united-tattoo/README.md

United Tattoo — Official Website (Next.js + ShadCN UI)

Hi, I’m Nicholai. I built this site for my friend Christy (aka Ink Mama) and the United Tattoo crew in Fountain, CO. The goal was simple: give the studio a site that actually reflects the art, the people, and the experience — not the stiff, generic stuff you usually see. This is also a thank you for everything Christy has done for Amari (my girlfriend and soulmate), who was her apprentice. So yeah, this is personal — and it shows.

This repo powers the official United Tattoo website, built with:

• Next.js App Router
• TypeScript
• Tailwind CSS
• ShadCN UI components (used across all pages)
• Lenis (smooth scroll)
• Lucide (icons)

Live dev server: http://localhost:3000

Project Structure

• app/

  • page.tsx — homepage (Hero, Artists, Services, Contact sections)
  • aftercare/page.tsx — aftercare instructions (ShadCN-driven)
  • deposit/page.tsx — deposit policy + payment options (Afterpay, Stripe)
  • terms/page.tsx — terms of service
  • privacy/page.tsx — privacy policy
  • artists/ — artists listing + dynamic routes for profiles (coming from data)
  • book/page.tsx — booking flow
  • specials/page.tsx — promotions (monthly specials, VIP list)
  • contact/page.tsx — contact
  • gift-cards/page.tsx — gift card info

• components/

  • hero-section.tsx, artists-section.tsx, services-section.tsx, contact-section.tsx
  • aftercare-page.tsx, deposit-page.tsx, terms-page.tsx, privacy-page.tsx
  • booking-form.tsx — multi-step form using ShadCN components
  • footer.tsx — contains direct links to Aftercare, Deposit Policy, Terms, and Privacy
  • ui/ — ShadCN UI primitives

• data/

  • artists.ts — single source of truth for artist metadata and images used across pages

• public/

  • united-logo-*.png/jpg, artists/, and other stable assets

Content & Assets

• All the “real” content, bios, and images are now wired in (not seed placeholders).
• Artist portraits and tattoo samples live under public/artists/.
• Pages like Aftercare, Deposit, Terms, and Privacy use consistent styling patterned after the homepage and portfolio pages — powered by ShadCN components.

If you need to re-copy images from the temp folder into public (on your machine), there’s a helper script:

• ./copy-artist-images.sh Note: This script expects the temp directory structure to exist locally; it silently skips if a source is missing.

Getting Started (Local Dev)

• Install deps:

  • npm install

• Run dev server:

  • npm run dev
  • Open http://localhost:3000

• Lint (optional):

  • npm run lint

Build:

• npm run build
• npm start

Docker

This repo is docker-ready. We build a standalone Next.js app for a smaller runtime image.

Build image:

• docker build -t united-tattoo:latest .

Run container (port 3000):

• docker run --rm -p 3000:3000 -e PORT=3000 united-tattoo:latest
• Open http://localhost:3000

Notes:

• next.config.mjs sets output: "standalone"
• The Dockerfile copies .next/standalone + .next/static and runs the server with HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0

Pages Overview

• Home — Bold, high-contrast, split imagery, parallax accents. This sets the identity.
• Artists — Grid and profile surfaces wired to data/artists.ts. Each artist shows image, specialties, and sample work.
• Aftercare — Two flows: General Aftercare and Transparent Bandage Aftercare (accurate, readable, ShadCN cards + alerts).
• Deposit — Clear policy, payment options, and compliance notes (LW2 Investments, LLC oversight).
• Terms & Privacy — Straightforward, legally sound, human-readable. Both accessible from the footer.
• Booking — Multi-step form with ShadCN components and validation-friendly structure.
• Specials — Marketing surface for time-bound promotions and membership-like advantages.

Design Language

• ShadCN components everywhere possible
• Monochrome foundation with high contrast and cinematic image splits
• Type scales + spacing match the homepage/portfolio feeling
• Lucide icons for affordances

Tech Notes

• TypeScript errors are ignored during build in CI to allow non-blocking content/design iteration (next.config.mjs).
• Images are unoptimized (no Next image loader), served statically; change if you plan to put this behind a CDN with transforms.
• Smooth scroll and parallax-style offsets are kept subtle to let the work shine.

Deployment

• Standard Next.js deploys work (Vercel, Node server, Docker)
• For self-hosting or VPS, use the Dockerfile in the repo
• The site runs on port 3000 by default

Why This Exists

Because Christy deserved a proper site — and because the previous one was, bluntly, not it. United Tattoo is more than a shop. It’s a community with real people and real art. This site tries to honor that.

— Nicholai