation team. We do not share the identity of the person who submitted a report. False or malicious reports are themselves a violation of these guidelines.
Enforcement
InkFreakz takes violations of these guidelines seriously. Our enforcement approach is graduated based on the severity and frequency of violations:
Warning
For minor or first-time violations, we will issue a formal warning via email explaining the violation and the expected behavior going forward. The offending content will be removed.
Temporary Suspension
For repeated minor violations or a single serious violation, we may temporarily suspend your account (7–30 days). During suspension, you cannot post content, send messages, or make bookings.
Permanent Ban
For severe violations (harassment, fraud, contest manipulation, repeat offenses after suspension), we will permanently terminate your account. All content will be removed and you will be prohibited from creating new accounts.
We reserve the right to take immediate action — including permanent termination without prior warning — for violations that pose a serious risk to the safety or integrity of our community.
Appeals Process
If you believe your account was suspended or content was removed in error, you have the right to appeal. Here's how:
- Submit an appeal within 30 days of the enforcement action by emailing appeals@inkfreakz.com
- Include in your appeal: Your username, the specific action taken, and a clear explanation of why you believe the action was in error
- Review period: Our moderation team will review your appeal within 10 business days
- Decision: You will receive a final decision by email. Decisions on appeals are final
We take all appeals seriously and review them independently from the original moderation decision. However, appeals that simply restate the original behavior without new information are unlikely to succeed.
Contact Us
For questions about these Community Guidelines or to report a concern:
General Questions: community@inkfreakz.com
Safety & Urgent Reports: safety@inkfreakz.com
Appeals: appeals@inkfreakz.com