No Pain Tattoo News & Tips: Numbing, Aftercare & Tattoo Advice
How Tattoo Artists Use Negative Space in a Design: A Guide to the Art of What Isn't There
In most art forms, negative space is the area around and between the subject—the part of the composition that isn’t directly part of the image. In tattooing, negative space is...
What is a "Color Test" in Tattooing? A Guide to a Safer Tattoo
A color test—sometimes called a patch test—is a small, inconspicuous tattoo done with the intended ink before a large or significant piece, specifically to check whether your skin reacts to...
What Happens if You "Tap Out" During a Tattoo Session?
What Happens if You "Tap Out" During a Tattoo Session? Tapping out is not failure. It is a normal part of tattooing that every experienced artist has handled many times....
What is a "Shop Rate" vs. an "Artist Rate" in Tattooing?
If you've asked around about tattoo pricing, you may have encountered two phrases that sound like they should mean the same thing but don't: shop rate and artist rate. Understanding...
The Art of White Ink: A Guide to Effective Use in Tattoos
White ink carries a certain mystique in the tattoo world. Used well, it can transform a good tattoo into a breathtaking one — adding the kind of luminous highlights that...
What is a "Bloodline" Tattoo? A Guide to the Technique
A bloodline tattoo is one of the subtler techniques in tattooing, and it produces results that look completely different depending on the artist and the context. Understanding what it is—and...
How Do Tattoo Artists Set Up Their Station? A Guide to a Safe Tattoo
Every tattoo session begins before the needle touches skin. The setup process that happens in the minutes before your artist starts working isn't procedural routine — each step exists for...
What is a "Light Box" Used for in Tattooing?
A light box is a flat panel with a uniformly backlit surface that makes paper or tracing paper translucent when placed on top of it. In a tattoo studio, it's...
How Do Artists Prevent Cross-Contamination? A Guide to Tattoo Safety
Cross-contamination in a tattoo studio means the transfer of bacteria, blood, or pathogens from one surface to another — between clients, between sessions, or from an artist's hands to equipment...
A Guide to Color Theory in Tattoos: Choosing a Palette That Lasts
Color choice in tattooing is rarely discussed as something with theory behind it—clients tend to say “I want it colorful” or “I want it muted” and leave the rest to...
A Guide to the Best Tattoo Ink Brands: What Artists Use
Walk into any professional tattoo shop and you’ll find artists with strong opinions about ink. They have favorites for black work, favorites for color, favorites for grey wash. These preferences...
Tattoo Conventions: How They Work, How to Get Tattooed, and What to Expect
A tattoo convention is one of the stranger and better experiences in the tattoo world. Hundreds of artists set up booths in a convention hall for a weekend, bringing their...