Tattoo Needle Sizes, Counts & Groupings
| Needle Grouping | Tube Size | Common uses |
|---|---|---|
| 1RL, 3RL | 1 – 3 round | Lines, intricate shading, and fill-in |
| 4RL, 5RL | 4 – 5 round | Outlines, shading, and fill-in |
| 7RL | 7 round | Shading and color fill |
| 8RL, 9RL | 8 – 9 round | Shading, thick outlines, and color fill |
Accordingly, what needle is best for shading?
Flat Shader Needles
In respect to this, how do you shade with a liner needle?
Also to know is, what hurts more shading or lining?
Color and shading simply provide more dimension than line work. Contrary to what you might expect, many people report that the shading hurts significantly less than the outlining of the tattoo. If you’ve already made it through your line work, pat yourself on the back.
