• Different types of needles available

    We will look here at the two most common needles that you are most likely to meet during your tattoo making career; stainless steel and plain steel.

    Stainless steel needles are good because they are less likely to rust; this is why many people choose stainless steel over plain steel. If you have rust or pitting on your needles you are not going to be able to make good tattoos and you won’t please your customers.

    There are a variety of sized needles available but most tattoo artists like to use a standard #12, 0.14. When you are buying needles which are already soldered onto the needle bar you will be choosing to buy this needle type.

    No matter what type of needle you choose you must make sure that its point is sharp. Without a sharp point you risk;

    • More pain for the customer
    • More scar tissue
    • Ink that has not gone into the skin properly
    • Too much skin damage
    • A poor quality tattoo

    These are not things that you want to happen while working on a customer if you want to make this your career. Most people who have a bad experience with a tattoo artist will never use him or her again.

    When talking about bad points there are a few things that you need to worry about; here are the most common;

    -blunted; this can happen after you have used a needle for a while. This is why you shouldn’t really use needles more than once or twice; after this they become dull.

    - Hooked; this happens because the needle has bent backwards in the direction of the needle bar.

    - Rusty or pitted; this is not only potentially dangerous in regards to your customer’s health, but it will also reduce the quality of any tattoo.

    - Bent; this is similar to the problem of a hooked needle; the needle will be not at a straight angle.

    You should learn to be constantly checking the tips of your needles each time prior to using them. This needs to be an automatic behavior on your part.

    An eye-loupe is a way of examining your needle tip; this is the same type of thing you will see a jeweler use when they are inspecting a precious stone. It magnifies things so that you will be able to see your needle tip and see if there are any problems.

    If you are going to remember one thing from this part of the book it should be on the importance of taking good care of your needles. They have to be working efficiently for you to have any chance of making a good tattoo. The information in this part of the book is important so make sure you read it more than once. It is only when you know your needles that you will be able to give your customer the type of tattoo they will be proud of.

    The 6 things you should know about picking your needle

    1. Always choose needles without flaws and keep an eye on them.  A needle can pick up a flaw at any time. It can happen when you are changing needles, sterilizing them, or just the normal everyday handling they need to endure.
    2. Stainless steel will always be the best choice because there is less chance of pitting or rusting. The cost a bit more, but the coat on the steel offers great protection.
    3. Don’t try and save money when buying needles and get the best you can afford. A cheap Charlie, when it comes to needles, won’t ever be able to make really great tattoos.
    4. Use a reputable dealer for all your needle purchases. If you buy needles from a stranger you won’t know what you are getting and get something below standard.  Always buy your needles from people you can trust.
    5. Make sure you give the needles a good look straight after buying them so that you can return them if there is any flaws. Never use a flawed needle because these can’t be returned to the maker.
    6. It is vital that you sterilize your needles prior to beginning work with them. You will need to do this even if it is a brand new needle; you don’t know what is on the needles you have just bought.

    You are now well on your way to understanding all about needles. Experience and practice will provide you with all the information you need in regards to the different needle bars and needles and what to use when you want to do lines or shading. As time goes on you will have your favorite tools for each of these jobs.