Tattoo Equipment
There are many types of tattoo equipment that are essential to the tattooing process. While all pieces of equipment are mandatory for the process of tattooing there are many different qualities of equipment. Often times less expensive equipment is of a lower quality, while higher quality equipment is more expensive. This is very true in the case of tattoo machines. All tattoo machines will be able to tattoo, however the quality of the tattoo will depend greatly on the quality of the machine. There are many components that go into compiling the perfect tattoo machine. With other equipment like ink price is less related to quality and related more to amount.
Tattoo Machine: Machines are the most essential piece of tattoo equipment. There are two basic types of tattoo machines; lining machines and shading machines. Liner machines are used only with round needles and shading machines are used only with flat needles. This is because each type of needle has a different shape and the tattoo machine must accommodate the needle.
The frame is the piece of equipment that hold all the many pieces of equipment together to form the entire tattoo machine.
The tubes house the needle and are the main part of tattoo equipment that is changed on the machine to make it a liner or a shader. Tubes are also the piece of the machine that artists hold to stabilize their grip on the machine, often times they have a plastic or foam covering to make holding easier.
The coils are the largest part of the machine and are used to move the needle up and down or back and forth into the skin during the tattooing process. The coils hold all of the machines power and different types can be purchased to hold more or less power.
The power cord is attached to the coil on one end and then is plugged into the main power source.
The power source has a dial on it that allows the tattoo artist to adjust the amount of power that the tattoo machine gets. The power source also makes sure that the tattoo machine gets an even measure of power, so that the tattoo quality is consistent.
The foot pedal that stays on the ground also plugs into the power source. This is stepped on to make the tattoo machine run, and released to have it stop.
These are all essential pieces of tattoo equipment that can be purchased separately or together in kits or pre-assembled machine packages.
Ink: the last essential piece of tattoo equipment is the tattoo ink. Without the ink there would be no evidence that the tattoo process even took place. There are many different brands and type of inks that come in an array of colors. From black to white and every color imaginable in between there is a tattoo ink. Artists blend ink before use and in the skin to make the perfect tattoo.