Tattoo Glossary

Aftercare

The process of caring for a fresh tattoo during the healing period. Proper aftercare prevents infection, preserves colour, and ensures clean healing.

Apprenticeship

The traditional route into the tattoo industry. A new tattooist learns under the mentorship of an established artist, usually working in their studio for 1-3 years.

Autoclave

A sterilisation device that uses pressurised steam to kill bacteria, viruses, and spores on reusable equipment. A mandatory piece of equipment in any legitimate tattoo studio.

Blackout

A tattooing technique that covers large areas of skin in solid black ink, sometimes covering the entire arm, leg, or torso. Used as a dramatic cover-up or aesthetic choice.

Blowout

A tattooing error where ink spreads beyond the intended line into surrounding tissue, creating a blurred or bruised appearance around the tattoo.

Booking

The process of scheduling a tattoo appointment with an artist. Most reputable artists require a consultation and deposit to secure a booking.

Consultation

A meeting (in person, video, or by message) between a client and artist before booking. Used to discuss design, placement, size, style, and pricing.

Cover-up

A tattoo designed to conceal or transform an existing tattoo. Requires careful design to disguise the original work effectively.

Cross-contamination

The transfer of pathogens between surfaces, equipment, or people during tattooing. Prevented by single-use needles, gloves, and strict hygiene protocols.

Deposit

A partial payment made to secure a tattoo appointment. Typically 10-30% of the total price. Usually non-refundable if the client cancels without adequate notice.

Dotwork

A tattooing technique using individual dots rather than continuous lines to build shading, texture, and form — similar to pointillism in painting.

Etching (style)

A tattoo style that replicates the look of copper plate etching — fine, parallel linework, cross-hatching, and deep contrasts, as if printed from an engraved metal plate.

Fine Line

A tattooing style using ultra-thin needles to create delicate, precise work with minimal line weight — botanical drawings, portraits, lettering, and geometric compositions.

Flash

Pre-drawn, ready-to-tattoo designs traditionally displayed on studio walls. Available to any client who wants them, usually at a fixed price. A long tradition in American tattooing.

Freehand

Drawing a tattoo design directly onto the skin with a marker pen before tattooing, without a printed stencil. Allows compositions to be customised to the body's contours in real time.

Gauge

The thickness of a tattoo needle. Commonly used as a measure of needle diameter. Standard tattoo needles are 0.35mm (#12) or 0.30mm (#10) in diameter.

Gloves

Disposable nitrile or latex gloves worn by tattoo artists throughout the tattooing process. A basic hygiene requirement — any artist not wearing gloves should be avoided.

Hand-poke (Stick-and-poke)

A method of tattooing that uses a single needle applied by hand, without a tattoo machine. The needle is dipped in ink and pressed into the skin with controlled hand pressure.

Hatching

A shading technique using parallel lines to create tonal gradations. Cross-hatching uses intersecting lines. Common in illustrative and etching-style tattoos.

Healing

The biological process by which tattooed skin recovers. The surface heals in 2-4 weeks; deeper tissue takes up to 6 months to fully settle.

Ink (tattoo)

Pigmented fluid injected into the dermis during tattooing. Modern tattoo inks use synthetic pigments suspended in a carrier solution. Single-use ink caps are standard practice.

Irezumi

The Japanese word for tattooing, literally meaning 'inserting ink'. Used to describe both the traditional Japanese tattooing practice and its visual style.

Japanese (Traditional)

Traditional Japanese tattooing style using bold outlines, specific colour palettes, and motifs from Japanese mythology and nature — koi, dragons, waves, cherry blossom, tigers.

Kakau

Traditional Hawaiian tattooing, using bold geometric patterns applied by traditional hand-tapping methods. One of the Polynesian tattoo traditions, closely related to Samoan and Māori practices.

Laser Removal

A medical procedure that uses laser energy to break down tattoo pigment into particles small enough for the body's immune system to eliminate.

Linework

The outlines and structural lines of a tattoo. Clean, consistent linework is foundational to most tattoo styles and a key marker of technical skill.

Liner (needle)

A needle configuration used for drawing lines. Round liner (RL) needles are tightly grouped in a circular formation. Single needle (1RL) creates the finest possible lines; 9RL creates bolder linework.

Magnum (needle)

A needle configuration with needles spread in a wider formation, used for shading large areas. Curved or stacked magnums distribute ink evenly across wider skin areas.

Mandala

A geometric design radiating symmetrically from a central point, originating in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. A popular tattoo motif, often executed in dotwork or geometric style.

Microrealism

Photorealistic tattooing at extremely small scale — typically under 5cm. Requires exceptional technical skill as every element of realism must be reproduced in miniature.

Needle

The sterile, single-use implement that deposits ink into the dermis during tattooing. Needles come in various configurations (round liner, magnum shader, flat) and diameters.

Neo-Japanese

A contemporary evolution of traditional Japanese tattooing that retains iconic motifs (koi, dragons, waves) but applies them with modern colour palettes, realistic shading, and contemporary compositions.

Neo-Traditional

A tattoo style that expands on American Traditional foundations — adding richer colour palettes, more detailed shading, and contemporary subject matter while retaining bold linework.

Opacity

The degree to which tattoo ink covers the skin. Fully opaque ink shows the colour completely; diluted ink creates translucent washes used in watercolour and grey shading.

Outline

The defining lines of a tattoo design, applied before shading and colour. Bold outlines are the structural foundation of Traditional and Japanese styles.

Packing

The process of building dense, saturated ink coverage in a solid fill area. Packing requires multiple passes and consistent technique to achieve even colour density.

Peeling

A normal part of the tattoo healing process, typically occurring 5-14 days after getting tattooed. The top layer of damaged skin flakes away to reveal the healed tattoo beneath.

Pe'a

The traditional Samoan tattoo for men, covering the torso from the waist to the knees in geometric patterns. One of the most extensive traditional tattoo traditions in the world.

Pigment

The colouring agent in tattoo ink. Different pigments have different properties — some are more stable in skin, some are brighter, some fade faster. Black is the most stable.

Placement

The location on the body where a tattoo is positioned. Placement affects visibility, pain level, healing time, and how the tattoo interacts with the body's contours.

Portfolio

A collection of an artist's previous work, used to demonstrate their skill, style, and range. The most important tool for evaluating an artist before booking.

Realism

A tattoo style that reproduces photographic accuracy — portraits, wildlife, landscapes, and objects rendered with depth, shadow, and detail matching a photograph.

Rework

The process of improving, modifying, or building on an existing tattoo. Can range from a simple touch-up to a complete redesign incorporating old work.

Round Liner (RL)

A needle configuration where needles are grouped tightly in a circular formation, used for drawing lines. The number prefix indicates how many needles: 1RL is a single needle, 9RL has nine.

Sacred Geometry

Geometric forms believed to carry spiritual or universal significance — the Flower of Life, Metatron's Cube, the Sri Yantra, Platonic solids. Frequently used in geometric and dotwork tattooing.

Saniderm (Second Skin)

A transparent medical-grade adhesive film applied over a fresh tattoo to protect it during initial healing. Can be worn for 3-7 days, keeping the tattoo moist and protected from contaminants.

Saturation

The density and vibrancy of ink in a tattooed area. Fully saturated areas are rich and opaque; under-saturated areas appear thin or patchy.

Shader (needle)

A needle configuration used for filling and shading large areas. Includes round shaders (RS), curved magnums, and stacked magnums. Distributes ink more broadly than liner needles.

Shading

The technique of creating tonal gradations in a tattoo — from dark to light — using diluted ink, dot spacing, or hatching techniques.

Single Needle (1RL)

Tattooing with a single needle, producing the finest possible lines. Used primarily in fine line and minimalist tattooing.

Sleeve

A tattoo that covers the entire arm from shoulder to wrist. A half sleeve covers shoulder to elbow or elbow to wrist. One of the most ambitious tattoo projects.

Stencil

A transfer of the tattoo design onto the skin, created from thermal paper, used as a guide during tattooing.

Stippling

Creating texture and shading by placing individual dots rather than continuous strokes. The technique underlying dotwork tattooing.

Stretch Marks

Skin markings caused by rapid growth, weight change, or pregnancy. Tattooing over stretch marks is possible but the texture of the skin affects how ink sits. Consultation with an experienced artist is essential.

Tā Moko

The traditional Māori tattoo of New Zealand, historically applied to the face and body. The curved, flowing patterns encode genealogical information — each person's tā moko is unique to their lineage.

Tattoo Convention

An event bringing together tattoo artists, studios, and enthusiasts. Artists set up temporary booths and tattoo clients on the spot. Conventions are excellent opportunities to get work from international guest artists.

Tattoo Machine

The device that drives the needle in and out of the skin to deposit ink. Main types: coil machines (electromagnetic), rotary machines (motor-driven), and pen-style rotary machines.

Tebori

The traditional Japanese hand-tattooing technique, using a wooden or metal handle with attached needles, applied in a rhythmic hand motion. Still practised by traditional Irezumi masters.

Touch-up

A follow-up session to correct areas that healed patchily or faded more than expected. Many artists include one free touch-up within the first few months.

Traditional (American)

The original Western tattoo style — bold black outlines, limited colour palette (red, green, yellow, black), and classic iconography: eagles, anchors, roses, swallows, pin-ups, daggers.

Tribal

Tattooing based on indigenous tattoo traditions from Polynesia, Borneo, Celtic cultures, Native American peoples, and others. Each tradition has distinct iconography and cultural context.

Vegan Ink

Tattoo ink formulated without animal-derived ingredients. Some traditional tattoo inks use glycerin (from animal fat) or bone char in pigments. Vegan inks substitute plant-derived or synthetic alternatives.

Walk-in

A tattoo appointment booked on the same day, without prior reservation. Many studios maintain walk-in availability alongside their appointment book.

Wash

A diluted ink application technique creating soft, translucent tonal areas — like a watercolour wash. Used in black and grey shading and watercolour style tattoos.

Watercolor

A tattoo style mimicking watercolour painting — loose, blended colour washes, soft edges, and minimal hard outlines. Visually striking but ages differently than structured styles.

Whipshading

A shading technique where the needle is moved quickly ('whipped') across the skin to create a soft, feathered gradient. Creates a painterly quality different from traditional stippling or packed shading.

Zap (style)

A bold, graphic tattoo style using strong black outlines, flat colour, and imagery from cartoons, memes, and pop culture — bright, loud, and intentionally irreverent.