Only small tattoos, maximum size A6 (10.5 cm × 14.8 cm) – The tattoo must be done on Saturday during the convention – Black & Gray only, no color accents allowed – Shading must be visible; pure blackwork does not qualify.

Only small tattoos, maximum size A5 – The tattoo must be done on the convention day – At least three color tones required to qualify as color – Black & Gray with a single color accent does not count as color.

The tattoo must be done on Saturday – Very fine needlework, delicate lines, small realistic details, or micro portraits – Can be color or Black & Gray as long as the fineline technique is applied – The size may exceed A6 if the overall detailing remains micro-level.

The tattoo must be fully healed for at least 1 month – The work may have been done prior to the convention (not required to be live) – The artist must present the healed tattoo in person to the judges – Photos from the tattooing process are optional but recommended – No fresh tattoos allowed, only healed work qualifies.

The tattoo must be done on Saturday during the event – Ornamental styles include mandala, geometric patterns, dotwork, and mehndi-style designs – Blackwork is allowed only if it’s part of an ornamental composition – Full tribal or graphic black pieces do not belong in this category.

The tattoo must be done on Sunday – Large work, larger than A5 – Must consist of at least 60% color – Judged on color saturation, blending, and palette selection.

The tattoo must be done live on Sunday – Old school / American traditional style with bold outlines, simple color palettes, limited shading, and high contrast – Oversaturated colors and classic motifs (skulls, daggers, hearts, panthers) are welcome – Overly detailed or mixed-style work will be excluded.

The tattoo must be done live on the convention –

The tattoo must be done live on Sunday – Features traditional Japanese imagery such as koi, hannya, dragons, and wave patterns – Bold outlines and classical composition – Both color and Black & Gray are allowed – Emphasis on traditional flow, balance, and anatomical placement.

The tattoo must be done on Sunday – Character-based anime or manga style with cell shading, flat colors, and bold outlines – No cartoon or new school influences, strictly anime style – Both original art and fanart are accepted (no copyright disputes with the jury).

Open category for all styles – Participants include first and second place winners from all competition categories, plus artists who did not compete in individual categories but wish to present a piece – The work must have been done during IATC 2026 – The artist must present the tattoo personally to the judges (no photo-only entries) – Style, size, and technique are completely open.