Carbon paper, a tattoo essential

Carbon paper for tattoos is an essential part of the equipment needed by tattoo artists in the UK. It may seem like a small part of a tattoo kit or a separately purchased item, but it is just as important as a rotary machine or the latest needle for close work. Whether known as transfer paper, hectograph paper or carbon paper for tattoos, it is basically all the same thing.

Multi-ply Carbon Paper

Carbon paper is designed as a multi-ply option. This may be unusual for people who stopped using carbon paper between A4 sheets of paper in electronic typewriters years ago, but it remains very much in use within the tattoo industry.

How Carbon Paper Is Used

Carbon paper for tattoos is usedto trace out tattoo designs so that they can be placed on the skin for transfer over the appropriate body part. Carbon stencil paper is not all the same quality. Some can be kind of flaky within the packet when received, so it's important to look for a good brand of carbon paper which can last over time and is durable.

Often carbon paper is supplied in a 4-ply structure with a front sheet (often in a white colour), removable protection sheet, carbon paper and a back sheet (often a yellow colour).  This type of quality carbon paper for tattoos may be used freehand or by using a thermal copying machine that some larger tattoo shops have.

Variances with Carbon Paper

Carbon paper like the sheets from Carbonite are not the same. For instance, their product is only 2-ply; it can only be used with hand stencilling rather than by using a thermal machine. A detailed drawing can be put onto the carbon paper and then stencilled using the normal equipment onto the skin. This will come out like a purple outline because of the type of carbon that Carbonite use. A ballpoint pen is needed with some degree of pressure to ensure that the drawing goes on to the paper successfully on the first attempt.

Box Packs

Box packs come in various sizes depending on the manufacturer. In the case of Carbonite, there are boxes of 20 sheets and boxes of 100 sheets.

Tracing Paper

It is also possible to buy large sizes like A3 of tracing paper. Brands like Technik Art offer packs of 40 sheets with a 60gsm paperweight. Diagrams for tattooing can be drawn on this tracing paper, and when used in conjunction with carbon paper for tattoos, this can be transferred on to the skin for later guidance with the tattoo.