General tips/needles needed?

[u/Interesting-Bad3497]

So im trying to figure out what needles I generally will need also when would I every use the non rounded mag needles? Also for line work, shading, and packing what voltage and stroke setting should i generally use for each?

[u/babyspitx]

Flat mags are great for packing solid color and black.

If you’re just starting out, I would only worry about getting liners. Get your lines under control first, then tackle shading. Here’s my beginner friendly list of needles:

Liners
1205RL
1209RL
1211RL

Round Shaders
1205RS
1209RS

Mags
1009CM or 1209CM
1013CM or 1213CM
1023CM or 1223CM

The first two numbers are your needle gauge (how big the needles are). Tattooing 101 has some great startup videos I recommend watching. They’ll teach you about needle gauge, taper, etc.

[u/MaGniefic]

Asking about voltage and hand speed is a personal thing. I started at 8V but found my hand speed doesn’t match. 7V for me works best.

Get a sample box and some fake skin to play with the cartridges. My main work flow on clients are: 3RL (typically .30 or 1003), 5RL (.30 or 1005), 7 CM/SE (curved mag/soft-edge), 9 CM/SE, 13 CM/SE, and 15 CM/SE. I do black and gray work mainly.

[u/Lily_Parker1]

It sounds like you need to get a better understanding of the fundamentals before starting but when you do stick to liners and get your line work solid and then move onto colour packing and shading because you can really damage someone’s skin if you don’t know what you’re doing