What is hrl tattoo needle?

Whether you are newbie to the tattoo industry or a seasoned professional, the large selection of different tattoo needle groupings, diameters, tapers and needle counts can be one hell of a headache to understand. In reality, once it does makes sense, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get it in the first place!

This article will help you make sense of it all and in turn, assist you in making the most informed decision possible when it comes to buying tattoo needles.

We’d also like to quickly mention that we (Barber DTS) go back a long time (click here to see how long) when it comes to tattoo products so you can rest assured the information found here is as accurate and knowledgeable as it’s going to get!

When looking at a page of tattoo needles on a website or in a catalogue, it can seem a little overwhelming with all the different options available. No need to worry though! Here’s where the learning begins.

All these options fall into six basic groupings of tattoo needles: Round Liners, Round Shaders, Magnum Shaders, Curved Magnum Shaders, Flat Shaders and Double Stacks. Below we go into more detail on each type.

The pins on round liner needles are soldered in a round pattern to produce crisp, clean lining tattoo work. The thickness of the line will depend on the number round liner you choose (e.g. 01 very fine, 14 very thick) as well as the thickness/gauge of each pin (see Tattoo Needle Sizes below). Lining needles, once dipped in your ink, will let only small amounts of ink out to then be worked into the skin. If too much ink was let out, lining would be quite a task!

Commonly Used for: Dot work. All lining work both bold and intricate. Script and lettering. Japanese. Traditional and neo-traditional. Geometric. Tribal. Samoan.

Round shaders are very similar to round liners except the pins are not placed as close together. Meaning, for as well as doing thicker lines, they can also be used for colour filling and basic shading.

Commonly Used for: Some line work. Script and lettering. Basic shading and colour filling. Japanese. Traditional and neo-traditional. Geometric. Tribal. Samoan.

Magnum shaders are the preferred grouping or needle type for pretty much all shading work. Magnums hold and deliver a lot of ink, making them perfect for large areas of colour packing and shading. Less passes are required over an area to work the ink in meaning less trauma to the skin. There are a few different variations of magnum needles. See below.

Commonly Used for: Black and grey. All types of shading and colour packing. Colour realism. Japanese. Traditional and neo-traditional. Tribal. Samoan.

Curved magnum shaders – also known as soft magnums, soft edge magnums and round magnums – are used in the same way except the pins are arranged so they arch at the centre. Meaning the edges of the needle run along the skin with more conformity, allowing for better dispersal of ink and a more consistent line. It’s also less damaging to the skin and helps with soft shading.

Commonly Used for: Black and grey. All types of shading and colour packing. Colour realism. Japanese. Traditional and neo-traditional. Tribal. Samoan.

Not as current as they maybe once were. The pins on double stack magnums, or double stacks, are packed much more tightly together. This helps for any intricate shading or colour work where you still want it to perform as a magnum with many pins but not as spread out.

Commonly Used for: Shading and colour packing. Black and grey. Colour realism. Japanese. Traditional and neo-traditional. Tribal. Samoan.

Flat shader needles are pins that are soldered in a straight line on the needle bar. These needles are used for lining because their shape lets them deliver more ink to the skin. This means clearer, darker lines with just one stroke. Larger flat needles can be used for colour fills and shading as they deliver more ink quickly with just one pass. Flat needles are good for intricate shading such as in geometric patterns and some mandala work. Flat shader needles are also common in semi-permanent makeup.

Commonly Used for: Some line work. Small shading and colour packing. Black and grey. Colour realism. Japanese. Traditional and neo-traditional. Tribal. Samoan. Geometric.

Now you know all about different needle groupings or types, it’s time to look at needle diameters, also known as gauges.

The gauge of a tattoo needle is directly linked to ink flow. The narrower the gauge or diameter, the more controlled and finer the flow of ink is. The gauge is indicated by a number (usually 8, 10 or 12), and diameter by a millimetre measurement. ALTHOUGH THEY MEAN THE SAME THING! Needle manufacturers and tattoo suppliers use both terminologies depending on where the needles are from and being sold to i.e. country/language.

One of the smaller needle gauges available (but not the smallest) and sometimes referred to as Bugpins. Used when wanting a slower flow of ink for intricate or detailed work. Some use #8 gauge needles for most of their work simply because they like that they hold more ink at a time (as the pins are more tightly compacted).

A very common needle size. Also referred to as Double Zeros. Popular with all styles of tattooing and needle groupings as fundamentally they are the middle gauge size (when accepting 8, 10 and 12 as the main three gauges). The ink flow on 0.30mm needles is still a steady, controlled flow but not as restricted and slow as an #8 or 0.25mm.

Just like the 0.30mm needles. #12 gauges are highly popular across all needle groupings and tattoo styles. Anyone referring to #12 or 0.35mm needles may also call them Standards. Common in lining and traditional work as they have a faster ink flow. Great for bold lines and colour packing/shading large areas.

Other needle sizes not mentioned above: #6 or 0.20mm, #14 or 0.40 and #16 or 0.45mm! These are quite uncommon now though as they only have very few specific uses.

This is a simple one! Tattoo needle count basically means the number of pins used to make up the grouping. For example, a 1209RL means a 12 gauge (see above for gauge info), 09 Round Liner Needle. The 09 meaning 9 needle counts (or 9 pins used to make a round grouping). This would look like this:

Another example for you, just so it’s crystal clear.

We’ve put together this handy chart which will help you match the correct needles with the right size tips, or vice versa. It also indicates what type of work the needle size is used for.

We can confirm all needles sold at Barber DTS are individually blister packaged and EO Gas sterilised. Most needles this day and age should be pre-sterile. You must always check this. If not, you will need to correctly sterilise them yourself using an Autoclave BEFORE any tattooing on human skin is carried out. Sterilised needles will be marked with expiration dates for when the sterility runs out.

Be sure to check the needles/pins are straight and securely soldered onto the needle bar. Crooked or bent needles can cause major skin damage if you don’t notice you are using one. They will also not hold or disperse the ink correctly and will cause you a complete nightmare.

Be sure to check the needles you are looking to purchase will match your set up. Make sure you don’t need Tattoo Cartridges rather than tattoo needles. Also make sure you have or buy the correct tubes or tips to match your needle gauge, size and type. For help with this, refer to our needle and tip matching guide above.

You don’t want to buy some 15 magnum needles if you specifically need to carry out some sleek line work. Same applies if you need to fill in some large colour or do some soft shading; you don’t want to end up realising you’ve bought some small round liner needles. Again, be sure to check out our handy guide above which will indicate what type of tattoo work each needle configuration is used for.

As much as this is a tattoo needle guide, and we’ve tried to give you as much of the correct information you’ll need. . . it is just a guide. If you are searching for and finding this tattoo needle guide, you should already have a good level of understanding of tattoo needles and their uses by the route of a tattoo apprenticeship with a professional tattoo artist.

Some tattoo artists may not agree with some information provided above, and rightfully so! Finding the perfect tattoo needle type, size and gauge for you and your style takes time and a lot of trial and error. Some artists will always go to a Bugpin #8 15 Curved Mag needle for their shading work. Others wouldn’t even dream of it! A lot of equipment and supplies within the tattoo world boil down to user preference. From inks and needles to machines and power supplies.

This post is all about tattoo needles, how to use them, which needles do what and what types there are. With the wide array of different types and the lack of standardization in naming for sizes and shapes, it is easy to get confused. The 4 defining properties are the diameter, taper, count and configuration.

The diameter of tattoo needle types can be found by looking at the first two numbers of the packaging. If you look at your pre-made needle packaging, you will notice it will say something like 1207RL. The two numbers, 12, indicate the diameter. The 4 most common diameters are #12, #10, #8 and #6. #12 is the largest size diameter at 0.35mm. #10 is a diameter of 0.30mm. #8 is a diameter of 0.25mm. #6 is a diameter of 0.20mm. #12, 0.35mm diameter is the most common diameter for most needles. #10, 0.30mm is the most common diameter for ones used for lining.

The taper or point length indicates the shape of the point. A short taper will have a short point. A long taper will have a long point. Different manufacturers have their own specs for what taper they use. A standard short taper is usually 1.5mm. A long taper would be 2.0mm. Extremely long tapers can go as much as 7mm.

The count indicates the number of needles grouped together at the point of the bar. In the example we used earlier, a 1207RL needle, where 12 is the diameter, 7 indicates the count. So a 1207RL needle will have 7 needles soldered to the tip of the bar.

Configuration indicates how the needles are grouped together. The configuration determines the shape or pattern of how the ink will go into the skin. So in the example of 1207RL, where 12 is the diameter, 7 is the count, RL, indicates the configuration. RL stands for round liner, a round liner is a formation of needles in a tight circular formation which is used for lining. The other configurations are RS = round shader, F = flats, M1 = weaved magnum, M2 = stacked magnum and RM = round magnum.

These configurations make up the different tattoo needle types or groupings. RL or round liner needles grouped together in a tight round formation. RS or round shaders are grouped together in a loose round formation. F or flats are grouped together in a line formation. M1 or weaved magnum are grouped with 2 rows of needles in a weaved formation, so for example a 7M1 will have a bottom row of 4 and an upper row of 3. M2 or stacked magnum are grouped in the same way as M1 but are tightly stacked together hence the name stacked magnum. RM or round magnum are grouped the same way as M1 but the points are arranged in a curved arch.

So what tattoo needles do what? RL or round liner needles are used for lining. RS or round shader are used for shading. Flats are used for areas with geometric shapes and shading. Weaved magnums are used for shading, blending and coloring large areas. Stacked magnums are used for shading, blending and coloring tighter large areas. Both can be used for lining if you turn the needle to the side. This does take a bit of skill to do, so only do it if you have practiced the technique enough or else you may end up damaging the skin. Round curve magnums are used for shading, blending and coloring large areas with less impact to the skin. The needles are made in an arch formation to better deflect the skin when it goes in and out. With a regular magnum, there is potential for the edges of the mag to dig into the skin, with a round magnum, the arch of the needle will allow you to move more freely on the skin without the risk of the edges digging in.

If you are entering the world of tattooing, you might be a little bit confused by all the different types of tattoo needles available. How is a round liner tattoo needle different from a magnum or a Bugpin tattoo needle? How do you know which one to use with different kinds of tattoos? Our guide features different tattoo needles explained for you to understand them.

Understanding the tattoo needles cannot be as complicated as you think. In this guide, we’re talking to you through the sizes and uses of different tattoo needles. Finding tattoo shops nearby will help you to have a strong understanding of the different styles that are available and which needles are used.

Enjoy our tattoo needles 101 below with our tattoo needle sizes and uses chart, and try not to get overwhelmed by the different sizes and gauges. There is a lot to learn on the road to becoming one of the best tattoo artists.

These have a round pattern and are good for clean lines. For instance, you could use them for outlines. The thickness is described by a numerical value. 01 would be really fine and 14 is extremely thick. These types of needles don’t let a lot of ink out at once so they can be used for details and dot work.

These are similar but the pins within the needle are not close together so they are suited to shading and filling in the outlines with coloring.

The magnum shader needles are preferred for a lot of different types of shading and are great for bigger areas. They can allow a lot of ink to be transferred at once so these types of needles are fantastic for covering larger spaces within tattoos.

These are sometimes called soft edge magnums too. They’ve similar because they can disperse a lot of ink but they are designed to do so very evenly and not cause anywhere pain or damage to the skin. These types of needles are great for delicate shading.

Needles are similar, but they have gone out of fashion somewhat. They have multiple pins but they aren’t spaced out as much.

They are good for lining and can deliver lots of ink into the skin at once for dark shading. For instance, if you need a dark, black outline or even some intricate shading such as in mandala-style tattoos. The flat shader needles can be used for certain types of makeup, semi-permanent styles of makeup tend to use flat shaders.

The table below, our own tattoo needle sizes and chart, will show both tattoo needles and what they are used for. There are different groupings, and these have different common uses based on what they are most suitable for.

Different codes stand for different things when it comes to tattoo needles. RL stands for the round liner, which gives a small circular formation normally used as lining needles. The other configurations are F which stands for flats, M1 means weaved magnum, RS which means round shader, M2 stacked magnum, and finally, RM = round magnum.

There are different gauges and diameters out there which can be suitable for different uses. The three below are among the most commonly used tattoo needles.

This is a small needle, and they are often called Bugpins, the ink flows a bit slower so it is good for intricate detailing.

This is very popular among tattoo artists, it tends to be the middle ground. It gives a steady flow but doesn’t restrict and slow it down as much as the #8 gauge. People referring to double zeros are talking about this size.

A 12 gauge might be referred to as standards, but they have a faster flow of ink which means they are good for shading and coloring even in bigger areas.

There are some other gauges under these, #6 is 0.20mm. #14 is 0.40 and #16 is 0.45mm. These all have specific uses.

As you can see, there are a lot of different varieties when it comes to sizing. Our tattoo needle chart is designed to help you to understand the different types of tattoo needles. Choosing the right needles is all about matching up what you need to achieve as a tattoo artist, and using different styles of the needle for different uses such as shading or outlining. This will provide you with the best results in the long run.

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STIGMA Tattoo Hollow Round Liner Needle Cartridge. The newly designed Stigma Precision Hollow Round Liner Tattoo Needle optimizes the ink flow, providing cleaner, crisp lines and less trauma to the skin. These needles have a #12 (0.35mm) diameter please select your desired size from the drop-down menu.