Tattoo needles come in different sizes and configurations like liners, shaders, and mags. Each type of needle places ink in the skin differently, so you need the right tattoo needle to make sure your designs come out correctly.
This visual guide will make sure you understand everything you need to know, which will help you do better tattoos with less effort.
In this article, we’ll be breaking down:
Plus, you can download our Tattoo Needles Sizes and Uses Chart to help you confidently plan which needles you need for every tattoo.
How to Read a Tattoo Needle Box
Reading the box will make sure you’re picking the right needles. Every box will have a 4-piece code that tells you which needle type is inside.
1
Diameter (AKA “Gauge”)
How thick the needle is. A thicker needle allows for more ink flow.
2
Needle Count
How many individual sharps are in the needle. More sharps = more space covered on the skin.
3
Configuration
How the sharps are arranged on the needle bar. (This will determine if the needle is better for lining, shading, or packing ink.)
4
Taper
How steep the angle of the needle’s point is. The steeper the angle, the more precisely ink can be placed.
If a needle box doesn’t list the taper, it’s probably “standard taper.”
What Diameter Should You Use?
What is needle diameter?
Diameter (AKA “gauge”) is how thick each needle on the bar is.
#12 - “Standards” | 0.35mm |
#10 - “Double Zeros” | 0.3mm |
#8 - “Bugpins” | 0.25mm |
A liner with 12-gauge needles will look thicker than the same type of liner that uses 10-gauge needles because it covers more space. For example, a standard 7 liner will show up thicker than a bugpin 7 liner.
A Note on Bugpin Tattoo Needles
While 8-gauge needles are technically bugpins, most tattoo artists mean 10-gauge needles when they say “bugpin.”
Why is diameter important?
Diameter determines:
- 1How much ink flows through the needle. Thicker diameter = more ink to flow.
- 2How much trauma the needle causes to the skin. Thicker diameter = more trauma, meaning you can’t make as many passes over the skin.
Note:
Thicker needles cause more trauma because they make bigger holes in the skin.
What Tattoo Needle Count Should You Use?
What is needle count?
Your needle count is how many individual sharps are in the needle. More sharps = more space covered on the skin.
Why is needle count important?
Needle count determines how big the needle will be. A needle with three sharps will make a much smaller mark in the skin than a needle with 15.
How to pick the right needle count for your tattoo
When choosing round liners, keep your line weight (thickness) in mind. If you want a heavy line weight, you’d pick a larger needle count.
When choosing tattoo needles for shading, pick the largest needle count the tattoo will allow. A back tattoo will have tons of space to fill in, so you’d pick a bigger needle, like a 15 or 23 mag.
Note:
Thinner lines are easier to get in the skin because your machine needs less power. However, that does make it easier to go too deep in the skin and cause a blowout.
What the Different Configurations Mean
RL Round Liner
RS Round Shader
F Flat
M1 Magnum
M1C, RM Curved Mag
M2 Stacked Mag
What is needle configuration?
How the sharps are arranged on the needle bar.
Why is needle configuration important?
The configuration determines what the ink will look like in the skin, and what job you should use each needle for.
However, here’s a quick list of what each configuration should be used for:
Because an M1 is straight and is puncturing into curved and cushy skin, it can potentially cut the client at the edges of the needle. Many artists prefer a curved magnum needle over a straight one, as it bends with the client’s skin.
What Needle Taper Should You Use?
What is Needle Taper?
A needle’s taper determines how steep the angle of each sharp’s point is. The steeper the angle, the more precisely ink can be placed.
Needles come in a variety of tapers, with a short taper (ST), being the standard.
Why is Needle Taper Important?
The taper of the needle affects the amount of ink that can flow from the needle.
The longer the taper, the less ink can be distributed. Slower distribution of ink allows you to build up layers and create smoother blends, but it takes a long time to tattoo this way.
While a little less precise, short tapered needles are considered the industry standard because they allow for a steady flow of ink and efficiently pack color into the skin without the need to constantly go back over an area.
Which taper you pick will determine what design you’re tattooing. For example, detailed realism might need a longer taper, while American Traditional would use a short taper.
How to Pick the Right Taper - Our Taper Length Cheat Sheet
Short/Standard Taper (ST, S)
- ST needles pack solid color by putting larger holes in the skin
- When packing in ink, precision is not as important as getting the ink into the skin.
BEST FOR:
- Stippling.
- Large areas and background.
- Bold, Traditional tattoos
- Tribal
Double Long Taper (DLT) +
- For even more precision or even smoother blends, you can go with longer tapers than an LT needle.
- Warning: The longer the taper, the more delicate the needle. If you hit your ink caps when dipping with a long taper needle, it is far more likely to be damaged and you will need to change tattoo needles.
Textured Needles
“Textured” needles have small grooves in them that hold extra ink, allowing you to deposit more ink into the skin than a "polished" needle. This can make them ideal for color packing.
Note:
These needles are often more painful for the client and cause more damage to the skin, allowing for fewer passes.
Warning:
Textured needles are manufactured with grooves. They are not damaged needles.
Tattoo Needle Sizes on Skin
The following examples use standard (12-gauge) needles. To figure out how thick a bugpin would be, move down one standard size. (For example, a 5 round liner with standard needles is the same thickness as a 7 round liner with bugpin needles).
Round Liner Needles
1011CMLT
Image from Tattooing 101’s 10-Day Beginners Tattoo Seminar
1011CMLT breakdown:
1015CMLT
Image from Tattooing 101’s 10-Day Beginners Tattoo Seminar
1015CMLT breakdown:
1023CMLT
Image from Tattooing 101’s 10-Day Beginners Tattoo Seminar
1023CMLT breakdown:
How to Buy Tattoo Needles: Traditional Needles vs. Tattoo Needle Cartridges
You’ll see two types of needles when you’re shopping: “traditional” needles, which have a long needle bar, and cartridges, which have a plastic casing.
You will most often see traditional needles on coil tattoo machines. Most rotary machines and pen machines use needle cartridges.
For more help, visit our article How to Set Up a Tattoo Machine.
Needles Must be Pre-Sterilized
Every single needle must have an expiration date and a label saying the needles have been EO gas sterilized.
Never reuse tattoo needles and do not autoclave them after using them on a client. Dispose of them properly after the tattoo is done. Use sterilized, in-date, single-use needles on every single customer.Warning:
Always buy tattoo supplies from reputable tattoo supply companies. Do not buy tattoo needles on Amazon. Some areas of the world have different packaging laws, which means they can label something as sterile - even if it isn’t - and ship it to the U.S. through Amazon.
Tattoo Needles Sizes and Uses Chart
Learning about the different types of tattoo needles is one thing - but putting them into practice is another. Here’s our favorite cheat sheet to help you pick the right needles for your next tattoo.
In the chart below, we’ve listed:
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Nate
I’ve been tattooing 20 years so, I’m quite familiar with this information but, this is probably the best tutorial I’ve ever seen. Mentors have quit passing this information along as I cross paths with more and more -5 year artists that have no clue what tools they’re using. It’s sad.
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I’m an italian permanent make up Artist since 1994.
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