When someone starts learning to tattoo, the first thing they learn and practice is tattoo lines. They cannot to getting the next stages until they can make perfect tattoo lines. If you are a beginner and doing your best to make perfect lines yet not able to do it. Then this article is for you. Even professional tattoo artists sometimes struggle with shaky tattoo lines. Let’s say an expert artist is doing perfect tattoo lines for years and suddenly he is having difficulty doing straight lines. His tattoo lines became shaky all of a sudden. Why is that?
Shaky tattoo lines, wiggly lines, or bump-on lines are typical amateur issues. But an expert tattoo artist may have this issue at times too. What is the actual mystery behind shaky tattoo lines and how to fix it? I will explain everything you need to know regarding the topic.
Key Takeaways
- When the tattoo outline is not straight, and has curves or bumps it can be considered as a shaky tattoo line.
- You can fix shaky tattoo lines by fixing your tool, fixing your technique, and with more practice.
- Shaky tattoo lines can be fixed by tattoo cover-up or simply making the lines thicker.
- You can get rid of the shaky tattoo lines totally with laser treatment.
7 Ways to Fix Shaky Tattoo Lines
The first and foremost thing you should do is practice. Keep practicing daily and you will make perfect lines. But if you are still struggling to make perfect lines even after a long time then there is a high chance the issue is not with your skill but your tools. There can be a lot of factors behind your shaky tattoo lines.
Follow the steps below to fix shaky tattoo lines:
1. Fix your tools
As I said the issue could be with your tools. Especially if you have done straight tattoo lines before and now struggling to make perfect lines then the chance of your equipment or tools having issues is high. Now, it can be a bit difficult to pinpoint which tools are causing this issue. I will list and explain a few tools below for you to figure it out.
Damaged needle
Even a professional tattoo artist would end up making shaky tattoo lines if they use a barred or damaged tattoo needle. Tattoo needles are a very sensitive tool as they tend to get damaged very easily. There are some reusable tattoo needles, which I personally don’t recommend using because most of them get damaged while tattooing the first time.
The tip of the needle can get damaged when you are setting the tattoo gun and the needle gets touched with the tube. I myself have damaged many needles while getting more ink from a cup. Yes, the tip of the needle hitting the disposable ink cap can also damage it. So what exactly happens when your needle gets damaged? The damaged needle does not have a sharp, smooth, straight tip, instead, it becomes like a fishing hook.
So when you tattoo using the fishing hook shaped needled of course you won’t be getting any straight tattoo lines by using it. Keep in mind that tattoo needles may come damaged from the manufacturer too.
- Fix: make sure you don’t damage your tattoo needle and immediately replace it with a new one when you notice it is damaged.
Shaky needles
Shaky needles may also cause shaky tattoo lines. Now what is causing shaky needles depends on what type of needles you are using. There are needle cartridges and traditional needles.
Needle cartridges
If the cartridge casing is bigger than the required size then the needle would feel loose or shaky. The extra space that is giving you a shaky feeling will make the needle bounce when you start tattooing. And this bounce will cause it to make shaky tattoo lines.
- Fix: Ensure the cartridge case is not too big and the needles are snug in nice and tidy.
Traditional needles
Traditional needles are supposed to sit tight against the tube. If there is space between the needle and tube, then the needle would feel shaky and would bounce when you try to tattoo. As a result, you will get shaky tattoo lines.
- Fix: Use a proper tube or choose diamond shaped tube so that the needles fit in perfectly and do not shake.
Needle clogging
Needle clogging may happen because of various reasons, such as poor quality ink, too much Vaseline on the skin, etc. When your needle gets clogged you may get shaky lines or faint lines.
- Fix: Use good quality ink, don’t use too much Vaseline on the skin, and replace the clogged needle with a new one.
Bad ink
By bad ink I mean if you are using old ink, too thick or too thin ink, cheap and bad quality ink for tattooing then you might get shaky lines. Because bad ink won’t flow through your tattoo needle properly and uneven ink flow will cause issues like faint lines, too-deep lines, ink spitting, etc. Even good quality ink can be considered bad when you use it without shaking the ink bottle properly. Shaking is crucial because the pigment and fluid blend and creates the perfect mixture after shaking. If you do not shake the ink will not have the perfect liquid and as a result, the tattoo lines would look bad.
Not to mention bad, thick, or cheap quality ink can clog your needle which would lead to shaky tattoo lines.
- Fix: Use good quality, fresh ink and shake the ink bottle properly before pouring it into a disposable cup.
Needle speed
The needle should move at appropriate speed, too much speed or too slow needle poking can lead to shaky tattoo liens.
- Fix: Adjust your needle speed appropriately.
Voltage
The voltage of your tattoo plays a crucial role too. A tattoo gun may poke more frequently because of high voltage. It can ruin your straight tattoo line.
- Fix: Adjust the voltage of your tattoo machine.
Length of stroke
Some tattoo machine has a set length of stroke. If the needle stroke is not appropriate you would struggle to make straight tattoo lines.
- Fix: Adjust the stroke length of your machine.
2. Fix your technique
First, fix your tools by following the above-mentioned methods. After fixing your tool, if you still get shaky tattoo lines then I hate to break it to you that the issue might be with your technique. Now there are solutions for every technique problem but exactly which technical problem do you have? To find out follow the guideline below.
Faint line issue
If you are having a faint line issue then you might not be dipping the ink properly or often enough, not stretching the skin, using a clogged needle, and holding the tattoo gun at the wrong angle.
- Fix: Dip the needle more often into the ink, if you feel the tattoo needle is a bit bouncy when you tattoo then you have to stretch the skin more. And do not use clogged needles no matter what.
Shaky line issue
The shaky line issue happens mostly because of an unstable hand. If you have unstable hands, then you have to make them stable first to get perfect tattoo lines.
- Fix: Anchor your elbow to your ribs, put your wrist against the skin you are tattooing, and put the pinky finger near the thumb of your stretching hand.
Blown out lines issue
When the ink is seemingly spread under the skin or the ink looks fuggy then it is probably an issue called blown-out lines. The skin tends to look green or blue around blown-out tattoo lines. The tattoo ink is supposed to go into the dermis or the second layer of your skin. But when the tattoo artist presses the needle a bit too hard the ink gets injected into the hypodermis or the third layer of the skin. On the third layer, the ink comes in contact with fat and veins hence it gets spread and looks a bit fuzzy.
Do not mistake a tattoo blowout for an injury or bruise. A tattoo blowout gets worse with time. But any bruise or injury would heal in a few days. Unfortunately, tattoo blowouts are permanent and can only be fixed by laser treatment, tattoo cover-up, or by surgical tattoo removal.
- Note: Do not use smaller needle grouping and do not press the needle onto the skin too hard.
Inconsistent width
If your tattoo lines look uneven or someplace it is thin and in some places, they look thick or wide then the width of the tattoo line is not consistent. It can happen if you poke the needle too deep in some areas and not so deep in other areas. It can also happen due to bad ink or ink spitting.
- Fix: Keep the same amount of pressure and deepness of the needle poking into the skin to maintain consistent width of the tattoo line. Also, make sure you are using good-quality ink and the needle is not clogged.
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3. Avoid using fine tattoo needle
When you use too fine of a tattoo needle even the smallest mistake could ruin the perfect tattoo line. Using too fine of a tattoo needle is suitable for only high-level professionals who have super sturdy hands. If you are a beginner, then avoid using 5RL needles as they can amplify even the slightest shake of your hand and make shaky tattoo lines.
- Fix: Try to use 9 round liners or 7 round liners when you are making tattoo lines.
4. Stretch the skin properly
Stretching the skin where you are tattooing is crucial. The amount of force you use and the direction you stretch the skin is also crucial. Remember, you should stretch the skin in the same direction you’re tattooing the line. It reduces skin trauma and as a result, you will have faster healing.
5. Apply Vaseline
Yes, too much Vaseline on the skin can clog the tattoo needle but applying Vaseline is crucial. It helps you glide over the skin nicely as a result you can create straight tattoo lines. Without Vaseline, your hand may be judder and as a result, you will get shaky tattoo lines.
6. Do not work when you are fatigued
Fatigue can cause you to make shaky tattoo lines so make sure you are not fatigued and fully charred before tattooing. You may take a power nap before your client shows up if you’re tired. You can drink coffee to boost your energy and alertness too.
7. Practice
I am mentioning this as a last fixing advice but this one is probably the most crucial among all the methods I have mentioned. Especially if you are a newbie tattoo artist. Does not matter how bad your hand’s stability is, you can get it under control and can make perfect tattoo lines, believe it! All you have to do is practice regularly and don’t give up.
I had some apprentices who couldn’t keep up with practice and gave up mid-way. It really saddens me that some bright talent out there would quit just because they didn’t like the practice period of the process. It does not matter who you ask, they will give you strong advice to practice daily. I used to practice for around 3 hours daily to make my hand steady. And when I started to make perfect tattoo lines it was one of the happiest days of my life. So yea, stop making excuses and get to practice!
FAQs
How to tell if I have shaky tattoo lines or not?
First practice on fake tattoo practice skin and see the result. If the line is not straight and has curves or shakiness, then you still need to practice more to make perfect tattoo lines.
If my hand is not shaky then why am having shaky tattoo lines?
If your hands are not shaky then check your technique and your tattoo machines to find and fix the cause of shaky lines.
Can I correct it after making a tattoo with shaky lines?
You can correct the mistake by doing a tattoo cover-up or simply making the lines thicker. Other than that you can choose to get laser treatment to remove the shaky lines completely.
Final Thoughts
Shaky tattoo lines are embarrassing. It can be embarrassing for the tattoo artist and for the client as well. Does not matter how cool of a design you made but it would look childish and immature because of a shaky outline. Just make sure to follow my advice to find the root cause of your shaky tattoo lines and fix it. If it is your technique then you can easily fix it by placing the hand, and pinky finger in the right place. If your tattoo machine i faulty then replace or fix the issue.
And lastly, I would strongly advise you to practice more. Some people are naturally talented and may not need to practice much. If you have a shaky hand or it is taking more time to adjust your hand and technique, then there is nothing wrong with that. Take your time and keep up the practice.
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