Shading needles are needle groupings designed for filling and shading a tattoo rather than drawing the outline. They have more points spread more widely than lining needles, so they cover a larger area of skin in one pass.
What types of shading needles are there?
The two most common groupings are:
- Round shader: points arranged loosely in a circle, for soft transitions and smaller areas.
- Magnum: points arranged in one or two rows, for large areas of shading and colour.
The artist chooses the number of points and their arrangement to suit the size of the area, the technique and the effect, such as smooth grey wash or solid black.
Does the needle type matter to the client?
Choosing equipment is the artist's job. What matters to the client is that needles are sterile and single-use, which is how we work at Dirty Lust. A broader overview of needle types and codes is in the needle entry, and our hygiene rules are part of our studio terms.