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Just don´t be to hasty when you start your tattoo. I useually apply my stencil, then start ink up my cups and prepair for start, whitch gives the stencil time to set properly. Then you´ll see that it will hold for ever. One other thing is to use the best equipment as far as tips and so on and you splatter will be less and less of a mess to wipe wile tattooing. The last tip from me is to not use greensoap at all. during a tattoo I only wipe with destilled water, no soap no nothing. That will wipe the ink of but not the stencil. And don´t overlube the area with vaseline. A small amount keeps the area easycleaned but to much and the mess will be even bigger.

My thought, will be great to here someone elses....

I do the same thing as far as applying the stencil,put it on, then go ahead and finish setting up,which gives you the proper drying time for the stencil. Stencil Stuff works good for applying your stencils and it helps them last longer too, even though I'm part owner of Stencil Stuff, and it may look like I'm just plugging it where I can,but it actually does work very well! It works even better if you prep the skin before using it, with Alcohol or hand sanitizer, not only does it clean the area but it also helps dry out the skin a little which helps the stencil stay on even better. I have a habit of wiping a lot, but when there is a stencil to worry about, even though i wipe a lot i stay clear of the stencil that i don't want to interrupt. When and if a mess of ink happens i clean it up quick, for one i need to see what im doing,and for two, it looks better on your part when your client looks at it,i feel it looks better when you have things cleaned up and not your making a complete mess. I like to use Distilled water mixed with a small amount of regular gold liquid dial soap. I stopped using green soap a few years back and it's been better ever since. I like that i could just go to CVS or Rite-Aid and buy it rather than having to order it,and it doesn't burn like you can occasionally get complaints of.

Thanks a lot for the quick answer, i`ll try you method A.S.A.P. but as i realised over the years in tattooing, every little thing you do different might make a hudge difference to your final result. Once again, thank you for everything you do and keep up pushing the limits. You know what they say, imagination is the limit.

i have a quick question. if green soap is to concentrate and is applied to the skin while tattooing frequently for wiping would it irritate the skin quickly and cause for some of the skin to fall of while wiping ?

I have recently bought a tattoo kit and started on practice skins. I have literally done 2 tattoos and both were successful. I am obviously still building my supplies up as I am new to it all but seem to an took to very well just by watching videos on YouTube, DVDs and joining in with blogs such as this 1. Anyway I found that johnsons baby wipes worked really well for cleaning the ink of skin as they are hygienic and alot of people told me not to buy green soap.

O wow I have NEVER heard of the regualr gold soap and water mix. Everywhere I have worked at it was always required to use greensoap. I started noticing people occasionally complain about it here and there when I first started tattooing, I didn't know their was allternatives~! I agree with the stencil stuff though.

Thank you so much for the advice~!

i was just wondering, as i have experience within tattooing but have never knew what i used to clean the skin before you apply the setncil shaving etc. so i was wondering what is the procedures to clean the skin step by step. thanks

skin prep is simple jus apply a alcohol prep. or regular alcohol (shave the area). and green soap wipe down ...apply stencil wit detol stencil stuff..or any product for stencil purposes..never speed stick just to be safe as to transfer contaminents from skin surfaces (unsterile) pretty much bro

i wipe the area with hand sanitizer then shave with the grain (to avoid ingrown hairs wich will pull ink) using a 70% distilled 30% witch hazel mix. after one more quick clean with hand sanitizer let dry apply stencil stuff (or whatever u use) and let dry. i usually have everything laid out besides my ink cups n ink and i loupe my needles and then setup my machines at this time. usually takes around 10min then check the skin to make sure its dry and start. i used to use the distilled/witch hazel for wiping until i heard about the dial mix which i now use and the skin irritation is wayyyyy less. to the guy talking about using johnsons baby wipes i would urge u not to use those as they prolly contain quite a bit of alcohol wich will irritate the skin and also eat up ur stencil. to the guy asking if green soap will make skin fall off. i have never seen that happen even watching rookies use undiluted green soap so check ur needle depth and technique. sounds like ur overworking the skin quite a bit. also i used to use vaseline but my state does not allow it so i switched to a&d while tattooing and it works alot better. u can order it in the tub or individual packets. to mike d not trying to kiss ass but stencil stuff is absoulutely amazing! i thought it was all just hype till an artist i work with got some and let me try it....needless to say i will never use anything else! hope this answered some of your questions

ima tattoo nub but i been using Band-Aid antiseptic wash in the blue bottle. seen it on a Joe Cabobianco video. Clients love it, it has first aid anesthetic that calms the area while wiping the excess ink away. I picked up a handful of trial size clear speed stick. one per customer and add the 50 cents to the cost of the tattoo. it gets thrown away in the red plastic trash can. i know everyone says dont use speed stick but it works like a charm and with the single use, you dont have to worry about transfer from customer to customer.

my prep-work: wash and shave the area with hand sanitizer. it works, it evaporates and it cleans the area very nice.

wipe down with an alcohol wipe

dose the area with the one-time use speed stick

stick the transfer, pull and let it sit for 10 minutes or more while i set up my palette.

i use unscented, alcohol free, fragrance free baby wipes. one pack per customer. yup, the rest get thrown away. another $1.50 added to the cost of a tattoo.

clip cord covers and boxes of sandwich baggies. bag on the machine, bag on the power supply, bags on the bottles. ink gets pulled one time and then put away.

ima nub and i keep it clean.

and yeah, im BBP certified.

www.probloodborne.com/
Get OSHA-compliant Bloodborne Pathogens training online for tattoo artists, health care professionals, and others who come in contact with blood pathogens.

its $20 and its information you need to operate in this field. Get the info, get the certification, take the time and spend the money.

P.S. you can watch the videos and take the test before you pay. watch the videos a couple times, it wont hurt and you may miss something very important.

What is a tool to use to whip off access ink during the tattoo session? Besides paper towel ?

Ok i have used stencil stuff for some time now because i heard it was one of the best. But to tell the truth i have had no luck with it. Now at first it was staying on the skin. But no it wipes off after a few wipes. I have not changed anything so i dont know whats wrong. I use to order it from skincandy but they stop selling it. So cab anyone tell me what i am doing wrong, or can they go through the steps of how to use it. I know that may aound dumb since there is already step by step on here. But to tell the truth i need more detail lol. Like what to do first second third ect.. so anyhelp would be great. Now regardless stencil stuff is all i will use as it does put a great inprint on the skin. Just need to find out how to make it stay. And if any spelling is wrong please forgive me as i am on my phone and t9 word sucks lol. Thanks

And one more thing, when i stencil i trace it out because i dont have a thermal fax or anything of that nature. So could this be my problem and if so what can i do to make it better??? Thanks alot for any help.

Greensoap is great for pre-soaking re-usable parts but I would not use it during a tattoo, for many of the reasons mentioned already in this thread.

hey mike first of all i would like to say you are a great artist and i admire your work. My question is what is the use of the skin markers. Does that help in any way keeping the stencil on? And is it true that all you need to wipe the tattoo off during tattooing is distilled water?

Skin Markers- use in the place of or in addition to a stencil.
an example would be if the area was too large for a normal stencil, low detailed area which doesnt require a line, but you need to keep track of where to place subject matter.

You can wipe with a variety of things. My favorite is Witch Hazel. its antiseptic and is an all around good thing to have on hand. you can use it as a compress to relieve redness and swelling, you can use it to dilute your ink, and ofc you can use it to wipe.