The tattoo artist profession has become an increasingly popular one in recent years. With millions of individuals across the globe looking to express their individuality, tattoos have quickly become the most effective way to do just that. As such, the industry needs more new artists now than ever before and pursuing a career in this field is a great way to make a living doing what you love. However, if you’re going to succeed in opening your own tattoo parlor, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary tools. These are some must-have tattoo supplies for new shop owners to stock up on before they open their doors.

Medical and Cleaning Products

Even before you consider purchasing your actual tattooing tools, you should stock up on medical and facility cleaning supplies. Because the tattoo process involves shallowly injecting the skin with ink, there’s a fairly high risk of inflammation and infection after the fact. Keeping the proper sterile wipes and disinfectants on-hand will ensure that you can always treat your customer and mitigate their chances of infection after the fact. Not only can this keep your clients healthy and happy, but it can also prevent warping of the finalized tattoo.

Some essential medical and cleaning supplies to keep in your tattoo shop include:

• Medical masks and gloves
• Bandages and gauze
• Workstation disinfectants
• Sterilizing products

An Autoclave Sterilizer

Just like keeping your tattoo station and hands clean for your appointments, it’s also vital that your equipment is fully sterilized from the previous project. Autoclaves are the most crucial piece of equipment a tattoo shop can have. As chambers that utilize heat, these products can kill any microorganisms on the surface of your tattoo machine. This stops the spread of harmful germs and further prevents infection when creating a tattoo. While they’re a bit of an investment at first, these products quickly pay for themselves by ensuring you have happy and healthy customers after each tattoo session.

A Tattoo Machine With Needles

Next, you’ll need a quality tattoo machine with several sets of compatible needles. As you’re probably aware of, this device is what dispenses the ink into the skin and allows the tattoo artist optimal control of the finished product. Tattoo machines can come in rotary, coil, or pneumatic models, and each have their own benefits and drawbacks. Depending on the model you pick, you could end up with a slightly different style than expected for the finished tattoo. As such, it’s highly recommended that you test out each kind before committing to one. It’s also important to note that all these tattoo machines are fundamentally the same and function similarly. Therefore, it won’t be harder to use one over the others.

Needle Waste Container

Along with your tattoo machine and needles, you need a way to properly dispose of used materials. Needles should never stay attached to the machine after they’ve been used on a client. Doing so increases the chance of transferring bodily fluids and germs between individuals, which can lead to severe infection and illness. For these reasons, used needles should always remain separate from clean ones. Fortunately, clearly marked waste containers can help with this by providing a noticeable sign of warning on their front. They’ll let you know right away that you’re handling dirty needles so that you can take the necessary precautions.

Adjustable Tattoo Chairs and Beds

Another type of must-have tattoo supplies for new shop owners is having accommodating seating for both you and your clients. Tattoo appointments can take a long time depending on the scale and detail of the project. As such, it’s important that not only your clients are comfortable, but that your artists are as well. Adjustable chairs and tattoo beds allow both parties to find the right positions for their needs and prevent any unnecessary aches and pains throughout the process. These products also make it easier for the artist to work with the desired application site. Since the entire body can be a potential canvas, tattoo artists need to have the ability to work on specific patches of skin.

Tattoo Reference and Sketch Books

The first part of any tattoo consultation is getting an idea of what the client wants. From where they want the tattoo to the subject matter, reference and sketch books are essential to creating a clear concept for the artist to later follow. Reference guides contain thousands of different patterns and ideas for customers to browse. For those who are still undecided, these books are a great way to narrow down what they like. For artists, they offer vivid depictions of what the client is envisioning. Once a customer chooses a few templates, the artist can then customize it as needed.

This is where sketch books are incredibly useful as well. With these books, artists can take concepts chosen from the reference books and turn them into a design that their client wants. They make the best tools for open drawing and, ultimately, creating the stencils they’ll follow during the appointment.

Tattoo Ink and Quality Ink Caps

Above all, though, every tattoo shop needs a steady supply of tattoo ink and ink cups to properly contain the ink. No matter what color your client wants, it’s up to you to provide it. Because of this, stocking up on large quantities of ink before you open your shop is one of the best ways to ensure you’re prepared. Tattoo ink caps are crucial to have as well because of how precious this ink is. Should you accidently spill it, you could be out hundreds of dollars at once. But, with a reliable stock of ink caps, you can transport ink with ease and have extra protection from spillage while working with a client.

If you’re looking for a set of quality tattoo ink cups to help kick off your business right, Polymer Molding has just the line of products for you. Our selection of tattoo ink caps for wholesale come in a few different sizes to best suit different tattoo projects. Their sturdy bases and rimmed tops help prevent spillage and save your business money in the long run. We also offer a series of other useful tattoo accessories including reusable ink cup holders and ink palettes to provide even more security during an appointment. For more information about these products give us a call or request a quote on our website.