Tattoo gun? Check! Ink? Check! Have you thought about tattoo power supplies? Huh?! Many people don’t. The exact nuts and bolts of a project are often overlooked. But if you don’t have a reliable way to get juice to your machine, it becomes nothing more than a glorified paperweight. This is therefore as important as the machine itself.
So how complicated is it to find the tattoo power supplies that you need? The good news is that it shouldn’t be much of a problem at all, as long as you know some basic things about what your needs are as far as tattoo power supplies are concerned. That is to say, what your particular tattoo gun requires.
The first thing you will want to consider when looking for tattoo power supplies is the amount of voltage that you need. Simply put, the higher the voltage is, the more power your machine will get from it. The range you can expect to choose from with tattoo power supplies starts at around 1.5 volts for portable versions and goes all the way up to 20 volts for very large tattoo power supplies. The exact voltage that you need will depend on what kind of machine that you have chosen and how demanding it is. Examine it to check its power output and figure out your requirements.
While you are looking at the machine that you will be working with, also take note of whether it is coil operated or rotary. This will be important to know because there are some tattoo power supplies that are made specifically to work with one or the other. There are also some that can happily be switched between them. It’s up to you if this is an important factor for you or not.
The next critical decision that you have to make is what type of tattoo power supplies you need. You can choose between models that are analog or digital and regulated or unregulated. This mostly comes down to a matter of preference so you’ll want to consider them all. If price is a major factor for you, the digital models tend to be more expensive. They are generally more accurate and are more easily read though. Regulated models will usually give you a more constant voltage.
Fluctuations in the juice you will get out of your tattoo power supplies is another technical concern. The amount of voltage that you need in the course of completing a tattoo can vary quite a bit. It can change as you apply more pressure to the area being tattooed, for example. Ideally, you will want to look for a model of tattoo power supplies that can compensate for these necessary adjustments.
The other things that you need to think about as you search through tattoo power supplies has less to do with technical considerations, and more to do with your own particular style of tattooing. Do you tend to stay in one place, or do you travel around? How much will it bother you to carry something heavy with you? Is portability an important concern?
Even if you are in one place, another reason why this could be important is the size of your workspace. Some artists need smaller equipment due to confined areas in which to use it. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the tattoo power supplies that you will be looking at have to be lacking in output. There are smaller tattoo power supplies that will provide you with good voltage too.
Here’s another thing that is sometimes an afterthought when looking through tattoo power supplies – How many machines do you use? Some artists are perfectly content with working with one tattoo gun for everything. Others enjoy having more. An example of a set-up like this would be to have one machine designated for lining and another for shading. This can be a more convenient way to go. The catch to it is that you will have to look at tattoo power supplies that can accommodate two machines being plugged into it so that you can quickly and easily switch between them.
The price of the tattoo power supplies that you are looking at will be a concern for most. My advice would be to get what you need at all costs. Proper equipment will last for years, and will make it easier to practice your craft. This is not always practical, as real world circumstances do tend to get in the way sometimes. Generally, you can get away with paying as little as forty dollars for some tattoo power supplies. For the best ones, the price can jump into the four hundred dollar range though. Know this going in and try to avoid that sticker shock.
Tattoo power supplies are as important as the machine that you use. It gives it the juice that you need to get the needle into the skin at any angle and with any amount of pressure that is necessary. This will definitely effect the finished piece of art. There are many models available with their own unique features. What it basically comes down to is trying to balance the need for power with size, portability, weight, stability of output, and price. The specific equipment that you need will be determined by your circumstances and your own style of tattooing. Just try not to be overly concerned with the price of tattoo power supplies. The bottom line is that you need it for your business. So, invest in yourself and your dreams.
Comments on this entry are closed.