Traditional, black and grey, cover-ups
Zak Sadloski
Zak Sadloski is the bold-line, heavy-black end of the shop, traditional roses, panthers and daggers, smooth black and grey, and the cover-ups other shops send over. 14 years in.
If you have something you want gone, bring a clear photo of it in daylight. He will tell you straight what can be covered, what needs a laser session first, and what the new piece has to be to actually hide it.
- Flat quote
- pricing
- $80
- minimum
- Tue–Sat
- in the shop
What to book Zak for
American traditional with bold outlines and solid color, smooth black and grey with soft gradients, and cover-ups of old names, faded tribal and work that did not heal the way it should have. Zak also takes on large-scale pieces like half sleeves, back pieces and thigh panels that run over several sessions.
Traditional tattooing is built to last. Heavy outlines and packed black hold their shape for decades, which is why roses, panthers, swallows, daggers and ships have been on skin for a hundred years and still read from across a room.
Cover-ups with Zak
A cover-up starts with a clear daylight photo of the old tattoo. Zak looks at how dark it is, how big it is and where the heaviest ink sits, then tells you what can go over it. Sometimes the honest answer is one or two laser sessions first to lighten it. The new design is almost always larger and darker than the old one; that is how coverage works. Read more on cover-up tattoos.
Zak also takes walk-in flash on quiet weekday afternoons when his chair is open. Call ahead to check, and pick from the sheets on the wall: a swallow, a dagger, a rose, a sacred heart. Flash is priced on the sheet, so you know the number before you sit down.
How Zak quotes
Flat per piece, never hourly. Small traditional flash starts at the $80 shop minimum. Cover-ups are quoted after photos. Multi-session work is quoted as a whole and paid per session. A $50 deposit applies only on work quoted over $500. Start with a booking request or a free consultation.
Work by Zak Sadloski
Booking with Zak
Can Zak cover any old tattoo?
Most, but not all. Very dark or very large tattoos sometimes need one or two laser sessions to lighten them first. Zak will tell you which after seeing a clear daylight photo.
Does Zak tattoo flash or only custom?
Both. He keeps sheets of traditional flash at the shop that can be done as drawn, and draws custom pieces from your references.
How are multi-session pieces paid for?
The whole piece is quoted flat up front, a $50 deposit holds the first date, and the balance is paid per session. Nothing is billed by the hour.