How to Set Up a Tattoo Needle
A tattoo artist dips a needle in ink to apply a tattoo to the client's skin. Examples of names for tattoo needles are "liner," "shader," "magnum" and "single." When a tattoo needle consists of a grouping of needles, the name shows how many needles are in the grouping, such as a "five" or "seven" shader. Tattoo artists buy the needles pre-made from a supply company or assemble them by soldering the tip onto a needle bar. A needle bar has a loop at the end for placement on the tattoo machine. Putting the needle in a tattoo machine is the last step of setting up the machine before beginning the tattoo.
- Gloves
- Tattoo machine
- Tattoo needle
- Sterile Pouch
- Autoclave
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Instructions
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1
Place the needle in a sterile pouch. Seal the pouch and label with the date and size of the needle. Run a cycle of the autoclave to sterilize the needle. Vent the autoclave at the end of the cycle and allow the pouch to dry.
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2
Put on a pair of clean gloves. Remove the needle from the pouch when completely dry. Insert the needle into the tube on top of the tattoo machine, with the sharp end towards the small opening of the tube.
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3
Push the loop on the end of the needle firmly down onto the grommet at the back of the tattoo machine. Press down on the machine's foot pedal to ensure the needle is moving in and out of the tip of the tube. Adjust the power supply to increase or decrease the speed of the needle's movement.