Before beginning your tattoo, review the design. You must be able to envision this in the full size and on the skin in order to select the most appropriate shader needle for your work. In a shader, needles are arranged in a row. Anywhere from three to fourteen needles are attached to the needle bar, creating swaths of color in varying degrees of thickness. Determine what size shaders you will need before beginning.
Look at your tattoo machine and determine what type of needle bar is used. The most common is a long bar with needles attached to one end and a metal loop that attaches to the machine at the other. There are several styles of tattoo machine, so make sure you are ordering the correct type of shader.
Order your shaders from a reputable tattoo supply company. Most shaders will be sold already assembled and attached to the needle bar; while some artists still choose to create their own, many find it is easier to buy prepackaged tools. They may arrive already sterilized, which saves a step. Needles should never be reused; this is a hazardous practice which can transmit blood borne illness and is illegal in many locations.
Once the needles are prepared, take apart the tattoo machine and use an autoclave sterilizer to sterilize each piece. The autoclave should have had a recent spore test to ensure that it is working properly. This will reduce the risk of blood borne illness.
Insert the needle into the barrel of the tattoo machine, through the sanitary tube. Attach the needle bar, using the metal looped end, to the armature bar and tighten the screw. Some artists use a rubber band to hold the needle flat against the back of the assembly so that it does not move when used.
Adjust the sanitary tube. Approximately 1/16 to 1/32 of an inch of needle should be showing. This adjustment is critical because not too much of the needle should be entering the skin. The tube acts like a capillary, moving ink upward and keeping the needles inked. Connect the machine to a power source and press the foot pedal to test the connection. The needle should move up and down freely.
Pour tattoo ink into a sanitary cup and dip the needles into the ink. Start the needle moving and press the needles against the skin along the pattern of the design. This will create a band of color known as shading.