Hello,

I’m looking to get a B&W tattoo using the stippling effect. I’ve asked a few local artists for info on what kind of ink should be used, but they all seem to say different things… The worries I’ve got are below. I’ve got enough bad tattoos on me from when I was young and stupid, so on this one I want to actually do my homework. If anyone can give me some answers I’d be stoked.

1. I want it to be truly black (grayscale) when healed. I really want it to be black and distinct from all my “blue/green” ones. So what ink will stay black after healing? I’m wondering about brands but also kinds (charcoal vs iron oxide). I’ve been given conflicting info so I’m utterly confused. I really do not want another tattoo that fades from black to blue/green.

2. Since stippling is a bunch of tiny dots, the ink has got to be inert (not move once in the dermis) so that the dots don’t blur or blowout. The dots have got to remain clean and separate from each other, as some will be quite close together obviously.

3. Since the 3-5RL needle will be poking rather than lining, the size of the pigment granules within the ink will probably have an affect on how much pigment is able to enter the dermis with each poke. If the pigment granules are too small, it seems like it’ll blur too much and possibly be metabolized quicker, but if they’re too large, it seems like not enough pigment will be deposited, and the black will not take.

4. Since I want it to be grayscale, it’ll need to have diluted black obviously. So will graywash dots be more likely to blur than a black liner? I guess I’m wondering if graywash can be used for intricate line work or intricate dot work (in this case of stippling). In other words, will black ink for dark dots, and graywash ink for light dots, work for clean grayscale stippling?

5.Lastly, how many hits per second should be used for stippling? I’ve heard most say around 150. So I’m assuming this is probably close to right, but if anyone knows better please let me know.

I’d really like to have some good answers that I can take to whomever I end up choosing to do the work. As of now the tat is on hold until I have confidence in the ink used (the local artists have all basically agreed on needles, depth, technique, so the ink is my only area of ignorance right now). If you can help me out and give me info on your best ink for what I’m in need of I’d appreciate it.

Thanks,

Danny