Creating a tattoo requires the right skills, tools and gadgets to make sure your design turns into a great tattoo. A tattoo artist will spend years of training to perfect their craft, and a key component to making this happen is using the right tools.
You may have seen some of the tools and other bits and pieces a tattoo artist will use during a session, but every artist is different and will have their own style to create your piece. Here is a peek at some of the tools we use to turn a simple idea into a work of permanent body art...
Tattoo Tools And Gadgets
- Tattoo Machine – A tattoo machine (or sometimes called a tattoo gun) is the number one tool an artist will use. The most common type is a coil machine that offers a lot of fine-tuning for the artist depending on the type of tattoo they are creating. Another option is the classic rotary machine, which is lighter and for many artists, it is easier to work with.
- Tattoo Needles – As tattooing has evolved, so have the needles used by artists, and there is a wide range of sizes, groups and types depending on the exact work an artist is completing. Needles for fine line work look very different to those used for shading, so don’t stress if your tattoo artist is swapping needles during your session - they’re using the best tool for the job!
- Tattoo Ink – Tattoo ink comes in a wide range of colours, and many tattoo artists will mix inks to create specific colours they need for a design. At Celebrity Ink™, we use vegan-friendly inks - you can read more here.
- Tubes, tips and grips – Essentially these are all key parts of a tattoo machine. The tube is where the tattoo needle is housed and comes in varying sizes depending on the artist’s preference. A tip fits onto the tube and helps guide the needle as the artist tattoos, and the grip is what the artist holds when using the tattoo machine.
- Tattoo Transfer Carbon Paper – Unless you are getting a free hand designed tattoo, an artist will use tattoo transfer carbon paper to put a copy of the lines of your design onto your skin. Once you have chosen your final design, your artist will print it off on tattoo transfer carbon paper and use it to explore the best position for your new tattoo.
- iPad – It’s no secret that iPads allow people to do some pretty amazing things, but for many tattoo artists, an iPad is where a tattoo first starts. An iPad allows an artist to draw a client’s design to perfection without running the risk of misplacing a design created on paper. It also allows the artist to communicate easier with you, the client, so they can nail the design and bring it to life!
Every tattoo artist has a preference for what type of tools they use to bring a tattoo to life. These preferences can depend on the style the artist prefers, through to the technical aspects of the tattoo design you are wanting.
To give you an idea of how far tattoo tools have evolved over time, have a look at what is possibly the world’s oldest tattoo kit here!
Come see how we bring all these tools together to create an epic design you’ll love! Send us a message and book your tattoo today!
