Equipment Every Tattoo Artist Should Have

Tattoo artists require a variety of specialized equipment to create high-quality tattoos in a safe and hygienic environment. Here is a list of some essential tattoo equipment:

1. Tattoo Machines: Artists might use rotary machines, coil machines, or pneumatic machines, depending on their preference and style. Kingpin has a wide selection of machines to shop from including rotaries, coil, and pen style. We also offer custom one-of-kind tattoo machines.
2. Tattoo Needles: Different types of needles are needed for lining, shading, and coloring. These include round liners, round shaders, magnum needles, and flat needles. Artists can be sure to find the exact grouping needed in our wide range of needle cartridges or pre-made needles on bar.
3. Tattoo Grips: The part of the tattoo machine that the artist holds. Available in various shapes and sizes for comfort and control. Kingpin offers a diverse selection of disposable grips,  reusable stainless steel, or cartridge grips, to choose from.
4. Tattoo Power Supply: Powers the tattoo machine, with adjustable voltage to control the machine's speed and intensity. You can shop from a variety of power supplies, batteries, and accessories to accommodate your unique set up.
5. Tattoo Inks: It is recommended artists use reputable brands to ensure safety and long-lasting results. Kingpin’s wide range of high-quality tattoo inks in various full spectrum colors and hues is one of the largest libraries of tattoo ink offerings available. 
6. Ink Caps: Small disposable cups for holding tattoo ink during the tattooing process. You can find standard, stable bottom, or eco-friendly ink caps available under Ink Accessories.
7. Tattoo Stencils and Transfer Paper: Used to create and transfer tattoo designs onto the skin for guidance during tattooing. Check out the King;’s Chronicle to read up on Tips and Tricks for Making and Placing Stencils.

Other Supplies needed and can be found in our Shop Supplies collection are disposables, such as gloves, razors, covers, sleeves, or PPE.  Furniture for you  and your client, such as artist chairs, armrests, and beds. And finally Kingpin features a large selection of medical grade cleaning supplies, such as Disinfectants, Antibacterial Wipes, Sharps Containers

Best Tattoo Equipment for Beginners

We recommended that beginners work with a professional tattooer to ensure their starting setup includes all of the necessary and required tattoo equipment. Also recommended is to look for “tattoo supplies near me” to review products in person. Kingpin has three showroom locations where you can sample products, test machines, and pick up supplies. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the new supplies and tools of the trade when first starting out. 

Top Tattoo Supplies for Professionals

Tattoo products vary in popularity based on trends, quality, and artist preferences, but some are consistently top-selling due to their reliability, performance, and reputation. Here is a list of some of our top 10 selling tattoo supplies.

1. Stable Bottom Ink Caps Stable bottom ink caps come in three sizes and feature a flat bottom that extends the lip of the cap to prevent spillage.
2. Adenna Phantom Black Latex Gloves These black, textured, powder-free latex examination gloves offer the performance and reliability that Adenna is known for. These gloves fit comfortably and offer enough grip to use any kind of tattoo machine. Choose between boxes or cases to guarantee you have enough of every size for your tattoo shop.
3. Adenna Night Angel Black Nitrile Powder Free Gloves These textured gloves are 100% nitrile, with the fit and feel of latex gloves. They are excellent for safe, precise tattooing.
4. Spirit Classic Thermal Paper The tried-and-true thermal paper that produces lasting stencils with Spirit Classic purple dye. All Spirit Stencil Products are now vegan-friendly and are proudly made in the USA. 
5. Dynamic Black Tattoo Ink Decades of ink mixing experience goes into every bottle of Dynamic Ink. Offering bold, consistent, pre-dispersed pigment that flows and heals excellently, Dynamic Colors are a solid addition to any artist's setup. Dynamic Ink: Tried and true since 1990.
6. Disposable Razors High quality stainless steel, twin blade, disposable razors. Sold in packs of 100. Prep the skin with a close and comfortable shave every time.
7. Stencil Stuff Stencil Stuff is the vegan friendly stencil solution that tattooers have relied on for years to produce long-lasting, crisp, clean stencils. Available in 2 sizes: 4 oz and 8 oz
8. Green Soap A Tincture of Green Soap is an all natural, multi-use, must-have for most tattoo shops. Used most commonly to clean hands, surfaces and equipment.
9. Kingpin Standard Round Liners For almost 30  years, Kingpin Pre-Made Needles have been built by hand using textured 316L surgical stainless steel pins that offer lasting skin penetration with superior ink retention. All Kingpin Needles are crafted using a lab certified lead free silver bearing solder for maximum safety.
10. Madacide Madacide FD is a hospital-level disinfectant with a 6 minute kill time. It is most commonly used to clean hard, non-porous surfaces and equipment.

Checkout our Best Sellers to browse more of our top selling supplies at Kingpin!