Deluxe Tattoo
1459 W Irving Park Rd
(between Greenview Ave & Janssen Ave)
Chicago, IL 60613 (773) 549-1594
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: Yes
51 Reviews for Deluxe Tattoo
One of Deluxe Tattoo's Favorite Reviews
I came to Deluxe Tattoo with an odd idea, and I got a couple of funny looks for it. I was told to call back and speak with Zach, and that maybe he could hammer out an idea with me.
We did, and set up an appointment for about a month and a half later.
Until I walked in the door the day of my appointment, I only had a vague idea of what it was going to be. But when I saw it, I was in awe of how perfect it was.
An hour and a half, and a lot of pain and wincing later (yes, I'm a sissy, and needles hurt when they're hitting your tendons), I have one excellent piece of art on my arm.
I cannot stress how much of a positive experience this was, and how excellent of an artist I think Zach to be. I took a handful of his cards to give out, and ran out of them within a few hours, because almost everyone who saw my tattoo (half obscured by a bandage and through saran wrap), asked for a card.
I am already bouncing ideas around in my head for my next one.
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This place is like a block down from the highschool that I used to go to.I remember walking by it every day,just thinking about what I would get if I was old enough.Well,I did get old enough,and I did get what I wanted-and it turned out perfect.It was definately worth waiting for.
Tattoo Factory did my first two tattoos, and I will never go back there again after the experience I had at Deluxe. Deluxe Tattoo is extremely professional, efficient, and the staff is obviously talented. Most importantly, Deluxe won't try to rip you off like a certain tattoo parlor in Uptown. Mine cost $80, compared to the $150 quote I received from Tattoo Factory. Go Deluxe!!!
I wanted a custom Tattoo and let me tell you it was a long and lengthy process trying to find someone who was a real artist. I had a vision, some thoughts but I personally could not put my design on paper. Most artists I met, made me look through books or wanted to crop stencils. Now way that's not for me mate!
I finally realized with the success of the Tattoo Real Life TV phenomenon, every one these days is an 'artist'. Yeah an artist at shooting the shit. Seriously, I was getting impatient until I called Tim Biedron at Deluxe Tattoo and it dawned on me I was meant to go through all the bullshit so I could find him.
I started off the normal way of trying to contact him through email. I was so frustrated I picked up the phone and lo and behold Mr. Timmy answered the phone. I told him my dilemma and he agreed to see me for a consult. Now let me just say this, I was very picky about my tattoo, it was going to cover my whole left shoulder so I was nervous to say the least.
I arrive there to talk to Tim about my ideas. He understood and right then and there he started to rough sketch a design for me. At last I found an artist who truly was one. Check out his website he is a genius. http://www.timbiedron....
The down side was that I had to wait 6 months for him to do it. After 6 months of research trying to find someone, I was more than anxious to get it done. 6 months flew by, (like he said, Know all!) and his ideas were as fresh as the day I met him. He presented me his final design and I expected it to be tweaked a little to my liking, but this guy was bang on with my ideas and I could not believe all my random thoughts were drawn brilliantly on paper for my tattoo.
His line work is amazing, people comment on my tattoo all the time. All the staff at Deluxe are wonderful and it really does feel like a family work unit there. The artwork that I saw there was above par and their colourings were amazing. They take their sanitary practices seriously here. I have never seen so many disposable gloves thrown in the garbage. I had a tattoo done at Jade Dragon years ago, because that was the place to go to at the time. Night and day that is all I can say.
Seriously if want a great job done and you cannot be patient, anyone of the Deluxe crew will do a great job for you. I would say Tim, Hannah and Jason are the best. Worth the wait!
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I've been getting tattoo'd at Deluxe since they first opened. They have always operated in a professional manner and treated their customers with respect. More importantly, being one of the shops that pioneered the non-flash, more artistic styled tattoo shops in Chicago, the accumulation of tattoo knowledge in this shop is staggering... This shop has produced and still houses some of the best tattooists around.
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Have gotten 4 tattoos by Jason Vaughn over the last 9 months. I don't bother sending him art or reference photos anymore, all you have to do is give him the basic idea and he will not disapoint. I actually get really excited to see what he comes up with, his art always exceeds my expectations. He is getting to be quite the popular artist though, this time last year I was booking a month in advance, now it's more like 4 months. As a whole, Duluxe Tattoo is amazing. Professional, talented artists who take their trade seriously.
So after not being that satisfied with my last 2 tattoo artist I was recommended to Jason L by a close friend of mine. I didn't know what to expect at Deluxe since I have never been there but J made it such a relaxing atmosphere and I had seen some of his work so knew I didn't have much to worry about. He did such an amazing job! I bought in pictures and a piece that showed exactly what I wanted and he made it more detailed and great. I would definetely NOT go anywhere else to get tattoed. I do want a couple more and WILL be back to see him.
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As soon as you walk in-this place gives off a special vibe- you immediately feel cozy and relaxed (even if you were nervous before).Seriously-I've been here 3 times,getting tattoos by different people,and I haven't had a bad experience yet.These people know what they're doing-and I know that they are damn good at it.
I love this place. A few years ago I came here to get a new tattoo and a fix up on an old one done at Tatu Tattoo. I had Hannah (before she got all famous) and ended up going back to her several times. She's super sweet and just plain fun to talk to.
Tim Biedron and Harlan are also good but I've only actually been tattooed by Hannah.
Everyone here is really nice and professional. QUALITY work by real artists.
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I have been getting tattooed by Ben for hmmm...about 8 years now (7 tats by Ben). I have a large celtic cross that Ben did on my left upper arm and I get seriously complimented on it all the time! But more importantly, I love it! It is not just a typical celtic cross. It has massive amounts of shading and is more detailed than almost all celtic crosses the I have seen. Ben can rock out any tattoo that you can think of!
Oh yeah, he is REALLY good at cover-ups. I had some stupid tattoo that I got when I was a dumb teenager and Ben worked with me until we came up with a good idea for a cover-up and now not only can you not see the stupid tattoo underneath but the cover-up is a great tat itself!
Tim Biedron (who is booked until armageddon) is another artist responsible for the unsolicited compliments that I get from strangers. Wow! Tim is seriously an awesome artist and a way chill dude. If I had his talent I would act like I was a rockstar or something. I brought Tim a picture of my sister and I when we were little kids and a painting by an artist that I liked and he married the two ideas and created a unique and beautiful tat that I am SUPER happy with! Oh yeah, his dog Pete is super cute too!
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I was actually not really planning on getting a tattoo the day that I walked into Deluxe, but because it was such a small piece around my wrist Miles Maniaci was able to squeeze me in. The words wrap completely around my wrist and he was meticulous about making sure they wrapped evenly and sat in the right place. Placing it took far longer than the actual tattoo, which was pretty painful because of the placement. The studio was clean and the prices were reasonable which was nice considering how exorbitant some places prices are.
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I almost feel silly writing about Deluxe but if you don't get tattooed there then something needs to change. Not only are these kids my friends, they are the best tattoo artists in the city- nah several are famous for being the best artists in the industry. Tattoos don't come off walls ladies and gents- they are an artistic collaboration between artist and client. CUSTOM.
I'm only leaving a review because Zach was adamant on a review that didn't make him look like a snappy little school girl, which he is not, most of the time. I actually though Zach was amazing, he made me feel comfortable and at ease, seeing how it was my first tattoo and all. He did a phenomenal job, and the tattoo was much more than I had imagined. He, along with the rest of the artists at Deluxe, were really funny and unpretentious, which is not what you'd fined at other tattoo establishments. The artistry at Deluxe is amazing, or at least from what I observed while I was getting my tattoo done.
All-in-all it was a great experience. You definitely get what you pay for, strike that, you get more.
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The artists at Deluxe are hands-down amazing.
After getting a couple of "sticker" tattoos last year, I decided to go for broke and invest in some real art: a 3/4 (or "corporate") sleeve. At 39 and new to the whole tattoo scene, I only knew vaguely that I wanted to look at a shop that did more customs than walk-ins, so I did some research in books for examples of what I was looking for, and online to find a Chicago artist. One look at Jason Vaughn's website and I knew he was the one for me.
His take on tattoo art is, like all the artists at Deluxe, drawn from tradition but expanded in a way that takes it out of the realm of the run of the mill and into the territory of real art. He uses a palette and line quality that's drawn from Americana-traditional but infuses it with an energy that's more like a page from a graphic novel. And he has a sense of humor that comes through in the work, and I'm all about that.
I walked in to consult him about my idea and he saw me right away, took a tracing of my arm, went over my idea with me (a New Orleans funeral parade, but with skeletons a la the medieval danse macabre) and took my reference sketches and pictures and we set up a series of appointments. He was totally attentive to and enthusiastic about my ideas, which made me really excited about the ordeal to come.
We did the tattoo in 4 sittings of 3.5-4 hours each over 3 months. Jason doesn't like to make his appointments longer than that because he's aware of the usual pain threshhold and he wants the sitting to be a good experience. He has a great stool-side manner; I had so much fun talking to him about art and music and about the equipment he was using, I was almost distracted from the pain (ow!). I wouldn't say his touch is particularly light, but he has a very comforting way about him and I felt really well taken care of. He seemed really excited to be working on the piece...I was happy to let him go nuts with it, because I love his artwork so much. By the time it was over I had separation anxiety, I had so much fun sitting there that whole time.
As for the piece itself, I couldn't be happier. It looked so awesome just in the linework-only and shading-added stages, I could have stopped anytime! But the colors he chose, an unexpected palette of neutral lavendars and browns punctuated by bright robins-egg blue and vivid red and pink, make my piece completely unique among all the tattoos I've ever seen. I'm so proud of it...and psyched that warm weather is finally here so I can show it off!
Those long sessions are a wild experience and really drive home the fact that in a very real way, you have no mental control over your physical reactions. Even when the experience of pain wasn't acute, there would come a time near the end of every session when my endorphin-release system would just shut down and I would feel faint. Jason always sensed that before I mentioned it and wound down.
Sitting in the shop and watching the other artists work was an experience in itself. Jason is a newer artist who doesn't have his own station. I got to sit in Tim Biedron's station and see his traces pinned to the wall, which could probably be hung in a gallery as-is. I got to watch Harlan hand-draw a sleeve right on the sitter's arm. I got to watch Hannah Aitchison work up one of her trademark pin-ups on a beefy dude's leg. The weirdest day was when we had the window station and I was on display for all the passers-by!
Jason Vaughn is getting pretty popular. At my last session he told me he now books months in advance and would have to start taking deposits soon. I think Tim, Ben Waaa, and Harlan book up to 6 months in advance, and gawd only knows about Hannah. This isn't an impulse shop. They don't have late hours for bar patron walk-ins. It's a quiet, serious, but friendly vibe there. And they take credit cards (dangerous!). I'm already planning my next piece, and will be sticking with Jason. And considering all the comments I get on my sleeve, I think I'm driving some business his way. At least I hope so.
After five years of wanting to get a new tattoo, I finally bit the bullet and made my appointment with Miles at Deluxe Tattoo. A skull and crossbones in the middle of the state of Iowa? Of course he can do it - and of course he doesn't need me to bring in my own design. After a deciding to go ahead with it - a quick six months later I was laying down getting a fairly painful tattoo. It wasn't because of Miles - I'm just pretty much a wuss with pain. I mean, It really wasn't that bad. And after my leg went numb, a short hour later I was left with the perfect tattoo I'd dreamed of.
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Was shopping all over for an artist I would have confidence in. As soon as I walked in Jason Vaughn consulted me on my tattoo and eased my fears about the finer details in the picture. Later that evening I had the picture I wanted tattooed on my arm, better than I ever could have imagined it turning out. Really great work.
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Jason Vaughn does amazing work. He is incredibly nice and patient. I went in for a consult with a vague idea and he drew up amazing pinup girls for me. I highly recommend him.
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I've gotten 2 tattoos done by Zach. He did a wonderful job. It was exactly what I'd wanted, and he also added little touches to it that I thought made the tattoos great. I love them both and I think they were well worth the price.
Although he was a little snappy when I got my first one done, he was a lot nicer the second time and opened up. He's a great artist and I'm definitely coming back for future tattoos. He was also very reasonable and fair about the prices.
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I got my tattoo here a few years ago, and I'm still satisfied. The woman who did it (sorry to say, I can't remember her name) was beyond kind to me, seeing as I have a bit of fear of needles. The artwork was EXACTLY what I wanted and very well priced. Also, the place was clean, everyone was so nice to me, my mom and little brother (yeah, we did a family outing).
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Ah, Deluxe. I wish I weren't so damned broke and trying to pay off my credit card. Otherwise it would be maxed out and I would be covered in beautiful tattoos.
I'm in the process of getting a full sleeve of a Japanese geisha with Miles (formerly of Taylor Street Tattoo), he's incredibly talented, and if you're looking for traditional Japanese, he's your guy.
Hannah Aitchison is an awesome pin-up artist who was featured on the 'LA Ink' television program. Tim Biedron does beautiful full colour, detailed pieces. Essentially everyone here is a talented artist and prolific tattooer. I would not hesitate to send anyone here for a tattoo, be it something small and unfussy or some large project. You will definitely not be disappointed.
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Everyone I know (except for my husband) has a tattoo. I got one fixed at Deluxe by Kevin Strai and I can finally wear shorts and skirts again. This place is super professional and has the best artists. To the other sad people who got crappy tattoos elsewhere you need to go to deluxe and let them fix it.
Great artists. Great shop. Great experience.
Ben Wahhh's work is what drew me to Deluxe Tattoo but while there for my half-sleeve (for 4 separate sittings - see pic in my profile) I had the pleasure of watching the other artists do incredible work with a flair and love of the craft that I'd not seen at any other Chicago shop. Everyone was really into what they were doing and that made the vibe in the shop a real pleasure to experience.
They've added a couple new artists since I was there last, but I have so much confidence in Ben and his crew that I'd get a piece from any of them just because they're at Deluxe. The shop and the artists are just that good.
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Got my third tattoo done here yesterday by Jason Longtin.
Super place, cool people, REALLY professional. I'm totally stoked about the piece and Jason was super cool. I'll go back to him again, for sure. Can't wait to show it off to all my friends!
Deluxe is top notch, I had my work done with Miles (prev. of Taylor Street Tattoo) and his linework and detail is jaw-dropping. The shop itself is fantastic and the other artists (Harlan, Ben, Tim) I saw or knew of are stellar.
Super clean, very inviting and friendly atmosphere. A real and quality shop.
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I was recommended to Tim by just about every one of my family members.. Seriously, he has tattooed all of my close family except my father. So when I got married and was ready to foray into the world of beautifully well done color tattoos, I went to him. I was warned that he books up about three months in advance, and that is no lie.But it's worth it! He personalized beautiful tattoos for my husband and I, and he has already done another almost half sleeve piece for me since then.
Deluxe is the only way to go. They have the best artists in the city! Every piece I have seen is amazing. Most of my friends have been tattooed there as well, and one of my friends designed their current t-shirt design. So go already! What are you waiting for?
Definitely the best shop in the city. If you want the amazing artistry and detail that usually can't be expected in a tattoo, you head for this shop. Tim Biedron's line work is unparalleled and his art work (in addition to his tattoo work) really displays skill and eye that is uncommon in tattooing. Harlan does amazing traditional work with a really creative twist on color.
There isn't much I can say that isn't covered except to say the wait is really extensive. If you know you want work, plan ahead and make an appointment or at least talk to someone there about availability as soon as you can.
For instance, Tim can have a 6-month waiting period. NO KIDDING. With skill like that, it's no surprise he's popular. If your work doesn't demand that skill, and as much as people think it does when it's their body, it may not so waiting that long might be unnecessary.
The average wait for the most of their artists isn't that long, but you never know! Call ahead or drop in and talk about availability before you make a bet that you can get work done soon.
And as if I needed another reason to love this place, Chris Smith from Taylor Street is moving here.
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I got my first and only tattoo here, and it was a great experience overall. I had no idea what to expect, but everything turned out great and I would definitely recommend this shop to others. I got a pretty simple star, but the friend I went with got a really intricate celtic cross and it came out awesome! Even though I don't look like the type of girl who would get a tattoo, everyone in the shop treated me with respect and were really nice! I already want another one!
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Everyone else has praised Deluxe so much here I won't write anything lengthy, but I have to mention Jason Longtin. He created an incredible tattoo on my back in April '07. There's a photo of it in my profile. I get compliments on it all the time!
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I will say that Deluxe Tattoo was the best tattooing experience i've ever had! I already had a band of stars around my arm and I had Jason Vaughn transform it into a half sleeve of girly goodness. I absolutely love my half sleeve, everytime I look at it I smile!
He used so much detail and color. All together it took about 5 1/2 hours and even though it was kinda pricey, I will pay a lot for quality work. That is what I got. The place is really relaxed too, I didn't feel out of place or uncomfortable or anything, everyone there is really nice.
Needless to say Jason Vaughn is awesome! :D He's also a really nice guy.
Only place you need to go. Zack rocks but Tim is the best!! I have to mention that Zack has worked and is familiar with black and or ethnic skin before and can make a tattoo pop! Do you know how valuable that information is alone? haha
The short, they rock and the cost is a lot less than the pricer, sh*ter salons that I had the misfortune of wasting my money at. GO TO DELUXE!!!
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I got my "first" official tattoo at Deluxe Tattoo. I walked in and explained to one of the artists working there what I wanted, showed him some pics and a rough sketch I made in pencil and he found an artist that would be able to do what I wanted done. He scheduled me for the following week on the day I wanted. All done in 5 minutes. It was very hassle-free and I was very happy with how efficient they were. I got a call to confirm my appointment from the artist that was going to be doing it and arrived 10 minutes early and he met me, showed me his sketch and I approved and started my 6 hour session. The place is clean. The artists are clean and very professional. I had 6 hours to observe them. Aside from having some awesome artists, just look at their books, the place was really chilled. Dave Bruehl inked me, guest artist that week, and he did a terrific job. He was nice, easy to work with, extremely dilligent and hard-working (only took 2 breaks in 6 hours for a few minutes!!!!) and I was ecstatic that he completed a half-sleeve in very great detail. He works out of OK, but that shows you that Deluxe brings in some great tattoo artists. The next artist I would like to have ink me is Tim Biedron. I really dig his artwork. Tim, wanna ink a sleeve on me???? Definitely check them out for custom work!!
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I have been tattooed in many cities and have met many tattoo artists, been to many shops and have had many regrets. I needed to cover up those regrets and through another local artist found Deluxe and I have never been happier with a tattoo artist than I have been with Hannah. The other talents at Deluxe are amazing and if Hannah ever can not accommodate me I know that I will have great artists available.
The thing that I love most about Deluxe is that everyone here is not "too cool" like I have experienced in other shops. If you have work done or have ever been in a tattoo shop you know what I am talking about. (The indifference, the "yeah whatevers," the "yes I can write that in Chinese".) When I first went in to discuss my piece, I found that they wanted to work WITH me on my idea and took great care in how I felt and really wanted me to be happy with the piece before we ever got to the needle. (Hannah drew up my idea 3 times!)
I get stopped on the street every few minutes during short sleeve weather with questions about my work. Most are amazed and ask where I got it done. When I say I went to Deluxe most say that they have never heard of it. Well you should!
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i wouldn't trust my skin and art to ANY other place in the chicago area. most of the places in the city are over priced chop shops.
quality work, no attitude....very professional....
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Tis true, Deluxe Tattoo is top notch. Don't argue, I'll come at you with a painters stick, slap some sense into you.
I will not (and suggest you do the same) go anywhere else for ink. This is my station, and if anyone asks me where to go for ink, I respond without hesitation, "Deluxe."
The artists there have never done wrong, and hold them all in high esteem. Personally, I go to Tim and Kevin, but Kevin has since departed to the realm of Elgin. Your can still find him there, and I'd say you should if you can. As for Tim, he is usually a busy busy man. But if you can't see one of them...one of the other lovely ladies or gents of Deluxe will handle your ink with care.
Bad ink is a crime. Fortunately, Deluxe Tattoo can help remedy a crime done to you. As for a fresh job, you needn't worry about that crime at all...it's like they all had some magical inking aura of love. Love Love Love. Amidst all that noise and metal.
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I'm new to the city. I did a lot of research and looking before I settled on Deluxe Tattoo for my latest tattoo. I'm very happy with my decision and the outcome of my tattoo. The shop is clean, comfortable, and friendly.. things you can't always find in one parlor. I made an appointment with Miles, which due to a cancellation, I didn't have to wait more than a few weeks for. Miles isn't the most social person, but a damn good artist, so..
I look forward to getting more work done not only by Miles, but some gnarly work by Ben Wahhh, and a pin-up by Hannah.
It seems the shop tries to work mostly by appointment, but they did take a walk in during my session.
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This is the only place I will go get my ink. Kevin was great! I got my ribs done and drew my own design. He took his time to make sure the design was exactly how I wanted, the color, size, and the placement. Also he did his best to make me feel comfortable and is hilarious and made me laugh through the pain.
You will never get this kind of service from Jade Dragon.....yuk yuk.
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UPDATE
6/11/07
Kevin went to Topnotch. :(
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I got my tattoo done by Zach today and it looks great! He was a little snippy but was really nice where it mattered, and he didn't seem too weirded out that he was tattooing a "virgin," which some places like that might have. I would go to him again for sure!
Tim Biedron did my tattoo for me and I love it! The colors and the details. I had waited to find the right person, not only was he the best choice he totally updated the design for me. I love it, note, Tim is booked months in advance. He is worth the waite and is the nicest person to meet. Very sincere. If your into fishing, well, you found a new best friend! :) I also liked the rest of the staff, pretty cool and its very clean. An important factor in this process.
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A great studio with a lot of talented artists working there. My piece was done by Kevin, and he did an outstanding job on it. It was adapted from a drawing done by one of my favorite artists, and he did a fantastic job with it. Highly recommended and very affordable. Their quality makes them popular though, so be aware that you will have to book your tattoo weeks/months in advance, especially if you want to work with a specific artist.
By far the best shop in the city! Every artist has their niche style that they do amazingly well. Get that Ink!
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