lines look great, until tattoo heals! help please

[Miss Disaster]

well, not on all tattoos that I have done (which are only a few anyway), but it seems like my line work will look good, then once the tattoo heals, there are a lot of spots that are thin and weak looking. Could this be that I am not using enough voltage on my ps? I usually run my liner at around 4-5 and my shader around the same. I know this sounds really low, but if I tweak it any higher, my machine seems to be running WAY too fast. Also, I have heard to line at a 90 degree angle, but I seem to get better results and thicker lines when I am not straight on, is this completely wrong? I don't want anyone who comes to me for a tattoo to have to come back for touch ups on the line work! I tell everyone just how little experience I have, so to expect touch ups on color, but line work just seems silly. Any help would be so appreciated!

[mrbudgie]

keepit at 90 degrees and then the depth should be better and they will heal more evenly and run the machine faster than shading and colouring, it has always worked for me , i run colourer at 7.5 volts and my liner at 9 and my tats have been looking good, also do you ride the tube or the needle

[Miss Disaster]

I ride the needle. I like to be able to see it. OKay, so I did a small shamrock on a guy friends back last night and he's pretty tall, so I stood to do the tattoo, I had the side of my hand gliding on his back with each line pass, and my machine/needle was looking straight at his back. This is considered 90 degree angle.....right? Hope you know what I mean. thanks for any feedback. I can't even sleep at night, because all I think about is tattooing these days, so I want desperately to learn, and to do it right, so thanks for helping a newbie out!

[Capt. Calzone]

Hey again Miss D! I've gone thru the same thing.. How many passes do you do when doing your outline? I usually do 2. One quick outline. depending on the size of the piece I use a 3 or 5 to get the stencil set and after that I use a 5 to strengthen the lines. May seem a bit time consuming but after doing that my lines have always come out solid.

[Grafx]

Hey, whats up woman!
(Tell me that there isn't any of that green stuff from the baby getting on the skin, LOL, kidding)
Just out of curiosity, what type of lining ink are you using?
I also, like the captain said, usually us a 3 or 5 to lay it out depending on the width of the lines I need to lay. If I'm not doing a complicated piece then I will take my time, pull the line nice and smooth and slow. After you spray and wipe, you should be able to tell if it's a good solid line, odds are that if you aren't sure, then hit it again. The stretch plays an important part in the line as well.
Are you using a good 3 point stretch? (2 fingers on the one hand placed just on either side of the line you're pulling, and the heel of the hand holding the machine)given that your running at around 4-5 you may wanna give it a little more power and make sure it's hitting dead on (90 degrees like you said).
Look at the point of entry where the needle meets the skin while you're pulling the line. If it gets a little blurry, thats the skin bouncing, and you should stretchhhh that skin and and see if that helps. You pop a good line in there and you'll definately know it.
Good luck and let us know.

[JosephBigBear]

I argee with Grafx. Remember stretch the skin that was my first problem when I started.
Also what are you using for lining ink?
what type of machine are you using?
what type power supply? That seems pretty low to run a liner.

[Miss Disaster]

I am using a Iron Strongman to line, a small H.Spaulding power supply and Kuro Sumi always. I didn't think it was good to go over line work more than one pass.......I am so glad to hear that it's okay to go over them to build them up, I always thought line work had to heal before hitting it again. Yeah, I have been thinking that my voltage is too low for lining, but after around 6, my machine sounds way too fast, think it's a machine factor? Or Am I just being too scared to crank up the juice?!?! hehe. Thanks for replying, I love tattooing and truely want to be good at it. Any help is awsome.

[Grafx]

my machine sounds way too fast, think it's a machine factor? Or Am I just being too scared to crank up the juice?!?! hehe.

It all depends on what it takes to get the ink in there. Different skin types(thin, vs thick) also different places on the body will require you to do a little machine tuning as well. I have a buddy who's machine sounds like a friggin chain saw, it lay's ink like no bodys business. So it's all in the machine, hand speed, and your expert touch. Make "subtle" changes at a time and get a good feel for the "Sweet Spot". Patience will pay off and don't let it get to ya. Just relax and really feel what's going on.

[FORGIVEN]

Miss Disaster, crank up that machine and build those lines up , what size liner are you using ?...I used to use a 3 rds now I only use them for eyelashes on fairies , now I use tight 5s if its a smaller piece , and the bigger pieces I use a tight 7 or a tight 9 !!! I've spoken to some awesome artists , and they turned me on to some good shit , I asked how they got the lines like that and its usually always the same ..."tight 5s , tight 7s and stack the lines " ( build them up ) , you said the machine sounds fast , are you using an O-ring ? , I know when I hit the sweet spot :twisted: when the nipple becomes a blur , almost like an optical illusion , when i see that I set the screw and roll w/ it !! And i know about the obsession , relax .. it will come !! :lol:

[Miss Disaster]

FORGIVEN, this is probably a silly question, but when ordering needles, do I have to ask for "tight" 5's'/7's ? Where can I order them, since I don't make my own? Yeah, I am going to put an O ring on and see what that does for my machine. I usually line with a 5R liner cause I like when tattoos have that bolder line ( which I am trying to accomplish). I'm gonna go for the gusto and crank it up a bit and see if that helps. Thanks for all the replies :D PS/ Can you tell me what the difference is between a normal 5 liner as to a tight 5 ? thanks again!

[FORGIVEN]

Theres no silly questions :lol:,there are some places that have both reg. -liners and tight- liners , definately ask the person you order from , ask them if they tattoo or if they ever have , ask all sorts of questions and if it sounds like they dont have a clue , order somewhere else !!!! I also dig the bolder lines , but w/ the tights ...if there super tight , there gonna end up acting like a 3 , so you might want to try tight 7s ,I got some tight 9s now that are great ,very versatile !! as far as the o-ring goes its more of a sound dampener than anything else !!!! the difference between the two is the tights are in a smaller configuration ..same number of needles , just drawn tighter together before tacked and soldered .thats why you need to ask questions !! :lol:

[urmindsi]

also watch out for hair, lint, skin, either in your needles or at the tip of the tube, it will muff the line