Tattoo Needle
What Is Tattoo Needle
A tattoo needle is a small, sharp, pointed tool used in tattooing to puncture the skin and inject ink into the dermis layer to create a permanent design or image. It is typically made of stainless steel and comes in different configurations and sizes depending on the desired outcome of the tattoo. The needle is attached to a tattoo machine, which moves the needle up and down rapidly to create the design. Proper needle selection and usage is crucial to achieving a high-quality tattoo that will last a lifetime.
Benefits of Tattoo Needle You Want to Know
It is important for a tattoo artist to have a variety of needle sizes in his or her kit to create intricate designs or to achieve specific effects. Some artists may also use different needle configurations such as stacked or magnum for shading or coloring larger areas. The right needle choice can greatly affect the overall look and longevity of a tattoo, so it is crucial for artists to have knowledge and experience in selecting and using the appropriate needles.
Precision: Tattoo needles are designed to create precise and elaborate designs while avoiding excessive damage to the skin. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, making it possible for tattoo artists to achieve any design they envision.
Versatility: Tattoo needles can be used in a wide variety of settings, whether an artist is creating a tiny spiderweb or a large, colorful sleeve. They can also work with both traditional and modern tattooing techniques.
Consistency: Because tattoo needles are so precisely crafted, tattoo artists can create consistently high-quality tattoos. This is especially important for artists who take on large projects, where the consistency of needle performance can make a big difference in the end result.
Safety: Good-quality tattoo needles are made from stainless steel or other safe and durable materials, which reduces the risk of infections and other complications.
Hygiene: Disposable tattoo needles ensure that the artist is using a new, sterile needle for each client, which greatly reduces the risk of infection.
Pain management: Some tattoo needles are designed to reduce pain during the tattooing process. Features such as flexible needle configurations and rounded tips at the point of insertion can make a significant difference in the level of discomfort experienced by the client.
Longevity: Tattoo needles are designed to be long-lasting, which reduces the amount of maintenance that tattoo artists need to perform. This is important for busy artists who want to spend more time creating new tattoos and less time cleaning or replacing equipment.
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Our high-quality tattoo needles and machines are perfect for anyone looking to take their tattooing to the next level. So whether you are a professional tattoo artist or just starting out, we are here to help you create stunning works of art that will last a lifetime.
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Our factory is dedicated to providing the very best in tattoo equipment and supplies, our products are durable, reliable, and designed to meet the needs of professional tattoo artists.
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We offer a variety of high-quality tattoo equipment, including tattoo needles and machines. Our team of skilled professionals are dedicated to delivering excellence in craftsmanship and design.
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We understand that our clients demand the very best in quality and service. Our team of experts are always on hand to answer any questions you may have and to provide support whenever you need it.
A needle's configuration consists of how the needles are placed on the needle bar. The configuration of the tattoo needle will have a big effect on how the ink will be deposited into the skin. One of the most commonly used needles is a "12 07 RL." This means seven #12 needles arranged in a Round Liner configuration.
This tattoo needle size chart can help you remember which needle configuration to use in each scenario:
1. Round Liner (RL)
Used for: Clear-cut lines, delicate and thin lines, script, dot work, stippling, small areas of shading (i.e. portraits).
The needles in a round liner configuration are grouped together tighter at the end. This keeps the ink in a concentrated area and the look of a line is more clearly seen.
A "Tight Liner" is a liner with needles that are particularly close together. However, this tilting can give a bit of a "pinching" feeling to the client's skin, making liners potentially more painful for your customer.
1-3RLs can be used for script or delicate details like eyes in portraits.
2. Round Shader (RS)
Used for: Soft-edge lines, shading small areas, colour packing.
Great for filling in small areas, texture and highlights.
Produce less trauma than a liner because the needles are spaced farther apart.
7 RS is a popular configuration used for adding highlights to finished tattoos.
Can be used for creating lines. The needles are placed farther apart, so the line will be softer, lacking the hard edge of a liner. However, for some designs this is the desired effect.
3. Flat (F)
Flats are less commonly used, however they can deliver a good amount of ink.
They allow for precise shading as they are easy to angle.
Note: It can be very easy to cut a client with a flat, so be careful how you angle these tattoo needles.
4. Magnum (M1)
Used for: Packing black or colour, tribal designs, colour blends, some black and grey, "All-rounder".
This is the most common needle type. It's considered an all-rounder because it is one of the most versatile configurations. You can do just about anything with them.
It's easier to get smooth gradients of colour with larger mags because more ink is able to be deposited. They require fewer passes over the same area. This will allow you to get a smoother gradient and solid fills that don't heal patchy. (If you were to pack colour into a large area with something small like a round liner, it will be very patchy and uneven).
These "regular" magnums (as opposed to stacked magnums) are sometimes called "weaved magnums."
Note: Because a magnum is flat and the skin will dip in response to the needle's pressure, you need to be careful not to cut a client's skin with the edge of a magnum.
5. Curved Magnum (M1C, RM)
Used for: Packing black or colour, softer shading (less traumatic for skin) like in portraits, realism or out-of-focus backgrounds.
Due to its "arched" shape, curved magnums allow you to blend without creating "defined edges." This effect is perfect for out-of-focus backgrounds, portraits, colour blending, and having the edges of an image "blend out" into the skin instead of having it outlined.
6. Stacked Magnum (M2)
The needles on a stacked magnum are closer together than those on a regular or curved magnum. The idea here is a stronger saturation of colour to require fewer passes over the skin.
Causes more trauma to the skin than a regular magnum.
What Tattoo Needles Go with What Tips
|
Needle Type |
Tip to Use |
|
12RL/07 |
R7 or D5 |
|
12RL/09 |
R9 or D7 |
|
12RL/11 |
R11 or D9 |
|
12RL/14 |
R14 or D11 |
What Tattoo Needles Are for What
|
Needle Grouping |
Tube Size |
Commonly used for... |
|
11RL, 14 RL |
11 - 14 round |
Shading and color fill |
|
3RS |
1 - 3 round |
Lines and small detail |
|
5RS |
4 - 5 round |
Lines, slim shading areas, and small detail |
|
7RS |
7 round |
Shading, thicker lines, small area fill in |
How Deep Does a Tattoo Needle Go
The process of tattooing is a mystery to most of us, a secret kept by artists. Your skin is made up of three sections: The epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis is the protective layer, which gives your skin its colour, and acts as a barrier for your body. The dermis makes up the majority of skin thickness, and contains collagen and elastin. Hair grows from the dermis, and it also contains glands that secrete oil and sweat. The hypodermis is the fatty bottom layer that cushions your muscles and bones, regulates your body temperature, and holds your body together with connective tissues that link your skin to your muscles and bones.
1. A tattoo needle penetrates 5 layers of the epidermis
That may sound like a lot of skin, but in reality it is only 1/16th of an inch, about 1-2mm. That's pretty tiny. It goes through five layers of the epidermis, through the dermal layer, and into the topmost layer of the dermis.
2. What happens if it goes deeper?
It shouldn't; good artists know to adjust the length of the needle within the machine so it doesn't go too far. If it were to go too deep, this is when scarring can occur, and blowouts. A blowout occurs when the needle penetrates too deep and the ink spreads out within the skin, causing a shadow-like effect around the tattoo.
3. Where does the ink settle once healed?
The epidermis, or top layer of your skin, is constantly regenerating. During healing, the ink that is in this layer will shed out and the skin will regrow. This is what appears to fall out in scabs or skin flakes during healing. The ink is trapped underneath, in the top layer of the dermis, which is where it will stay. This depth allows the tattoo to stay permanent, while also allowing bodily functions like hair growth and sweat to continue. The depth a tattoo needle goes to is very precise and important!

When you get a tattoo, a tattoo artist uses a rotary gun with tattoo-specific needles to inject pigment, or ink, under your epidermis and into your dermis skin layer.
How deep does the tattoo needle go? If done correctly, the needle should go about 1.5 to 2 millimeters under the skin. While not likely, there is a possibility that a tattoo needle could go too far and puncture the hypodermis and rupture a vein. Tattoos typically do not puncture regular veins, but there is a higher risk of encountering more problems with spider veins.
So, yes, you technically could try to tattoo over a spider vein. Having said that, tattooing over spider and varicose veins is not recommended for a variety of both health and aesthetic concerns.
How to Choose Tattoo Needle
Choosing which tattoo needle to use when you’re just starting out can be overwhelming. There are countless variations and confusing box labels. As a tattoo artist, you must know how to read the box so that you are able to select the right needle for the job. Different tattoo needle configurations produce different effects on the skin and are designed for working on different types of tattoos.
You cannot simply pick a tattoo needle at random and hope your artistic skills will guide you through. Using the correct needles for the tattoo you are doing will let you tattoo faster and more efficiently while causing less trauma to the skin. Basically, you’ll be able to do better tattoos with less difficulty because you’ll be using the correct tools for the job.
Tattoo needles come in different shapes, sizes, and counts. Knowing how to read the tattoo needle box and identify these differences between needles is essential for being able to select the needle that is best suited to the tattoo you are about to do. There are typically 4 sets of characters on the box that act as your guide when choosing which tattoo needle is the right one for your design.
When selecting your needles for a tattoo, there are four things you need to consider. Each aspect will affect how ink is distributed into the skin. They will be listed on the box in the following order:
Diameter
The diameter, or gauge, of the tattoo needle is the measurement of the thickness of the needle at its widest point (the base where the needle begins to sharpen to a point).
Needle Count
The needle count is determined by how many individual sharps make up the whole needle. The more sharps included, the bigger the tattoo needle will be.
Configuration
A needle's configuration describes how the individual needles (sharps) are set up on the needle bar. This will tell you what type of needle it is.
Taper
The taper refers to the length of the part of the tattoo needle that is pointed, or how steep the angle of the needle’s point is. The taper determines the precision of the needle as well as how fast it can pack ink into the skin.
What Is the Difference Between Tattoo Needle and Cartridge
One thing has been constant since the inception of tattooing-you need something that can puncture the skin and deliver ink at the same time. That thing is the tattoo needle. Over the course of centuries, the technology of tattoo needles has evolved from primitive, sharpened bone spikes, to the modern surgical needles we use now. Recently, however, you may have started to see the term "cartridge" pop up in discussions regarding tattoo needles.
Tattoo Needles
Let's talk about what the tattoo needle is first. It's a simple piece of equipment; usually a long metal rod with a hook to connect to the tattoo machine on one end and an array of small needles adhered to the business end. The machine causes the entire needle to rapidly shift up and down. When this happens at full speed that's what gives tattoo machines their trademark hum and what also allows the tattoo artist to penetrate the skin and create amazing works for permanent art.
The needle itself is just one piece of the overall tattoo machine. For traditional machines, the 4 main components are the front and back coils (these are the parts that make the needle move), the needle, the grip, and the tip. The grip is what your tattoo artist holds onto and the tip is what confines the needle tip so your artist can draw straight lines and smooth shading.
Tattoo Cartridges
Where cartridges come into play is that they combine the tip and the needle into one manufactured piece as opposed to two separate pieces. This is helpful for a few reasons. First and foremost, it means the tip and the needle type can be designed to work together perfectly. The last thing you want is for your needle to be contained within an incompatible tip-this would wreak havoc on the tattoo process. Needing several types of needles and tips often meant your artists also needed several machines ready to go. That just creates more mess, wastes time, etc-you get the point.
A needle and tip combo means you can use one machine, swap between cartridges as needed, reduce waste, and most importantly, get the best possible artistic results.
Our Factory
Our factory specializes in the production of high-quality tattoo equipment, including tattoo needles and machines. Our team of skilled professionals are dedicated to delivering excellence in craftsmanship and design.
Our tattoo needles are made from high-grade stainless steel, ensuring durability and reliability during each use. We offer a variety of needle sizes and configurations to meet the needs of our clients, from single needles to complex configurations. Our sterilization process guarantees the highest level of hygiene, protecting both the artist and the client.
Our tattoo machines are crafted with precision and care, using the latest technology and materials. We take great pride in the craftsmanship of our machines, ensuring that each one is built to last. Our machines are designed to be versatile and customizable, allowing artists to create their own unique styles and designs. Whether you are a professional tattoo artist or just starting out, we have the perfect machine for you.
At our factory, we also offer a range of accessories and supplies to complement our tattoo equipment. From grips and tubes, to inks and power supplies, we have everything you need to create stunning and lasting tattoos.

FAQ
Q: What size tattoo needle is best for lining?
Q: How often do you dip a tattoo needle in ink?
Q: Can tattoo needle hit vein?
Q: How do I know if my tattoo needle is deep enough?
Q: How deep does the tattoo needle go?
Q: What does RL mean on tattoo needles?
Q: What taper is best for lining tattoo?
Q: Why is my tattoo needle spitting ink?
Q: Do you use a new needle for every tattoo?
Q: How deep do you push a tattoo needle?
Q: Can a tattoo needle be too sharp?
Q: Can a tattoo hit a nerve?
Q: Why do you dip a tattoo needle in water?
Q: How do you stop ink from splattering when tattooing?
Q: Why can't you tattoo your elbow?
Q: What is the angle of a tattoo machine?
Q: What needle is best for hand poking tattoos?
Q: How deep do you go for a tattoo?
Q: What happens when a tattoo artist goes too deep?
Q: What does the blue dot on tattoo needles mean?
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