Modern tattoo machines  

While the technology used to apply tattoos has come a long way from the sharpened stick or single needle used in the past, tattoo machines have not evolved that much in the last hundred years. In fact, the general design is not all that different from the predecessor to modern tattoo machines, the electric pen that Edison patented way back in 1891.  

Since they are much more common this article will use coil machines in this brief analysis of how tattoo machines work.  

Every tattoo machine has a few essential elements that allow for the rapid injection of ink beneath the skin. At the heart of the coil machine is a set of coils, that work as electro-magnets which rapidly switch their current on an off, causing them to move.  

These coils are attached to a spring and an armature bar that moves up and down as the current passes through the magnets. The tattoo needle is attached to, and moves in conjunction with, the armature bar and when held to the skin creates hundreds of tiny perforations. These punctures are packed with ink and a permanent design is created.  

Precision process tattooing  

 

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A post shared by Robyn Hosier (@itsonly4ever) on Jun 22, 2017 at 1:10pm PDT

While scratching with a tattoo machine or single needle might seem easy, it’s a precise process taking years dedication to master. In years past, an aspiring artist would serve a tattoo apprenticeship, but these days more people take a different path. Regardless, one of the first, but most important skills a tattooist must acquire is learning to naturally find the perfect depth to apply the ink with the tattoo needle.  

It is the depth of application of ink that makes a tattoo permanent. For a fresh tattoo to stand up to the test of time the ink must be injected past the outer skin layer (epidermis) into the deeper layer (dermis). This is due to the body’s immune system and the fact that ink is viewed as a foreign intruder by the human body as it is healing.