Flash & Custom Requests
InkFronts supports two distinct booking flows. Here's how each one works and when to use them.
Flash bookings
Flash is for pre-designed pieces with a fixed price, size, and duration. Clients browse your gallery and book a specific piece — no back-and-forth required.
Deposit required at booking
When a client books flash, InkFronts generates a Square payment link and sends them straight to a Square-hosted checkout page — card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. No deposit, no booking. This keeps your calendar free of uncommitted holds.
15-minute payment window
The client has 15 minutes to complete payment. A timer is shown on their screen. If they don't pay in time, InkFronts automatically cancels the appointment and releases the slot for someone else. This ensures your calendar only contains serious bookings.
Managing your flash library
Go to Dashboard → Flash to upload and manage your pieces. Each piece has a title, price, duration, size, and optional category. Flash is organized per-artist — if you're part of a multi-artist shop, your flash is yours alone unless you add it to the shared shop gallery.
Setting your deposit percentage
Your deposit percentage is set in Dashboard → Settings. It applies to all flash bookings. For example, a 25% deposit on a $200 piece means the client pays $50 upfront and you collect the remaining $150 on the day.
Collecting the balance in person
At the appointment, open the booking in InkFronts and tap Charge balance in Square. Your phone opens Square POS pre-filled with the outstanding balance; the client can add a tip on your device and you tap to pay, insert, or swipe. Everything runs at card-present rates — no extra hardware needed for Tap to Pay on iPhone.
Custom requests
Custom requests are for original tattoos where the price, design, and details need to be worked out with the client first. InkFronts handles the intake — you handle the confirmation.
What clients submit
The custom request form collects placement, size range, reference images, and any notes. All of this is visible in Dashboard → Bookings alongside the Square appointment.
No automatic deposit timer
Unlike flash, custom requests don't trigger an immediate payment. The request sits in your dashboard until you're ready to act on it. Review the details, decide on pricing, and create a deposit link when you're ready to confirm. In the meantime, use Square Messages to go back and forth on sizing, placement, or reference images before you settle on a price.
Requesting the deposit
In Dashboard → Bookings, open the request and tap Request Deposit. Enter the total price you agreed on; InkFronts multiplies it by your deposit percentage and creates a Square payment link for that amount. Copy the link and send it to your client (text, email, Instagram DM — your call). Once they pay, you accept the appointment in Square and it's confirmed.
Balance + tip in person
Same as flash — tap Charge balance in Square on the booking at the appointment, and Square POS opens pre-filled with the remaining amount. The client adds tip on your phone and you take the payment at card-present rates.
Declining requests
If you don't want to take a request, cancel it from the booking detail page. There's no penalty — it just frees the slot. Consider sending the client a message via Square so they know what happened.
Which should I use?
| Flash | Custom | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Fixed | You set it after review |
| Design | Pre-made | Original per client |
| Deposit | Collected at booking | Collected after you review |
| Payment timer | 15 minutes | None — you control the pace |
| Calendar hold | Immediate on payment | Immediate on submission |
| Your time | Hands-off | Requires your review |
Most artists use both. Flash fills your calendar with low-friction, pre-confirmed bookings. Custom requests handle the work that needs a conversation first. See How Bookings Work for a full walkthrough of each flow.