Sunday, March 1, 2009

TROUBLE SHOOTING : COLOR WON'T STAY

First of all, you want to make sure you have the best ink money can buy. There are all kinds of ink on the market today, some great and some not so great. Check around and see what you prefer. Always buy from a reputable dealer. Some colors are harder to get to stay in than others. For example, yellow is a hard color since it fades faster than most colors. White is another color that is hard to get to stay as well as getting it even. Always make sure the skin is kept tight when tattooing colors. Check the ink since it could be too thick or too thin, for most ink you're looking for consistency of oil. Imagine the thickness of car oil and have your tattoo ink about the same. If the ink dries out pretty fast it is too thick, or if the ink is clear and really runny it is too thin. If you think the ink is too thin then you might want to leave the cap off the ink bottle so the alcohol can evaporate. In time the ink will become thicker. In the case that you think the ink is too thick then you can add a little alcohol. One's idea of thickness will not be the same as others. With time one will learn what's best for them. If the ink is not the problem then you might want to look at the tattoo machine. Usually when you are using a larger needle you will want to set the power supply a little higher. Next, check to see if your needle is dull, bent, or even bared. If the needle is damaged in any way then dispose of it properly. I recommend you use a new needle on every customer. There is always the chance that you may run across a bad or bent needle in the packaged needles. Always check the needles before using them. You might also want to check the skin type you are tattooing. Over time you will find that some skin will accept the ink better than others.

8 comments:

  1. I appreciated the part about the alcohol doses..........the reason why yellow fades quickly is due to: yellow takes more pigment than carrier(compared to other colors), resulting in uneven balance of ink.......white i've found is better depending on the metallic salts used.....from lead to titanium with titanium being a better ink....look into the oxidation of metals......you'll find that rust is used for red and copper is used for blue.....copper being safest and used in baby funiture where the cadmium and all other reds come from rust and is a very powerful color....unfortunately its one of the most toxic......however i have more success with red than any color......i'd love to hear more from you on what types of alcohol please.

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  2. When you say to add alcohol to thick pigments, are you referring to isopropyl alcohol?

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  3. When you say to add alcohol to thick pigments, are you referring to isopropyl alcohol?

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  4. Ive been using kumo sumi ink . I find it very thick . It is water base i thought . Wpuld i stil use wich hazel to thin it out ...or is there water base ink and also alcohal based ink ?

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  5. reply to the water or alcohol question. I have been told by my two teachers (who are amazing) to used distilled water to thin an ink when wanted. Also, if you wanted to use witch hazel; you can buy organic distilled witch hazel that does not have alcohol in it. Remember things like these need to be kept in the refrigerator - or you can add a bit of isopropyl to a small amount in another bottle to have handy.

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  6. I have 3 different yellow's that I ordered all of them are way to watery ... I heard you can use glycerin... If so how do I do it?? Bought some I just don't know exactly what I am doing 😅

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    1. Please help... With thickening ink with glycerin.. how do I do it exactly ??

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