Starting a Tattoo Business: Essential Tattoo Supplies and Equipment You Need

As a professional tattoo artist, opening a shop requires you to get a hold of a selection of essential tattoo supplies and equipment. You need to find established suppliers of professional grade tattoo equipment and consumables, and keep track of the inventory each week so you can confidently get and keep your business up and running.

 

After setting up your business and finding a location for your shop, you will have to purchase important tattooing supplies from a reputable tattoo supply store first. These include sterilization equipment and items such as tattoo machines, a power supply, foot switches, autoclaves, ultrasonic cleaners, and furniture.

 

Make sure your supplier also carries professional grade products and essentials such as needles, tubes, inks, and grips. You'll want to find one that offers a variety of products you need in different sizes and types, so you can get all the items you need for your shop from just one supplier. It's also better to purchase products from a supplier that caters only to professionals, as they have an idea of what businesses like yours require on a regular basis.

 

Next, see to it that you keep your disposable items well-stocked. Basic items such as ink caps, rubber bands, and grommets for your tattoo equipment, barrier film for covering furniture, green soap, stencil paper, applicators, and gloves, should be on hand all the time. You may acquire other tattoo supplies such as paper towels, spray bottles, petroleum jelly, plastic wrap, bandages, and disposable razors locally, but make sure that your tattoo supply store provides these as well.

 

Next, identify which aftercare products you plan to carry. You can recommend a selection of products to your customers, or require them to stick to a specific aftercare regimen and provide only the products you want them to use.

 

Aside from tattoo equipment, professional tattoo artists also need to have biohazard supplies in their shop. In the tattoo industry, there's an inherent risk of contracting infections and diseases through blood and needles, so you should always store and safely dispose any items that could be dangerous to you and your customers. You can also have biohazard bins and bags where you can dispose anything that contains blood, such as gloves, bandages, and paper towels.

 

Finally, make sure you have an inventory system in place to help you keep track of all the tattoo supplies you and your employees use in the shop. It's okay not to include easily acquired items that can be quickly bought at local stores, but specialized tattoo equipment and supplies such as different sizes or colors of needles and inks must be noted down.