Tattoo Stencils

When I went in to get my first and only tattoo, I was so focused on not passing out that I hardly noticed the entire process before the tattoo was put on my skin. Thanks to Rob (my tattoo artist) and tattoo stencils, my tattoo turned out to be exactly what I wanted, where I wanted, despite my out of body experience. Tattoo stencils are the blueprint for the tattoo design that will eventually end up on the skin.

Tattoo stencils, also called line drawings, are a visual reference for the tattoo artist. It helps them to outline the design in a very precise way without leaving shaky or uncertain lines behind for all eternity. If what you did at work would be around forever you would use a stencil too! Tattoo artists have a lot of pressure on their shoulders; their artwork is permanent. There is the option of laser removal but that's a more painful and drawn-out process than putting it on your skin. Tattoo stencils help take some of the pressure off for the artist by providing an outline of the design. Keep in mind, however, that the tattoo stencil is merely a guide for outlining. All the shading and color details are left to your tattooist's artistic talent. So choose your artist wisely before you practice using tattoo stencils.

The tattoo stencil itself is created by a machine called a thermal-fax. By inserting the drawing into the machine, it transfers the image onto thermal paper. Think of it as a less-detailed version of those temporary tattoos that you can get from a gumball machine. The tattoo artist must then moisten the skin, often using either soap and water or deodorant. Once the skin is moist, they can press the carbon tattoo stencil to the skin, leaving a blueish-purple likeness of the design; let's call it a blueprint. This is also the point where you realize it's almost too late to turn back and the queasiness begins to come in waves. Perhaps you might get lightheaded. But don't worry, this is all hypothetical.

Sometimes the artist will do something called freehand stenciling. This is the process of applying the tattoo stencil by hand with a pen, rather than using the thermal-fax to create it. This is still very much a tattoo stencil. They may not be using a pre-designed pattern, but the artist will still be able to use their homemade line drawing as a guide. Getting the design drawn straight onto your skin probably tickles, but please remember to be as still as you can or else it could end up looking a little crooked...forever.

Tattoo stencils are both a roadmap and a timesaver. The ease of preparing and using a stencil saves hours of tracing the design. Tattoo stencils make the tattoo experience more pleasant for your tattoo artist and in turn, for you.