Reference
Tattoo glossary
The words you’ll hear in a studio, in plain English. Knowing these makes a consultation faster and clearer — for both of you.
- Blackwork
- Tattooing built from solid black ink and negative space, usually graphic and high-contrast.
- Black & grey
- Shading built from black ink diluted into washes of grey — no color.
- Bloodborne pathogens
- Infectious agents in blood that can spread via shared needles; the reason single-use needles and sterilization are non-negotiable.
- Cartridge
- A disposable needle-and-grip unit that clicks into the machine; replaced for every client.
- Consultation
- The conversation before the appointment where you, the artist and the design meet.
- Cover-up
- A tattoo designed to conceal an older one; usually needs to be larger, darker and bolder.
- Custom
- A design made for one person, from scratch or from your references — as opposed to flash.
- Dotwork
- Shading and form built from thousands of individual dots rather than solid fill.
- Fine line
- Delicate work done with small needle groupings, producing very thin lines.
- Flash
- Ready-made designs an artist offers to tattoo as-is, usually displayed on a wall or in a book.
- Freehand
- Drawing directly onto the skin with a marker before tattooing, instead of a stencil.
- Negative space
- Areas of skin deliberately left bare to create shape and contrast.
- Needle grouping
- The number and arrangement of needle points soldered together — thin lines use few, shading uses many.
- Ouroboros
- A snake eating its own tail — an ancient symbol of cycles and eternity.
- Stencil
- The transfer outline applied to the skin so the design is placed consistently.
- Stippling
- Shading made of small dots or tiny dashes, giving a hand-drawn texture.
- Touch-up
- A follow-up session to refresh areas that healed unevenly or faded.
- Wrap
- A design that circles a limb so the two ends meet or overlap — the snake tattoo’s signature move.
- Second skin
- An adhesive film dressing (like Saniderm) worn over a fresh tattoo for the first days of healing.
- Linework
- The outline and line elements of a tattoo, before or without shading.