Regardless of your amazing ability to draw some well composed tattoo flash on paper with pens and pencils, there are many different nuances that you need to familiarize yourself with when working with an actual client. Besides knowing the importance of keeping a clean work area, the right amount of pressure to apply, and so on, having basic know how of tuning your tattoo machine ranks quite high up there. Without knowing the workings of your main tool, putting metal to flesh would become a bit of a chore, and you can't afford the extra challenge of wrestling equipment.

Before continuing, ensure that everything is disconnected from your main power source. Remove the clip cord, to be doubly sure. Make sure that when tuning the tattoo machine, the armature bar needs to be held down to set the gapping between the contact ***** and the front spring. Doing this will give you the gapping you are looking for. Setting the machine for finer, detailed line work usually requires about a dime sized gap. For shading, you want the gap between the front spring and contact ***** on the tattoo machine to be about a nickel's breadth apart.

When you've set the gapping to the setting you need, reconnect everything to check your work. Secure the contact ***** to the locking device. Attach the clip cord to the power source and the tattoo machine. Plug the foot pedal to the power source, as well. Remember to keep your workstation as sterile as possible, following the laws and policies governing your profession and the shop.

This can be quite tricky at first, as you have to make the changes on the fly, while working with a client. If everything went right, your tattoo machine should be tuned and ready!

By: Marc Josef Cabanig

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It is fairly common for someone to get a tattoo representing another person. And of course one of the easiest ways to do that is by getting that persons name tattooed. Here are some important points about name tattoos.

1. Boyfriend/Girlfriend names. Some tattoo artists in the past frowned upon and sometimes refused to do names, mainly girlfriend or boyfriend names due to the likely hood of major regret that would come soon down the road. If you want to get a tattoo representing your partner, it's advisable to get some sort of design or object which represents the relationship, rather than a name. That way, when it ends, and relationships usually do end, then you won't be left with a name, you'll be left with a design which can signify not just that other person, but can symbolize your life during that time and the emotions and desires you once felt with another human being.

2. Scripts. Be sure and research all the different scripts, or style of writing that you can have your name tattoo drawn in. With all the various styles now, a name tattoo can become a design of it's own, and can better blend in with another tattoo design.

3. Consider including a design. While a name can be drawn in an artful manner, often times you may want some type of art to accompany that name. This can be a portrait of the individual, an object or design that individual took a liking too, or some sort of artwork that can represent your relationship with that person. Artwork accompanying a name tattoo can strengthen and better tell the story behind the ink.

By: Chess McDoogle

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A tattoo gun is the most central piece of tattoo equipment. If you are serious about tattooing, then your tattoo gun purchase is very important. Whether you are looking for a tattoo gun in order to start practicing the art of tattoo, or you are looking to supply a tattoo parlor, purchasing a tattoo gun is a very big step. Let us show you how to go about it.

The first thing you need to know before purchasing a tattoo gun is the type of materials a good tattoo gun is made of. Tattoo guns need to be made of high quality metal. This will keep them from breaking when you are doing a tattoo. Tattoo guns are traditionally made of conductive materials such as iron, brass or copper. Look for tattoo guns made of these strong types of metal to be sure you are getting one that is a high quality.

The second thing you need to know about purchasing a tattoo gun is what size and variety of gun to purchase. Tattoo guns usually serve one purpose-either "lining" or "shading". Many stores will sell a "lining" gun and a "shading" gun together for one price. On the other hand, some guns are made to be "liners" and "shaders". These versatile machines are usually more expensive and more powerful and should be used by experienced tattoo artists only. This is because a tattoo machine needs to be tuned to switch between lining and shading functions. A tattoo gun that serves both purposes will need to be tuned often.

If you are new to the art of tattooing, you should consider purchasing a tattoo gun in a kit. These kits are available everywhere and are great for tattoo artists who are just starting out. Many of these kits come with a "lining" gun and a "shading" gun as well as a wide variety of additional supplies.

By: Sarah Freeland

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Cleaning the tattoo equipment after completing tattooing is an important process not only for the beauty of the machine, but also a regular basis in order to sterilize them, preventing diseases and infections?

A. The most important factor of tattoo sterilization is the tool. Common tools we need to clean and sterilize a tattoo machine are autoclaves and ultrasonic cleaners.

Before sterilization, the tattoo machines, needles and tubes should be cleaned completely after each use or at least daily. The best and easiest tool to clean a tattoo machine before sterilization is ultrasonic cleaner. It can clean all remaining tattoo ink include any tiny gap and dead angle without chemical reactions to the machines.

But keep notice that although the ultrasonic cleaners performance great in killing Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. But bacteria like HIV could only be sterilized by autoclave sterilizer, that's why it becomes the only professional tool for tattoo sterilization.

B. Clean before sterilizing.
1, Remove the tip, tube and grip of the machine. This procedure of unscrew the parts may vary depending on the brand and model of tattoo machine.
2, Basic cleaning, Wash these machine parts with anti-bacterial soap and warm water.
3, Further cleaning by ultrasonic cleaner
Pour 300ml-500ml water into the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner's tank; Put the tips tubes and grips into the ultrasonic cleaner tank; Turn on the digital ultrasonic cleaner, and set the cleaning time, take the machine pieces out after 3-10mins; Rinse and dry naturally, or use special mull to save your time.

C. How to sterilize a tattoo machine
1, fill a bag with the sterilization of the tubes, one with the tip and one sterilization bag with the grips. Prepare one tray for each bag; Place each bag on a sterilization tray. Close the bag and put each in its own Autoclave sterilizer tray. If there is only one tray in the autoclave, then sterilize one bag at a time, take turns with the others.
2, Fill the autoclave with distilled water. Fill what's right in up the middle. Turn the autoclave on; always take care on the autoclave, as it will take 1-2 hours to clean each bag.
3, Wait until the temperature displaying 0 degrees before opening. Remove bags, or put in sterile bags in a closet clean and dry, at last assemble the machine again.

D. Contraindications and tips of tattoo cleaning.
Do not soak your tattoo machine in water, as the liquid will rust the coils.
Pre sterilized disposable needles and needles with silicon grips need not re-sterilization.

By: Oliva Bo Lee

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Every profession has tools of the trade, and the tattoo industry is no exception. All the ink, flash, stencils and needles in the world would be worthless without the tattoo gun. Your tattooist will definitely know what you're talking about when you used the word "gun", but it's a generally thought of as an amateur term. Professionals usually just say "machine" or use the term "iron".

The first tattoo machines where based on something Thomas Edison (that's right, that Thomas Edison) invented in the year 1876 called the Autograph Engraver. The device was originally meant to be an engraving machine. The design was improved upon some years later by a man named Samuel O'Rielly who came up with and needle and rod system and ink reservoir. The modern day machine has evolved quite a lot since O'Rielly's version. The first apparatus resembling the current model was so heavy; it was often mounted to the ceiling with a spring so that the majority of the weight was taken off the tattooist's hand.

The version used today allows for much more precision in depth, saturation, everything. In fact, the art of tattoo application has become so precise that dermapigmentation, or applying permanent cosmetics to the delicate skin of the face and eyelids is possible and popular. The gun works on an alternating current system, similar to a sewing machine. The needle moves between 80 and 150 times per second, speeding up the process, cutting down on skin irritation and allowing the artist to work without moving very much so that his hand remains as steady as possible.

The needles are soldered into tubes in all different numbers and arrangements. The purpose in having a variety of configurations is the same as a more conventional artist having more than one paint brush. Each one produces a different effect. Some are for outlining, some are for shading to varying degrees and some create a solid fill. The general mechanics of a tattoo gun are fairly simply. In fact, some inventive person could put one together at home with parts of things you probably have lying around the house. There are several very good reasons you should never, ever do this, injury and disease to name just two, but since when has that stopped everybody?

* An ink pen

* Guitar string

* A tooth brush, or something similar (you'll see in a minute)

* The eraser from the top of a #2 pencil

* A small, battery operated motor, like what would be in a hand held cassette player

* Tape, or some sort of adhesive to hold it all together

* Some sewing needles

First you take four or five inches of guitar string and bend a little bit toward the end. Next, you remove the tube of ink from the pen. Cut it down to three or four inches long, then remove the brass ball at the end, making sure the opening created is large enough for a needle to pass through. Insert the needle into the tube. Then decapitate the toothbrush. Use a lighter, or some other flame to heat the plastic just until it's soft enough to bend, and then do so in an L shape.

Then, use your adhesive of choice to join the tube/needle combo to the long end of the L. Gently push the eraser onto the motor's shaft, getting it as centered as possible, then attach the motor to the short end of the L. Stick the bent end of the guitar string should be pushed (off center) into the eraser, and the other end should go through the tube and attached to the needle. The thinner the tube, the more control you will have over the gun. Now that you know how to manufacture a tattoo machine, DON'T!

By: Wincent Loh

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Tattoo guns are better known as tattoo machines because they are used to create tattoos. The first prototype of this machine was made by Thomas Edison, the famous inventor of light bulb. The machine however, was not intended to create tattoos but rather as a sort of design transfer mechanism or as an engraving machine. This idea was later copied and modified so that sometime in the 1890s, another person thought of revising Edison's machine and incorporated an ink chamber. The presence of the ink chamber enables the machine to let ink into the skin which gave way to the invention of the first ever tattoo gun.

Since its invention, tattoo machines have evolved over the years into finer and safer form. The introduction of electromagnets onto the machine has made it possible to control the speed, the depth and the pressure being applied during tattooing. Thus, tattoo has become a precise form of art.

Tattoo guns come in a variety of sizes. Some are able to apply a single color of ink while others are able to apply a multitude of colors. As with any other equipment, proper care and maintenance will extend the life of tattoo guns. A properly cared for tattoo gun will also be a lesser source of infection. Because the mechanism for making a tattoo gun is easy enough, many people are making their own tattoo guns. Medical professionals and tattoo enthusiasts do not recommend it. This is because some of the standards of safety may have been bypassed in the creation of homemade tattoo guns. Not only have that, the sterilization process which should have been undergone during the creation of tattoo is often bypassed when tattooing is done by hand instead of by machine.

If you are thinking of buying a tattoo gun, you should know that you can purchase tattoo gun by itself or as part of a tattoo kit. Tattoo kits include ink, transfer paper and all other items that a tattoo artist will need in setting up his or her own shop. A careful evaluation should be made on the various brands of tattoo guns available in the market.

By: Matt J. Cararra

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How Tattoo Machine works and what Tattoo Techniques are used by tattooist? Read below to find out.

Most people think tattoo machines just like sewing machines - rotating needles up and down with hollow needles, but it is not true.

Actually, tattoo machine is essentially an electromagnet powered by a variable power supply. The artist dips the needs into a small cap which has been filled with pigment (ink) from a squeeze bottle. There are from one for some outlines and fine work to many bunched needles tight together for shading in a given tattoo machine. The needles are soldered to a bar which is attached to the electromagnet.

Whenpower is applied to the handheldmagnet/bar combination, the pigment-coated needles vibrate together up and down thousands of times per minute.

As the needles pierce the skin, the colored pigments are injected under the skin, between the permanent bottom layer and the surface layer which is constantly dying off and being replaced by fresh skin cells.

The tattooing technique of placing the pigment at the right depth is very important to the quality of the tattoo. If the needles penetratetoo deeply, the pigment will mix with body fluid and cause the color to spread. If the pigment is not placed deep enough, the tattoo will fade and come out prematurely as new skin emerges from the lower layers.

By: David Z

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Are you looking to buy a decent tattoo gun but are not sure what sort of features you should be looking out for to help guide your decision? If you are interested in buying a tattoo gun, this article will explain some basics tips and suggestions on what to look out for to help you make the correct purchase.

First of all, let us take a look at the instrument itself. The tattoo machine, gets its name from the basis of how its held. This is a small indication of an important point on buying the right gun: the model needs to be of the appropriate size for the owners hand. In other words, it is important to consider the size and general shape of the machine in relation to the tattoo artist or operators hand. Having the right size tattoo gun means that the users hands will operating the machine more efficiently. This is the first important point.

Secondly, an assessment needs to be made on what type of work the tattooist is going to use the gun for. Not all tattooing guns are created equal, nor are they are intended to be done for the same style of work. If the gun is primarily going to be used for outlining, it is important to get a unit equipped for use with liner tattoo needles. Contrast this with a machine that is primarily targeted at shading. In this instance, the tattoo gun would need to be loaded with shading (or "shader") needles to be appropriate for the job.

Our third and final point is to consider that there is a wide range of prices and quality when it comes to tattooing guns. This suggests that, like many other things in life, a more expensive tattoo gun might make more sense in the long run that a cheap tattoo gun. If you are in the market for this type of equipment, saving money in the short term is enticing but not necessarily a good idea for your business needs in the long term. In other words, quality counts. Make the most of those dollars and get a tattooing machine that will work with you over the years.

These tips are helpful in deciding the right type of tattoo equipment guns an artist may want to be. Ensuring a quality unit that fits the hand correctly, and additional is the right gun for the right job, is an important aspect of buying a tattoo gun.

By: Ben Quick

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Shoulder blade tattoos can be some of the most prominent tattoos you can get. They also have the ability to be easily covered up. You have the best of both worlds. A woman can be very sensual showing her shoulder blade tattoos with a spaghetti strap or strapless top. Since this tattoo can be very prominent, you want to make sure you get a very unique design. I will tell you the best way to do this.

Both men and women find the shoulder blade area a great canvass for tattoos. This is a good place to put a medium to large tattoo since there is a lot of space. The curve of the shoulder blade lends itself perfectly to shoulder blade tattoos of wings. Because of the little amount of fat on the shoulder area, many people consider shoulder blade tattoos as one of the more painful tattoos to receive. But for most people, the pain of a tattoo is part of the process so it isn't considered much.

Shoulder blade tattoos can be the start of a larger full back tattoo. Many people get the shoulder tattoo and then go back later to complete the design. Do you have an idea of a large tattoo you would like to get? The whole back can be used like a mural on a wall. There are so many tattoo designs that would look great on the shoulders and back. Looking online through a tattoo gallery can give you plenty of ideas.

You want to first think about what you want your shoulder blade tattoo to say to the world. This is your chance to express yourself. Shoulder blade tattoos are bold statements. In this case you want something that is very personal because it will get a lot of attention and will be with you for a long time. Shoulder blade tattoos would be very hard to cover up if you had tattoo regret.

A membership online tattoo gallery will have thousands of high quality, professionally designed tattoo designs. If you don't know what type of design you want, you can search through pictures of shoulder blade tattoo designs. But you will probably be overwhelmed if you go to a gallery and don't have any idea of what you like. If you are just looking for something that looks good, think twice, or three times. Getting a tattoo based on what you like at the present may seem like a really bad idea ten years from now.

By: Tatum Tyler

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A tattoo gun is an interesting device that has evolved over the years, coming to fruition as a result of humanity and the seemingly collective desire for body modification as an expression of art and culture. How do these machines work to give tattoos? This is the question that will be examined in this article.

The tattoo gun is a device for tattooing whose shape suggests that of a gun, hence the term "tattoo gun". (On this point, it is important to note that machine in the tattooing industry cringe at the term gun and prefer to use the phrase "tattoo machine." For the sake of consistency, this article will use the term gun.)

Tattoos are simply ink embedded into the skin, and tattoo guns are how the ink is inserted into this skin. How is this done?

Essentially, the tattoo gun capitalizes on a few different yet simple technologies to place tattooing ink into the skin of a person. The gun itself has electromagnetic coils which work to move the needles back and forth. Each time the needles move in this way, a ***** is made into the users skin and a small amount of tattoo ink is embedded into the flesh.

A more detail look at this process sees power connected to the gun, which is routed through the coils to a metal contact screw, through the frame of the gun and to a spring. The current flows this way causing the coils to hit a bar which then causes the needle to move and mark the skin.

The way a tattoo gun is made in modern times allows for a very high level of control over the process of tattooing someone. This introduces both positive and negative aspects for clients and artists. For artists, it means they can have more control over their work and create better products for their clients. In other words, better tattoos. For clients, it means they get the benefit of a more details tattoo, but also the risk of having an artist penetrate the skin too lightly or too deeply, which could create problems with the tattoos appearance, and later, problems trying to remove the tattoo if that was the direction the user wanted to go.

However, the trade off is all part of an increase in tattooing technologies that have exploded in the last 50 years, allowing for the introduction of tattoos to becoming commonplace in society.

By: Ben Quick

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