Tattoo artists began using safer ingredients such as distilled water, alcohol, glycerin, and witch hazel to create a more consistent and reliable black ink. These improvements helped minimize the risk of infection and ensured a smoother tattooing process.
Distilled water is ideal for mixing tattoo inks because it's free of impurities and won't affect the color of the ink. So if you're looking for the perfect way to mix your tattoo ink colors, distilled water is the way to go! Don't forget to test the colors on yourself before getting the tattoo.
75% distilled water and 25% ink.
Tattoo inks are typically made of a mixture of solid particles of pigment, molecular dyes and binders suspended in a water solution. The color comes from light either being reflected from or absorbed by the particles and dyes.
Like anything you do with your body, you should always be careful to check what substances and processes are being used on it to keep yourself safe. So it's never a bad idea to ask your tattoo artist about the water. However, most professional studios will only use sterile water, needles, and ink.
Tattoo artists should not dilute inks with tap water, distilled water, filtered water, reverse osmosis water, or other non-sterile water that has the potential to be contaminated.
Vaseline is one of the world's most natural lubricants, and you'll find that most tattoo artists will use it on your skin during a tattoo session itself. Though most would also advise, it's unnecessary to use it in your aftercare process. Here's all you need to know about how and why we use it during your tattoo.
Ink ingredients fall into three main categories: pigment, vehicle, and modifiers/additives. Because there are so many different types of printing processes and print applications, the ingredients used in these three categories may vary widely.
Ultraviolet (UV), black light, or glow-in-the-dark tattoos are tattoos that only appear under UV light. UV tattoos use ink containing a fluorescent dye that responds to UV light. This means the tattoo is invisible to the human eye in regular lighting and is only visible under UV, or black light.
Add a small amount of distilled water to the ink and stir. This will create a diluted ink solution which is runnier. This technique is often used with black ink as it creates subtle gradations of watery gray shades.
The use of sterile water or sterile saline solution can help protect your customers from water-borne skin infections that can hurt their health and damage the body art you created for them.
Tattoo inks generally use water-based or alcohol-based carriers which may include glycerin, methanol, and ethanol. Carriers in the tattoo inks are used to transfer the pigments (coloring) to the skin.
With the needle running, dip into water and drag the needle along a paper towel to “empty out” the buildup inside the cartridge. After rinsing, you can also re-dip your needles back into the pigment to get full-strength pigment.
Note that different tattoo artists may have preferences for certain types or brands of ink, and may also mix or dilute ink to achieve the desired effect. High-quality tattoo ink should be made from organic or inorganic pigments that are highly concentrated and have a fine particle size.
You will need a tattoo balm like HYDRABALM from Reuzel. Look for products that have shea butter and papaya extracts to keep dry skin healthy and prevent stretching and blurring. Avoid any products that claim to even skin tone, because these can bleach out your colors.
Sometime between two to four weeks after getting a new tattoo – when your tattoo scabs and/or peels - your new ink may appear more faded and duller than expected. Don't worry, this is completely natural.
Older tattoos may be raised due to scar tissue
It's nothing to be concerned about, but it can sometimes raise up, and this is generally caused by changes in body temperature or weather conditions, as well as general health.
Over eighty percent are carbon-based while roughly sixty percent are azo pigments. Some tattoo ink may be produced using animal products. Certain ink varieties may include bone char, hoof gelatin, beetle shellac, or animal fat glycerin. Others may contain beeswax, cod liver oil, or lanolin.
The molecular formula of ink is C14H26N2O4S. This formula is used to identify the specific ingredients of inks. This formula is the chemical composition of the ink, which is the basis for its colour. It can be made up of several elements, such as sulphur, oxygen, copper, and nitrogen.
Products like Vaseline and super thick ointments may trap moisture and bacteria on top of a new tattoo, increasing your risk of developing an infection. Water-based lotions are breathable and won't suffocate your healing skin.
During the Tattooing Process
Tattoo artists use Vaseline when tattooing because the needle and ink are creating a wound. The wound needs something to help heal, and Vaseline can act as a protector for your skin. While it may not prevent scarring and other changes, it can help keep your skin healthy.