A Tattoo Gun is also called a tattoo machine. This device is at the core of every tattooing process. The earliest versions of tattoo devices include animal bones that were used during ancient times. These were used along with a light hammer-like device for puncturing the skin. Now, a large range of progressive Tattoo Guns are available. This includes Tattoo Guns that offer quick-change options, i.e. the needle can be changed within seconds and similarly, the tattoo ink can be replaced in a flash. These are motorized Tattoo Guns that offer years of durability and maintenance-free performance. Most retailers of Tattoo Guns advertise their product range in terms of the technology used in the machine. The older Tattoo Guns are retailed with an indication of the number of coils used in them while the newer ones boast of features such as power-saving motors, variable speeds, black carbon coating or stainless steel components.

Deciphering Tattoo Guns

All contemporary Tattoo Guns are handheld devices that are required to disperse the appropriate amount of ink, with the correct intensity and at the correct depth, i.e. below the skin. The Tattoo Gun functions in such a manner that its needle moves up/down injecting the tattoo ink into the external layer of the human skin at the rate of nearly 2,000 times, per minute. The Tattoo Needle induces small punctures in the skin to deposit small drops of tattoo ink.

How Tattoo Guns Function

Most of the advanced Tattoo Machines used today are quite similar in terms of their structural components. This includes the sterilized needle, a tube system for delivering the ink, the power-producing electric motor and a foot pedal. In some tattoo machines, the foot pedal has been replaced with automated buttons/switches. The tattoo gun can ensure both vertical and horizontal movement of the needle. The movement of the needle is a bit like that of the sewing machine needle but the level of precision in the tattoo needle is astronomically greater. Tattoo Guns need to have a very high level of precision since they are meant to induce multiple punctures at great speed and combine this with injecting the ink in the skin at a defined rate. If the tattoo machine’s precision is questionable, there is a greater likelihood of the tattooed individual developing multiple puncture injuries that include external and internal bleeding along with creating the risk of infection. If the tattoo machine does not offer utmost precision and induces excessive pressure, it is likely to push the ink too deep into the tissue, raising the risk of causing serious infections or even scarring.

Common Types of Tattoo Machines Include:

• Rotary Tattoo Machines—this the most basic type of tattoo machine that is based on the simple, coil-based rotary technology. Today, the rotary machine has been upgraded with an electric motor.
• Saturation Tattoo Machines—these tattoo machines execute the single purpose of raising the intensity of color in a tattoo. They are used for better blending of the tattoo colors into the human skin or for raising the color gradient without harming the skin.
• Coil Tattoo Machines—these are the more advanced of tattoo machines that use electromagnetic coils rather than mechanized coils. These machines use a more compact metal frame.
• Liner Tattoo Machines—these are not comprehensive tattoo machines, i.e. these tattoo machines used exclusively for creating singular lines. These machines are used in combination with other tattoo machines for getting the desired design.
• Shading Tattoo Machines—this machine does the simple task of adding black ink to increase the intensity of the tattoo, i.e. to add more depth to the tattooed art.