A virtual tattoo competition open to working artists anywhere. You tattoo in your own shop, on your own client, and submit photos and video for judging. Think of it as an online convention: the same comparison and competition between artists, without anyone flying across the country.

The 2024 run drew more than 600 entries from all 50 US states and 21 countries.

Registration is open now and stays open through the contest. Register and your private entry link lands in your inbox the day entries open, along with the key dates and exactly what to film. It is free and takes about a minute.

You can enter without registering. But there are pre-tattoo and post-tattoo requirements that decide whether a piece qualifies, and they are far easier to meet when you know about them before you start.

November 13 through December 4, in your own time zone. Only tattoos both started and finished inside that window are eligible.

The window is local to you because it is verified with your phone's lock screen, and a lock screen reads local time.

Uploads close December 6 at 11:59 PM PT. That is two days after the tattoo window ends, so if you finish a piece on the final night you still have time to get large video files uploaded.

A short check-in video before you start: show your client including their face, point out the area being tattooed, show your phone's lock screen with the date and time clearly visible, and state your first and last name.

A second check-in video when you finish: your client including their face, the finished tattoo, your lock screen showing the date and time, and you stating your first and last name and that you are ready to win the Ultimate Ink Challenge.

Then the work itself: at least one 15-30 second video showing the tattoo from all angles, highlighting the impressive details, and several photos from different angles and distances. Make sure your lighting and camera quality is exceptional.

Yes. If the tattoo you completed fits more than one category, you can enter it in each. A black and grey portrait, for example, belongs in both Best Realism (Black & Gray) and Best Portrait.

You only upload it once. It is judged separately in each category you enter.

Yes, as long as each tattoo was both started and finished within the contest period and you have the date verification videos for each one.

There is no cap. Enter as many finished tattoos as you like, and as many as you like in any one category. Every entry is judged on its own.

A panel of working tattoo artists scores every entry in each of the 9 judged categories. Judging runs in two rounds: a first pass to shortlist, then full scoring on the shortlist so the strongest work gets real attention.

Judging is blind. A judge sees an entry code, the video of the finished piece and the photos — not your name, your shop, your handle, or your check-in videos. A judge who recognises an artist recuses from that entry.

Round two scores four things from 1 to 10, weighted equally: technique, composition, creativity and difficulty. The highest average in a category wins it.

You don't. Every approved entry is automatically eligible for both.

Best of Contest is awarded twice, once to a female artist and once to a male artist, drawn from the full pool across every category. Fan Favorite is decided by public vote.

You can replace or reorder your uploads any time before the deadline using the link emailed to you when you submit.

The use of Photoshop or editing tools is strictly prohibited and may disqualify your entry.

There is no period to miss. Registration stays open the whole way through, and you can enter right up to the upload deadline as long as your tattoo falls inside the contest window.

The only thing registering late costs you is the head start: the entry link, the dates and the filming requirements come to you instead of you going looking for them. Those requirements start before the first line goes in, so the earlier you have them, the better.

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