I tattooed for a decade- seriously, walk into a shop run by any of the artists I’ve met at any of the dozens of conventions I’ve been to (and worked) NOT ONCE, will you hear any artist or anyone in any of the competition categories ever say “hey did you get tatted?” Or “how many tats do you have?” Nope. It’s a TATTOO or a piece or mostly referred to as “ink” because anyone getting large coverage pieces gets “more ink” never “more tats” I was pointing out what the chick in the pic said. And I can guarantee that anyone here who says otherwise doesn’t have large, nice pieces. Me? I have a full t-shirt of over 300 hours, legs, sleeves and more and not once has anyone whose opinion I would give a 💩 about ever used the “nice tats” phrase. Nice ink- yes. When you pay out a sleeve or a backpoeve, nobody is calling it a “tat” that’s like some author using the term “ripcord” for skydiving (yes I have an A, B, and a C license) and I’ve never seen a “ripcord” just like anyone calling ink a “tat” or “nice tats” is basically using the equivalent of ripcord for a tattoo. People who have tiny tattoos like a Miley Cyrus or get little teeny things inked all over them in random spots – of them, I’d expect it. But anyone who gets a full area knocked out, big pieces- they aren’t using the term “tatts” nope. Not happening. Go walk into a shop and start throwing that term around, please- them you’ll see what happens, I guarantee someone there speaks up and corrects you (unless you’re getting ready to sit- then they’ll wait til you’re done). Nowhere in the tattoo industry among artists like Tom DePriest, Mario Barth, Troy Lane, Pooch, Tommy Helm, Freddy Negrete, Lionel Peck, Joe Capobianco, or anyone who’s someone will you ever hear tattoos phrased as “tats”.