How To Put Needle In Tattoo Gun?
Download Article Download Article A tattoo gun, also referred to as a tattoo machine, is a hand-held device that artists use to create permanent tattoos. Handling a tattoo gun may seem daunting, as it takes intense focus and a steady hand, but the results can be magical. An emphasis on hygiene is a must, both for the artist and the tattoo gun.
- 1 Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the equipment. The most common place to find major germs and viruses is on your hands. Wash vigorously with anti-bacterial soap and cover everything from your elbows to the tips of your fingers.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds to ensure cleanliness.
- 2 Use brand new supplies. Many tattoo parlors will use new needles, gloves and ink caps, among other things, for each customer. Nearly everything is discarded after use. [1]
- All equipment is single service, meaning each set of needles and tubes is packaged individually. This way, the work space stays hygienic and no one is sharing needles.
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- 3 Clean your instruments with an autoclave sterilizer. Autoclaves use a combination of steam, heat and pressure to eliminate pathogens. [2]
- Autoclaves take about twenty minutes to clean the equipment. Once the process is finished, the door opens to allow the contents to cool and dry.
- Autoclaves can cost thousands of dollars, but they are considered the most dependable system for sterilizing equipment.
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- 1 Arrange the pieces of the tattoo gun. Find the contact screw and the front spring underneath it on the machine itself. The distance between these two points controls the line you are tattooing. Then, put the needle in the tube and insert the tube into the tube slot. The wingnut, which connects the tube with the machine, should be tightened once the tube is in the slot. [3]
- As you put everything together, inspect the equipment for damages or flaws. If you come across any equipment that looks like it’s in bad shape, throw it away and replace it. Bent or dull needles can cause bleeding and scarring.
- 2 Set the length of the needle. The correct length is the distance from the tip of the tube to the needle. Tighten the two screws to put the needle in place. [4]
- Be sure that the eye loop of the needle is turned to the left when you put the armature bar in. This ensures the needle is inserted correctly. If it is not correct, it could lead to a painful skin piercing with no ink.
- 3 Gather all necessary equipment and set it out on your desk. Keep your supplies in an easy-to-reach place. Wear rubber gloves and always have rubbing alcohol and cotton balls handy. Having these tools at your disposal allows you to prevent any problems that might arise.
- It is always better to have more than you need, so keep extra gloves and a large supply of cotton balls handy in case you need to replace what you are using.
- 4 Plug in the power source. Get a power supply with a digital or analog display. Be sure to use the right voltage, which is usually between 1. 5 and 18 volts. [5]
- You should also have a footswitch and clip cord. The footswitch allows you to control the speed of the needle, while the cord connects the power supply to the machine. These items are sold separate from a tattoo machine kit, but they are not expensive.
- 5 Pour the ink into your sterilized tattoo gun. Focus on doing a clean pour and put less ink than you might need. Keep in mind that you never want your tattoo machine to have too much ink.
- Try to add only enough ink to get the ball rolling smoothly and swiftly.
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- 1 Add the design onto the person’s skin. Make sure the design sticks to the skin by using specialized paper and stencil liquid. The reason for using a stencil liquid is that it spreads the liquid over the area that’s about to be tattooed.
- Remember, the outline is there for a reason. Staying as close to the lines as possible will help you produce the best-looking tattoo you can.
- 2 Push the needle into the person’s skin. There is no need to push the needle too hard. If you see blood, scale back on how deep the needle goes through the skin the rest of the way. If the person’s skin does not resist at all, you must pull the needle out.
- For risk-free practice, work on a melon, as this can help determine if you’re using the needle correctly. If the fruit is damaged, you are pushing the needle too deep.
- 3 Outline the tattoo design. Once the needle is in a comfortable position, start moving it down the previously-drawn stencil line. Remember to move the needle slowly to avoid any injuries or mishaps. Keep a firm grip on the needle tube and make sure the machine is above your hand, not below. [6]
- Tattoo guns can vibrate quite a bit, so it is vital to maintain a strong grip.
- Picture the needle tube as a thick pencil and hold it similar to how you would a pencil.
- 4 Remove excess ink from the person’s skin. Right after the tattoo process is done, there will be a lot of extra ink. Clean it as fast as you can, but do not put any lotion on the tattoo. This can clog skin pores.
- Cleaning the ink is the only thing you should focus on when the tattoo is done. Let the tattoo sit for some time so the inflammation can calm on its own.
- Once the ink has settled, apply a small amount of ointment and cover the tattoo with a bandage to protect it during the healing process.
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Contents
How deep do you set the needle on a tattoo gun?
So, Where Should The Needle Go? – The tattoo needle should go into the dermis layer of the skin. This layer lies in the middle, and is the perfect spot for ensuring the ink will stay in the skin, and not ‘bleed out’ as the tattoo heals. The epidermis is not a good ink location since it is too exposed and too outward, while the hypodermis is too deep into the skin, which means the ink won’t be as visible and the pain during tattooing would be twice as intense.
Also, if the needle penetrates the hypodermis, the client will most certainly experience an infection. So, how deep, to be exact, should a needle go into the skin? The answer is – approximately 1/16th inch deep into the skin.
This means that the ink will be placed exactly between the 2mm of the dermis layer. If you’re wondering how a tattoo artist knows where the dermis layer is in the skin, we’ve got you covered with that as well. Before the tattooing process begins, the tattoo artist adjusts the tattoo machine and the needle in regards to the parameter of the dermis layer location.
- So, the dermis layer is approximately 1/16th inch deep into the skin;
- With that knowledge, the tip of the tattoo needle is adjusted to only enter the skin at such depth, not a millimeter shallower or deeper;
This means that the tattoo needle should not stick out the tattoo machine more than 2mm, or less than 1mm.
How many layers of skin does a tattoo needle go through?
Just How Far Does The Needle Go? – Now that you know a little more about the machine and the needle, it’s time to discuss the third essential piece of the puzzle—your skin. The tattoo needle goes through 1/16th of an inch of skin. That might not sound like a lot of skin, but it is really going through five sublayers of the epidermis, the dermal layer, and also the top layer of the dermis.
Among these layers is a collection of sweat glands, hair follicles, connective tissue, fat, and blood vessels. During a tattoo session, the needle passes through the epidermis and epidermal-dermal junction, opening a passage in the 2mm-thick dermis.
The dermis is ideal for a couple of reasons. It is far enough not to bleed out and isn’t exposed. Knowing this, the tip of the tattoo needle is minutely adjusted to ensure that it enters the skin to the correct depth. If you were to look at a tattoo needle in the machine, you will see that it sticks out no further than 2mm.
How do you know if the tattoo needle is too deep?
The tip of the needle should not be sticking out anymore than 2mm and no less than 1mm. Keep in mind that every person’s skin type is different and there is no exact measure. If during your tattoo there are excessive amounts of blood, it is obviously going in too deep.
What angle do you tattoo at?
Does Angle Help You Hold a Tattoo Gun Longer? – Yes, a standard angle allows you to hold your tattoo machine longer and have a smooth tattoo process. When using your tattoo machine, it’s advisable to hold it at a standard angle of 45 and 60 degrees when putting tattoo ink into the skin. To hold your gun for longer, apply box motion. The box motion usually works more effectively than circles. Your hand is also more relaxed; thus, you don’t tire before completing the tattoo process. Note that when you hold your machine at different angles, the tattoo needles will go deeper in some areas than others.
- This makes you create uneven tattoos, which are not perfect;
- Another important thing is that the angle you hold the tattoo machines also determines how deep it goes inside the skin surface;
- Change the angles depending on the level of penetration you need;
Watch this video on the correct tattoo machine holding angle. CHECK: Budget Tattoo Machines to Try!.
What happens if a tattoo needle goes too deep?
Ink distortion and blurring – Tattoo artists have to be very careful with the depth they go to with the needle. Too shallow and ink will seep out. Too deep and the ink will disperse into surrounding areas. It’s this dispersing that leads to ink looking smudged or blurry. 
.
What voltage should a lining tattoo be?
Thanks For Submitting Your Message! – Check back here to see your message once we’ve reviewed it. What voltage do people use for lining and shading when using a tattoo pen? Submitted by: Gary John Wood 2 years ago 1 Answers Reading Time: < 1 minute Hi Gary, voltage settings are always depending on your style of tattooing, the machine you are using and your personal taste. You should take time with your machine to find out which voltage is the right for you and the machine. Generally most artists use voltages around 7v-9v for lining (8 should be a good start) and 8-10v for shading. Please login or Register to submit your answer Want to know something you can't find here? Ask A Question.
Is using a tattoo gun hard?
Download Article Download Article A tattoo gun, also referred to as a tattoo machine, is a hand-held device that artists use to create permanent tattoos. Handling a tattoo gun may seem daunting, as it takes intense focus and a steady hand, but the results can be magical. An emphasis on hygiene is a must, both for the artist and the tattoo gun.
- 1 Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the equipment. The most common place to find major germs and viruses is on your hands. Wash vigorously with anti-bacterial soap and cover everything from your elbows to the tips of your fingers.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds to ensure cleanliness.
- 2 Use brand new supplies. Many tattoo parlors will use new needles, gloves and ink caps, among other things, for each customer. Nearly everything is discarded after use. [1]
- All equipment is single service, meaning each set of needles and tubes is packaged individually. This way, the work space stays hygienic and no one is sharing needles.
Advertisement
- 3 Clean your instruments with an autoclave sterilizer. Autoclaves use a combination of steam, heat and pressure to eliminate pathogens. [2]
- Autoclaves take about twenty minutes to clean the equipment. Once the process is finished, the door opens to allow the contents to cool and dry.
- Autoclaves can cost thousands of dollars, but they are considered the most dependable system for sterilizing equipment.
Advertisement
- 1 Arrange the pieces of the tattoo gun. Find the contact screw and the front spring underneath it on the machine itself. The distance between these two points controls the line you are tattooing. Then, put the needle in the tube and insert the tube into the tube slot. The wingnut, which connects the tube with the machine, should be tightened once the tube is in the slot. [3]
- As you put everything together, inspect the equipment for damages or flaws. If you come across any equipment that looks like it’s in bad shape, throw it away and replace it. Bent or dull needles can cause bleeding and scarring.
- 2 Set the length of the needle. The correct length is the distance from the tip of the tube to the needle. Tighten the two screws to put the needle in place. [4]
- Be sure that the eye loop of the needle is turned to the left when you put the armature bar in. This ensures the needle is inserted correctly. If it is not correct, it could lead to a painful skin piercing with no ink.
- 3 Gather all necessary equipment and set it out on your desk. Keep your supplies in an easy-to-reach place. Wear rubber gloves and always have rubbing alcohol and cotton balls handy. Having these tools at your disposal allows you to prevent any problems that might arise.
- It is always better to have more than you need, so keep extra gloves and a large supply of cotton balls handy in case you need to replace what you are using.
- 4 Plug in the power source. Get a power supply with a digital or analog display. Be sure to use the right voltage, which is usually between 1. 5 and 18 volts. [5]
- You should also have a footswitch and clip cord. The footswitch allows you to control the speed of the needle, while the cord connects the power supply to the machine. These items are sold separate from a tattoo machine kit, but they are not expensive.
- 5 Pour the ink into your sterilized tattoo gun. Focus on doing a clean pour and put less ink than you might need. Keep in mind that you never want your tattoo machine to have too much ink.
- Try to add only enough ink to get the ball rolling smoothly and swiftly.
Advertisement
- 1 Add the design onto the person’s skin. Make sure the design sticks to the skin by using specialized paper and stencil liquid. The reason for using a stencil liquid is that it spreads the liquid over the area that’s about to be tattooed.
- Remember, the outline is there for a reason. Staying as close to the lines as possible will help you produce the best-looking tattoo you can.
- 2 Push the needle into the person’s skin. There is no need to push the needle too hard. If you see blood, scale back on how deep the needle goes through the skin the rest of the way. If the person’s skin does not resist at all, you must pull the needle out.
- For risk-free practice, work on a melon, as this can help determine if you’re using the needle correctly. If the fruit is damaged, you are pushing the needle too deep.
- 3 Outline the tattoo design. Once the needle is in a comfortable position, start moving it down the previously-drawn stencil line. Remember to move the needle slowly to avoid any injuries or mishaps. Keep a firm grip on the needle tube and make sure the machine is above your hand, not below. [6]
- Tattoo guns can vibrate quite a bit, so it is vital to maintain a strong grip.
- Picture the needle tube as a thick pencil and hold it similar to how you would a pencil.
- 4 Remove excess ink from the person’s skin. Right after the tattoo process is done, there will be a lot of extra ink. Clean it as fast as you can, but do not put any lotion on the tattoo. This can clog skin pores.
- Cleaning the ink is the only thing you should focus on when the tattoo is done. Let the tattoo sit for some time so the inflammation can calm on its own.
- Once the ink has settled, apply a small amount of ointment and cover the tattoo with a bandage to protect it during the healing process.
Advertisement
Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement Thanks for submitting a tip for review!.
Why does my tattoo needle get stuck in skin?
Original Post: December 18th, 2017 In this latest installment I am elaborating on rotary stroke characteristics. What exactly is happening when the motor rotates the cam, which moves the yoke, which makes the needle go up and down. It may seem simple, but there are some characteristics to this movement which you may not realize but knowing these characteristics will help you chose a more appropriate machine and may even help you tattoo better.
Below is a diagram I drew of an offset cam. Any rotary tattoo machine that you can buy has an offset cam. It is how the motor turns rotational movement into linear movement. The offset is what the stroke is often referred to.
It is how far the shaft of the motor is offset from the center of the cam. In this diagram I have separated the cam into 4 equal parts, shown here as arrows around a circle, the circle representing the cam. I have also shaded areas in the background, blue in the middle and red on top and bottom. 
As the motor spins it is spinning a cam. For the sake of this explanation we can say that the motor is spinning at a constant rate all the way around it’s movement. That means that if you separate the cam’s path into 4 equal parts, as I have here, then the cam spends an equal amount of time in each of the 4 quadrants as it goes around.
I will get to the shaded areas shortly. Let’s now look at the shaded areas in the background. The shaded areas represent the vertical movement of the cam, or the needle movement in this case. As we look at the shaded area we can see that the vertical movement is shorter in the bottom and top sections, the shorter areas are shaded red.
As I said before, the needles are spending just as much time in this shorter area as the larger blue area. What does this mean? This means the needles are slowing down at the bottom and top of the stroke, and speeding through the movement around the crest of the top and bottom quadrants.
This seems like a no brainer, of course the movement has to slow down before it reverses direction right? But this isn’t just showing that the needle movement is slowing down, it shows that it is slowing down on half of the stroke.
The top quarter and the bottom quarter of the stroke, together make a half. Now that we got the complicated bit out of the way we can talk about how this translates actual tattooing. I’ve already talked about how a larger cam offset translates in to a faster needle speed in my previous posts, lets now talk about how the cam offset affects this “lag” at the top and bottom of the stroke. 
As you can see in the shaded diagram the red sections are where the needles are slowing down in their up and down movement. This area of lag grows as the offset grows, and shortens as the offset shortens, but the ratios always stay the same. The needle will always be slowing down through half of the entire stroke. This lag is beneficial on the bottom of the stroke. We want the needles to hang in the skin a bit on the down stroke, that allows our hand movement to open the skin and deposit ink in the cavity that forms behind the needle.
- In turn we also like the needles to speed down to the skin, that gives us the penetrating power to break the skin and deposit the ink without causing a lot of undo trauma to the skin;
- It is the top area of lag which is the most troublesome;
Almost all of us who have ran rotaries have experienced that sensation where the needles seem to snag in the skin. The operator, thinking the machine is running too slow, or not hard enough will put more voltage to the machine speeding it up which just makes the needles come down with too much force, and come out of the skin much too fast.
Running a tattoo machine too fast, rotary or coil results in skin that is beat up and undersaturated. That snagging sensation is actually just the needles slowing down at the top of the stroke. If the stroke is too short then the needles will actually start slowing down before they retract fully in to the tube.
If the needles are slowing down at the top of the stroke, but your hand isn’t, then you are going get that “snag” sensation. I like to make sure that the stroke on my rotary machines is long enough where the whole top quarter of the cam rotation happens inside the tube.
This turns this lag in to a benefit, as it slows down in the ink reservoir picking up as much ink as possible before racing down to skin. That means if you are running tube to the skin the needles are coming out of the tube at max velocity, slowing down at the bottom, and racing back up to the tube and your hand doesn’t feel the lag at all.
The image at the bottom shows how this looks at the needle end. The short stroke shows the needles slowing down before retracting in to the tube. The longer stroke shows the needle coming back from the bottom lag and entering the tube at it’s maximum speed. 
I had mentioned the needles retracting fully in to the ink reservoir and taking advantage of the top lag of the stroke. I want to explain something else that is happening while the needles are moving up and down. For this image I’ve used a shader but the concept holds true with liners as well. Most tubes have a separated ink reservoir and a flat area for the needles to ride on.
The tattoo needles have a solder lug holding the individual needles together. This solder lug acts as a lid to the ink reservoir. In a longer stroke machine the needles are allowed to move up enough for ink to spill in to the needle slide area.
On a shorter stroke machine the lug may never leave the top of the reservoir keeping the ink from spilling down to the skin. Many tattooers get around this by bending their needle bar, or bending the solder lug to allow the ink to flow under the needles but this is often not the best solution as the needles flatten out when tension is put on the bar from a rubber band.
And bending isn’t a practical option for cartridges. A shorter stroke or a faster cycling needle will also cause turbulence in the ink reservoir and will actually push ink away the needles and back up the tube.
So what if you prefer a smaller cam offset? Some people prefer a shorter cam offset, they feel it makes their tattoos look smoother and the movement doesn’t feel as slappy, or harsh. If we think about the needle travel on a smaller offset rotary this makes sense.
The red shaded area at the top of the diagram, the area of lag, is closer to the tip of tube, and often even happening outside the tube. The needles are easing in to the skin rather than entering at their peak velocity.
That makes the movement feel softer. And as the needles are coming out of the skin they are slowing down before retracting fully into the tube. As the hand is moving the needles are slowing down, usually at the top couple millimeters of the stroke, right off the tip of the tube.
As the hand is moving and the needles are slowing down and scraping across the surface of the skin they are making superficial marks on the surface of the skin. The needles aren’t depositing this ink into the skin deep enough for it to stay, but it does have the appearance of “smoothing” things out.
Either black and gray or color, these superficial marks give the tattoo a well blended appearance but look at the result only a year or two later and much of the color, or grays will have fallen out. Ink has to be deposited in to the layer of retention or it will fall out prematurely, there are no shortcuts to this.
- Going over areas multiple times doesn’t push ink further in to the skin, it only makes a more saturated superficial tattoo;
- Good for a photo but not for longevity;
- I feel it’s important to know your tattoo machine and how it is moving;
If you prefer a shorter stroke, just make sure the needles are fully in the tube the whole top quarter of the cam rotation. If you feel the snag sensation it’s best not to turn the machine up but rather be aware of what you’re actually feeling. If a longer cam offset feels too punchy or abrasive just slow it down and give it a try.
When you turn a rotary down, try keeping your hand speed the same as before. You want the needles to move slightly slower than your hand, turning rotaries down, or slowing them down is actually the most efficient way to use them and often speeds the work up.
I try to run my rotaries at the lowest speed possible without slowing my hand down. Thanks again for reading, hope this adds a bit of knowledge or at least gives a bit more familiarity to you and your machine..
What is a good tattoo gun speed?
Conclusion – Tattoo needles move up and down at a speed of between 50 and 3,000 times per minute. The rate can vary depending on the needs and preferences of the tattoo artist. Artists can control speed, angle of the needle, ink colors and other aspects of the process with their tattoo machine.
How far should needle stick out of cartridge?
The tip of the needle should not be sticking out anymore than 2mm and no less than 1mm. Keep in mind that every person’s skin type is different and there is no exact measure.
How many times does a tattoo needle go in per second?
– The tattoo needle punctures your skin around 100 times per second, with the aim of depositing the ink in a region of 1. 5 to 2 millimeters below the surface of the skin. The reason for this depth of penetration is to bypass the outer layer of the skin, or the epidermis.
This part of the skin constantly renews itself. Every day, thousands of epidermal cells are shed from your skin and replaced with new cells. Ink injected into the superficial skin layer would simply come off within 3 weeks.
In order to give the ink a permanent home in your body, the tattoo needle must travel through the epidermis into the deeper layer, or the dermis. Nerves and blood vessels are located here, which is why getting a tattoo hurts and your skin tends to bleed.
- The bleeding is part of the skin’s natural defense against injury;
- The result is an influx of immune cells to the site of injury;
- Macrophages are specialized immune cells, whose job it is to engulf foreign particles and clear them from the tissue;
But this process is only partially successful when it comes to tattoo ink. Some macrophages loaded with ink particles remain in the dermis, while other pigment particles are taken up by the main dermal residents, which are called fibroblasts. Clumps of pigment particles have also been found to stick between the dense collagen fibers of the dermis.
Although every new tattoo will display some pigment loss, the majority of the ink will stay in the skin. A study in mice reported that 42 days after tattooing, 68 percent of the dye was still located at the injection site.
But where is the rest of the ink?.
