Tattoo Needle Guide: Needle Types And Sizes

My head turns to people wearing a tattoo. I’m always fascinated with the artistry and amazed with the skill of the tattoo artist who turned the body into a special art gallery.

Tattoos have always been my passion and I dreamt of being an artist creating designs that will stand out.

There are many tattoo tools, equipment, tools, and supplies to consider. Tattoo needles are one of the important things in making the art unique. Choosing the wrong ones will ruin the design and harm the skin.

Types of Tattoo Needles

As a budding tattoo artist, I was overwhelmed with the large selection of tattoo needles available. In one of the tattoo shops near me, I was fortunate to have a patient needle tender walk me through the types of tattoo needles.

Round Tattoo

Round needles create a spherical shape or a flower-like pattern. Several needles are attached to the central shaft to fashion a circular pattern. Round needles can be utilized as liners or shaders depending on the needle arrangement.

If round needles are bundled tightly, they are called round liners, RLs, and used for detailing and technical work. When fixed loosely, they are called round shaders, RSs, and produce thick, bold outlines that are good for shading and color filling.

Flat

Needles piled in a straight line are called flat needles. They are ideal for outlining and provide sharper, more precise lines in a single stroke as well as fill in colors.

Magnum

A popular choice among artists and perfect for coloring a spot with minimal strokes. The needles of the magnum, or mag, are bunched in two lines. The taper length of mag needles is more than RS. There are three types of mag needles:

Stacked: They have an M2 sign with two rows at the tips of the bar.

Curved: It has a sign shown as RM or CM. The curved edges of the needle cause less harm to the skin and better ink penetration.

Weaved: They are identified as M1 and loosely stacked half-pyramid shape. It holds more ink and best for filling, blending, and shading.

Tattoo Needle Points and Needle Diameter

Sensing that this customer is a newbie, the tender gave me a friendly wink and continued with his lesson in tattoo 101.

Tattoo needle point refers to the number of pins in a group. The popular tattoo needle groupings contain 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, or 15 points.

The diameter or gauge refers to the width of the needles when bunched together around a central shaft and it controls the ink flow. The smaller the diameter of the needle, the more refined and controlled the stream of ink that flows out. The typical diameters available are:

• # 6 gauge - 0.2 millimeters

• # 8 gauge - 0.25 millimeters

• # 10 gauge - 0.30 millimeters

• # 12 gauge - 0.35 millimeters

• # 13 gauge - 0.40 millimeters

Gauge #12 is the most popular diameter for tattoo needles overall, and #10 is the most popular size for lining.

Mr. Tattoo Guy showed me a code and explained how to use it. For instance, 1209RL means a 12 gauge or 0.35mm diameter, 9 needle pins for a group, and a round liner type of needle.

To be sure that I got the message he gave me another example, 1015CM meaning 10 gauge or 0.30mm diameter, 15 pins, and a curved magnum grouping.

Tattoo Needle Size Chart and How to Match your Tips and Tubes

My head was spinning from the knowledge overload, but I’m pretty excited about what’s next.

Our conversation led to trendy tattoo designs, he rolled up his sleeve, placed his arm and tattoo near me. I was astonished at the design and there was a smile on his face. The lesson continued this time it was about matching tips and tubes with the needle size using this handy chart of a 0.35 mm standard needle.

Curved Magnum Flat Shaders

Needle Tip/Tube Needle Tip/Tube

05CM 05FT 04FS 05FT

07CM 07FT 05FS 07FT

09CM 09FT 06FS 07FT

11CM 11FT 07FS 09FT

13CM 13FT 09FS 11FT

15CM 15FT 13FS 15FT

17CM 17FT 15FS 17FT

19CM 19FT

21CM 21FT

23CM 23FT

25CM 25FT

27CM 27FT

For starters, CM stands for Curved Magnum and FS for flat shaders. If you see FT and a black rectangle, it means you should use a flat tip. If you are ordering a box of 1215CM needle or #12-diameter 15 curved magnum standard-tip needle this should be paired with a #15 flat tip tube/tip.

Needle Buying and What to Look Out For

The tender reminded me to sterilize needles before using them on human skin to avoid getting infected with coronavirus, HIV, and those dangerous viruses.

The needles/pins should be straight and firmly soldered. Crooked needles will cause skin injury and the ink will not hold giving you nightmares.

A 15 magnum needle won’t work on sleek designs. Likewise, round liners won’t fill a large color or soft shading.

Check the needles you want to buy, be sure this agrees with your set-up. Purchase the correct tips to match your needle type, gauge, and size.

Will Using the Wrong Size Damage your Skin?

Yes, it will.

A blunt or curved needle can injure the body and artistry. Only a straight and sharp needle can give you the proper art you want. A wrong needle style will not give your determined design.

Be careful in choosing your tattoo parlor, these days the place should comply with the pandemic guideline and the tattoo artists should be skilled.