Tattoo ABC
Re-explained by
Ivan Inkart
(The lexicon is constantly being expanded)
A
airbrush tattoo
An airbrush tattoo is not done with a tattoo machine, but with an airbrush gun, like body painting. Unlike a real tattoo, an airbrush tattoo can be washed off.
alcohol
It is not advisable to consume alcohol before getting a tattoo! First of all, it's better to decide when you're sober if and which tattoo you want, but apart from that, alcohol has a blood-thinning effect. As a result, you will bleed more than necessary when tattooing, and unfortunately some of the color will flow out with the blood. So it's better to do without and get a nicer tattoo instead! Also important: Most tattoo studios (including us) do not serve customers who are under the influence of alcohol
anchor
A motif that sailors used to have tattooed as an identifier that they belong to the seafarers' guild. The anchor is currently experiencing something of a comeback as part of the "old-school" tradition.
Asian characters
Also called "Kanji" and currently extremely popular as a tattoo because they are relatively small, but still look very beautiful. In addition, you can express a lot with a single character. There are enough templates in most tattoo studios. If you want something individual, there are some websites on the Internet where you can have words or names translated into characters. Of course you can also just try the Chinese restaurant around the corner, although you should probably not expect calligraphy then :-)
eye tattoo
Sounds crazy, but it's not. It is a cosmetic type of tattoo and was developed by Dutch tattoo artist Eddy van der Velden. He is currently the only tattoo artist who is familiar with this area.
Withdrawal fluid
Or stencilfluid. Is needed to bring the trigger of the matrix to the skin. Spraying the skin with the liquid and pulling the trigger.
sanding down
Painful way to remove tattoos.
age
Only customers over the age of 18 are tattooed. Customers who are minors require the consent of their legal guardian.
B
black work
The black part of a tattoo. There are also many, and very beautiful, so-called black & gray tattoos, whereby the tattoo consists exclusively of black and gray tones.
blowout
Signs of a bad tattoo, which is usually too deep. This is color that bleeds into the skin layers, causing unwanted shadows.
bio tattoo
Tattoo that supposedly should disappear by itself after a maximum of 5 years... very questionable and according to many experts (including dermatologists) impossible! It is therefore more likely that these types of tattoos will fade, but will by no means disappear completely. What remains in the long run is a particularly blurred and therefore ugly tattoo. Our recommendation: prefer a normal tattoo, otherwise there are adhesive tattoos instead!!
body suite
Full body tattoo, but leaving out the head, hands and feet. Comes from Japan and is also called Irezumi. While it is often associated with the Yazuka (Japanese Mafia), it originally had nothing to do with it. Irezumi came about as a protest against certain dress codes!
bunshin
Japanese word for tattoo, literally means "to write on the body"
C
Celtic
As the name suggests, these are tattoo motifs of Celtic origin. Celtic tattoos are mostly done in one color but with different shades. The knot-like symbols, but also animal motifs, were used as decoration in old manuscripts. See also the section "Tattoo styles
cover up
literally translates to "to cover or cover something up," and that's exactly what a cover-up does. An old tattoo is stitched over and made invisible. The old tattoo has to be built into the new tattoo in terms of shape, and the colors of the new tattoo are usually darker in order to hide the old tattoo really well
D
dermabrasion
A method to remove tattoos by abrasion of the skin.
disinfectant
Used to clean and disinfect the skin before tattooing to prevent infection. The workplace and work materials are also cleaned with disinfectant before and after tattooing. The latter is then sterilized in an ultrasonic bath
drugs
A tattoo lasts a lifetime, so the same applies as with alcohol: only go to the tattoo studio when you are sober or clear!
E
disposable gloves
Are an absolute matter of course for every responsible tattoo artist! He uses a new pair for each customer, protecting both the customer and himself from infection.
distance
Tattoo removal is a difficult and costly business
f
Colours
Most paints are organically based and supplied in powder form or ready mixed. The color strength is determined by the amount of liquid (usually isopropanol or glycerin, with some colors also distilled water) that is mixed with it.
color caps
Are the small plastic containers in which you fill the colors. New color caps are used for each customer for hygiene reasons, which are thrown away after use
Flash
Another word for tattoo motifs (see also motifs); There are examples under "Flash"
Flat
The flat needles or needles arranged in layers (magnum) soldered together
free hand
A tattoo that is tattooed without a stencil. Some tattoo artists are so good at the freehand style that they don't even sketch on the skin!
G
gold color
Cannot be used while tattooing. The color gold must therefore be created by the tattoo artist using shadow-light representation
H
Horimono
Traditional Japanese tattoos. "Hori" or "horu" means "to carve" and "mono" means "thing"
hygiene
Top priority when tattooing to avoid infections and promote rapid healing!!
I
Irezumi
see body suite
J
Japanese tattoos
See Horimono, Irezumi, and Bunshin
K
kanji
are Asian characters
L
laser removal
Method to get rid of an unwanted tattoo. Sounds easy, but it is not! The treatment is painful, takes a long time and is very expensive. Professional tattoo removal takes about 8-12 sessions of 5-60 minutes each. Certain colors cannot be completely removed and scarring can occur.
soldering
The tattoo artist solders the needles to the needle bar. Such a group of needles are called flat or magnum. Fewer needles (usually 3) are used for engraving contours than for coloring areas or shading.
M
Maori
Are the natives of New Zealand and known for their traditional tattoos, which are often on the face. The facial tattoo is called moko, and was a symbol of marital status and position within the tribe. Maori tattoos are inked in black, so each tattoo has a traditional history and meaning. A very well-known Maori tattoo bearer is Robbie Williams, a fact which does not please the Maoris at all, because for them a tattoo means much more than just body decoration and they think that he has "stolen" a motif.
motives
Tattoo motifs or templates are also called Flash. Every tattoo studio has a large collection from which you can search for your tattoo motif. It is of course more original if you implement your own tattoo idea or have it implemented by the tattoo artist.
N
needles
Tattoo needles are stainless steel needles that are replaced (or at least sterilized!) after each tattoo session.
needle bar
Is the steel rod to which the tattoo needles are soldered. It is located at the top of the tattoo machine and must be sterilized before and after each tattoo procedure
O
Old school
Tattoos in the style of the 20th century... ok, ok, that's a lot, but I mean the ones from the period 1920-1960. Think of hearts with names, pin-up girls, the famous swallow with a letter, etc. The contours or outlines are engraved in clear black and the other colors are very strong (lots of red, green and blue).
originality
Since a tattoo lasts a lifetime, try not to pick a run-of-the-mill tattoo, but one with some originality. That doesn't mean that you should definitely choose a super-unusual motif just because it's definitely original! With a small adjustment of an existing motif you already have a personal tattoo.
outlines
The contours or outer lines of the tattoo are usually stung first before coloring begins.
P
Care
Proper care of a new tattoo is extremely important for healing. The tattoo artist will give precise instructions in this regard - it is essential to follow them so that the tattoo can really heal optimally! More information under "Info - Care"
Q
quality
Before tattooing, ALWAYS convince yourself of the quality of the tattoo artist. Let me show you his workbook with photos of his tattooed pictures so far. If the tattoo studio does not have a workbook, then you should look for another tattoo studio, because quality is the most important thing for a decision that is (for most) life imprisonment.
R
Shave
Before tattooing, the affected area of skin is shaved to give the tattoo artist a "free" work surface and to avoid infections. When tattooing, a hair could possibly be brought under the skin together with the color. This can sometimes lead to inflammation.
legal position
Tattooing is a surgical intervention in the human organism. The legal situation for tattoos has not yet been clearly clarified. From a legal point of view, tattooing constitutes bodily harm, which only remains unpunished if the person to be tattooed consents. Only those who have been informed about all risks and have sufficient judgment can consent (therefore never go to the tattoo studio under the influence of alcohol or drugs!)
risks
Various viral diseases (such as AIDS, herpes simplex and hepatitis) can be transmitted by disregarding hygienic requirements. There is always a risk of an allergic reaction to the paints, although this is very rare. The risk of scarring and blowouts is far greater if the tattoo artist isn't a master of his or her trade, or if you don't stop scratching the tattoo while it's healing! But if you choose a good tattoo studio, the risks are very small!!
S
template
It is done by the tattoo artist based on the selected motif, drawing the motif in reverse on special paper. Then the place where the tattoo should come is rubbed with grease ointment and the stencil is pressed on. This transfers the drawing to the skin. In principle, about the same as the chewing gum pictures
Pains
A difficult topic, because everyone feels differently! But basically one can say that tattooing is logically not painless. In any case, there are parts of the body that are more sensitive (e.g. ankles, feet) because the skin lies closer to the bones there. The tattoo itself doesn't really feel like a sting, but more like a scratchy rubbing - at least that's my personal feeling! Afterwards, the tattooed area feels a bit like a (not too bad) abrasion. Anyway, it's definitely worth it!!
scab
Often forms while the tattoo is healing, is normal and should be left alone! Because scraping can not only lead to infections and scarring, but also damage the tattoo (color particles can also be removed when scraping). To avoid scab (New German: scab) you can hide the fresh tattoo under cling film for the first 4-5 days. It is important to ensure that the tattoo is washed off several times a day with clear water and a clean hand and creamed with a dexpanthenol ointment such as Bepanthen (Roche) before the foil is put back on. The healing process is accomplished by the cream and due to the lower oxygen supply, a scab/grind develops in the rarest of cases. In any case, it always works fine for me.
Sun
You should completely avoid the first 6 weeks after tattooing! Even after that, it is better not to expose the tattoo to the sun too often - and if so, then only well protected with a sunburn cream with a high sun protection factor. A tattoo becomes pale in the long run when it is exposed to the sun! Some colors react to the sun with a chemical reaction and thus trigger a kind of allergy (but this is rather rare).
prick
Tattooing is about 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters deep. If you sting deeper, blowouts can occur
T
tattoo machine
Hardly needs comment, but was first patented in 1891 by Samuel O'Reilly. The drive principle is based on an electromagnet and a spring and the machine makes 800 (shader) to 3500 (liner) stitches per minute. Shaders are called the tattoo machines for shades and colors. A liner is a faster line drawing machine. However, many tattoo artists work with machines that can create both lines and shadows.
Tebori
Traditional tattooing method from Japan, whereby tattoos are not done with a machine but with the hand.
tribal
Curved symbol that is often engraved in black. It is based on ancient tribal traditions where the tattoo was a sign of tribal affiliation.
u
Ultrasonic
Used as a cleaning method for tattoo equipment. This generates high vibrations in a liquid; This creates bubbles that land on the device to be cleaned, bursting and removing dirt. However, this process is not sufficient sterilization, although an antibacterial cleaning agent is used for "US" cleaning.
V
vaseline
The means to keep the skin supple during tattooing, so that the needle can slide better over and into the skin.
W
Waterjet cutting
Waterjet cutting is the alternative to the scalpel. A very fine jet of water cuts the tissue, it can also be used to rinse out the color pigments. The tissue is lifted in a hospital under general anesthesia and the color pigments are flushed out with a fine jet of water. A very expensive and not yet mature technology. The advantage here is that large tattoos and all shades of color can be removed. But scars remain.
Z
time
Time and patience is part of a beautiful and attractive tattoo. Never let a "stressed" tattoo artist do a tattoo for you, it doesn't work well!
You too should not go to the tattoo artist under time pressure, stressed or starved and thirsty. Bring a lot of time and take it easy, then you can be sure that you will get a nice tattoo that you will enjoy for a long time.