Tattoo Needles
Tattoo needles are used to apply a tattoo design by injecting pigment into
the inner layer of skin. The name “needle” is a bit misleading, since tattoo
needles actually resemble a pin more than a medical injection needle. Tattoo
needles push ink into the skin. Another common misconception about tattoo
needles is that one needle is used at a time to create a
tattoo
design. In reality, a group of tattoo needles are used for most tattoos.
Tattoo needles are connected to a tattoo machine, or tattoo gun. A tattoo
machine has a bar to which a group of needles, known as a sharp, are attached by
soldering. The tattoo machine’s electrical motor moves the bar rapidly up and
down, about 80 to 150 times per second. The tattoo machine precisely controls
the depth of the needle injection, allowing an area of skin to be covered
rapidly and uniformly. Buy your own tattoo needles here.
Type of Tattoo Needles
There are several different types of tattoo needles, each used for a
different effect. Liners and shaders are the main categories of needles.
Within these categories, the configurations of needle groups are given names
like round, flat, stack and magnum. Tattoo needle groups usually consist of 3,
5, 7 or more needles.
Liner Tattoo Needles
The liner type of tattoo needle is used for outlining a design. Liner tattoo
needles are also known as rounds because they are grouped in a circular shape.
This round shape draws a uniform line like the tip of a pencil or pen. Liner
needles may be used individually for a fine line or in a group to create a
thicker outline. When the needles in the round are group tightly, a crisp solid
line can be created. When the round consists of loosely-grouped needles, the
resulting line has more of a shaded effect.
Liner Tattoo Needles
Shader Tattoo Needles
After a tattoo has been outlined using liner tattoo needles, the design is
filled in using shader needles. These needles are usually grouped in rows, but
occasionally a round shader is used for filling in a small area. Different
groupings create different effects and are given different names. A single row
of needles is known as a flat. Two rows of needles (a “double flat”) that are
placed one on top of the other are called a stack. The top row in a stack has
one less needle than the bottom row (which is why the groupings are always
odd). The two rows in the stack are offset to avoid the appearance of stripes
in the shaded area.
Flat Tattoo Needles
Magnum Tattoo Needles
A magnum is a single row with an odd number of needles. Diagrams of a magnum
group may look like two stacked rows, but this is due to the fact that every
other needle is bent upwards. Magnum rows can also be stacked. They are ideal
for shading large areas and color filling.
Magnum Tattoo Needles
Sizes of Tattoo Needles
Individual tattoo needles come in different sizes. Each size is referred by
a number that is tied to a specific needle diameter size. The #12 needles are
the largest, with a diameter of .35mm. The sizes are ranked in increments of
.05mm, with the #10 being .30mm and the #8 being .25mm. The #6 is the smallest
needle at .20mm. There are no standards in place for tattoo needle sizes,
however, and some manufacturers use the “bug pin” numbering system (named for
pins that are used to mount insects). In this system, size 0 is the same as
#12, 00 is the same as #10, etc.
Taper of Tattoo Needles
“Taper” refers to the length of a needle point. The taper of tattoo needles
varies from short to long. The decision to use a short or long taper is a
matter of individual tattoo artist preference. Each type of taper can produce a
different tattoo effect.
Tattoo Needle Tapers
Sterilization of Tattoo Needles
Tattoo needles should be completely sterilized before use to avoid the
transmission of blood-borne diseases and infections. To avoid decontamination
of tattoo needles, many tattoo artists use disposable needles. Since used
tattoo needles are a biohazard, care must be taken to place them in an approved
container for hazardous waste. If needles are going to be reused rather than
disposed of, they must be sterilized in an autoclave machine. This device uses
steam and high temperatures to kill germs on used tattoo needles.
What are the different type of
needles used for?
There are four main types of needle groupings. Some have one specific
use and others can vary depending on how the artist is using it. Tattoo
Needles that we carry are pre-sterilized in individual blister packs. We
carry tattoo round liner needles (tight), tattoo round shader needles
(loose), and tattoo curved magnum needles. Our professional tattoo
needles are used by professional tattoo artists around the world and are
highly recommended. Below is a general explanation of the needle
categories and how you can use different types of needles.
Rounds also known as Loose
We carry rounds from single needle to 14 round. A round needle looks
like a perfect circle if you´re looking at the needle grouping head on.
Depending on the art piece you´re working on they can be used for thin,
medium or thick outlines. Loose tattoo needles would work great for
shading in tattoos with color or black and gray work.
Tights
A tight needle has one basic use and that is for outlining. It´s
similar to a round, it is grouped like a circle, but they are clustered
tightly together. There are different names people call tight needles
such as: liners or a round tight. Depending on how bold you want your
outline to be, we carry tight needles with 3 to 14 needle groupings.
Flats
The flat needle groupings are great shading needles. These needle
groupings are all straight in a row and lay tightly together. They can
be used for filling in solid color or can be used for applying unique
artistic techniques (for example waves or clouds). Our flats range from
4 to 15 needle groupings.
Magnums
The other shading needle option is the mag or magnum. A magnum needle
has two rows, and is spread out. There are 2 categories of them, regular
or double stacked. Double stacked just means they are clustered more
tightly together and standard magnums are spread out a little more. They
can be used to fill in solid color or like flats you can use different
techniques to apply distinctive effects.
Curved Magnums
Curve Magnum Tattoo Needles are group differently than the magnums,
the needles tip has a slight arch to it so when you are tattooing it
wont eat the skin up on turns.
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