TATTOO LEXICON A-Z

Equipment & Tools

Professional tattoo studios work with highly precise, sterile equipment. This includes modern rotary and pen machines (Cheyenne, Bishop, FK Irons), sterile single-use grips, medical lighting, disposable needle cartridges with safety membranes, protective films for all surfaces, high-quality ink caps, stainless-steel workstations and hospital-grade cleaning supplies. Equipment quality directly impacts precision, healing and colour longevity.

Aftercare

Refers to the full healing phase after a tattoo session. Proper aftercare includes washing with pH-neutral soap, applying aftercare products such as Ink Booster or panthenol, protecting the skin from sunlight and avoiding friction. High-quality aftercare prevents infections, colour loss, peeling scars and ensures long-term vibrancy.

Anatomy & Body Placement

Different areas of the body vary in skin thickness, elasticity and nerve density. Ribs, inner arms and feet are more painful, while upper arms and thighs are easier to tattoo and heal more consistently. Understanding body anatomy allows an artist to design tattoos that flow naturally with muscles, tendons and movement.

Watercolor Tattoos

A painting-inspired tattoo style featuring soft washes, colour splashes, gradients and minimal outlines. Requires exceptional control of pigment dilution and needle pressure. Perfect for floral motifs, animals, abstract artwork and modern artistic designs.

Autoclave & Sterilisation

A medical sterilisation device used mostly in cosmetic or medical tattoo settings. Because professional tattoo studios use single-use equipment for hygiene, autoclaves are less common today—but sterilisation knowledge remains essential for safety and compliance with regulations.

Ink Bleeding & Blowouts

Ink bleeding is natural during tattooing. Blowouts occur when pigment goes too deep and spreads under the skin. Avoiding blowouts requires exceptional needle control, angle precision and in-depth knowledge of skin anatomy.

Backpiece

A full-back tattoo is one of the most complex and prestigious projects, requiring mastery of composition, visual balance, anatomy, storytelling and endurance over multiple long sessions.

Beauty Realism

A hyper-aesthetic substyle of realism focusing on glowing skin, pores, reflections, eyes, lips and elegant contrast. Extremely demanding. Every micro-error is visible. Only top realism artists master this consistently.

Biomechanical Tattoos

A blend of organic and mechanical elements inspired by sci-fi, metal textures, futuristic anatomy and H.R. Giger’s work. Requires advanced shading layers and perfect structural composition.

Black & Grey Realism

A monochrome realism style using black, greywash and skin tone. Known for timeless elegance. Impeccable control over shading, smooth gradients and contrast is mandatory.

Brutal Blackwork

A bold, experimental style using massive black areas, abstract shapes, raw textures and geometric elements. Visually striking and often conceptual.

Cartridge System

Modern needle modules with built-in safety membranes preventing backflow of ink or bodily fluids. Standard in professional studios. Safer, faster, more precise than old-school needle bars.

Cheyenne / Bishop / FK Irons

Leading manufacturers of world-class tattoo machines. Known for high precision, durability, minimal vibration and ergonomic design. Widely used by elite artists worldwide.

Colour Packing

Technique of filling areas with dense, even colour. Essential for colour realism and high-saturation work. Requires flawless hand control and consistent machine tuning.

Custom Tattoos

Fully original designs created specifically for one client. No copied Pinterest images, no flash sheets. Pure artistic craftsmanship and personal storytelling.

Dermis & Needle Depth

A tattoo must be placed precisely within the dermis layer of the skin. Too shallow → fading. Too deep → blowouts. Consistent depth control is a sign of true mastery.

Dotwork

A style built entirely from points. Soft gradients and textures created through dot density. Popular for mandalas, geometry and spiritual pieces.

Dry Healing

A method of healing tattoos without plastic wraps. Requires perfect application and disciplined aftercare. Favoured for realism and large projects.

Eternal / Intenze / World Famous Ink

Premium global ink brands known for longevity, saturation and compliance with strict EU regulations. Colour theory knowledge is essential for long-term results.

Single-Use Sterility

Every item that touches the client’s skin is sterile and used once—needles, grips, cups, covers. Reduces infection risk to virtually zero when done correctly.

Colour Realism

Photo-realistic tattoos in full colour. One of the most difficult disciplines. Requires mastery of blending, gradients, undertone mapping, contrast and skin tone harmonisation.

Fine Line Tattoos

Delicate, ultra-thin lines. Extremely popular today—but technically unforgiving. Even small mistakes or hand tremors show in the final healed lines.

Freehand Tattoos

Designs drawn directly onto the skin. Requires extensive artistic experience and deep knowledge of anatomy and flow.

Geometric Tattoos

Patterns, mandalas and symmetric structures. Precision is key—millimetres matter. Often supported by digital grids and laser projection.

Highlights & Lighting

White accents and highlight techniques add realism and depth. Misplaced highlights can ruin a tattoo. Expert placement elevates realism dramatically.

Grid Transfer Technique

A classical art technique adapted for tattooing and murals. Large designs are scaled perfectly using a grid for absolute proportion accuracy.

Hygiene Standards

Include disposable equipment, barrier protection, surface sterilisation, medical lighting, proper ink handling and waste disposal. Top studios exceed legal standards—like André with his annual Hygienicum Graz certification.

Hatching

Shading using lines and cross-hatching. Common in sketch, engraving and etching-inspired tattoos.

Ink Caps

Disposable cups for individual ink colours. Keep pigment clean and hygienic during the session.

Ink Booster

A professional glide and skin-conditioning product used worldwide to help ink enter the skin smoothly and reduce irritation.

Ink Saturation

The density of pigment embedded in the skin. Proper saturation ensures longevity and strong healed colours.

Japanese Irezumi

Traditional Japanese body art with koi fish, dragons, samurai, waves and mythical scenes. Deep symbolism and strict conventions.

Koi Tattoos

A symbol of perseverance, strength and transformation. One of the most popular motifs in Japanese-inspired tattooing.

Composition

The arrangement of shapes, light, direction, flow and balance. Determines whether a tattoo looks harmonious or chaotic.

Lining

The core skill of creating clean lines. Reveals an artist’s technical level instantly.

Layering

Building a tattoo over multiple passes: base layers, shadows, textures, then final details and highlights. Essential for realism.

Magnum Needles

Flat or curved needle groupings used for shading, soft transitions and colour work. Essential for realism and large pieces.

Micro Realism

Tiny tattoos with extremely detailed realism. Requires perfect vision and absolute needle control.

Murals

Large-scale wall paintings. André is one of Austria’s most recognised mural artists.

Needle Groupings

Round liners, round shaders, magnums, curved magnums, single needles—each for different effects and textures.

Numbing

Topical creams used for pain reduction. Effects vary. Professionals mainly rely on technique rather than numbing.

Old School Tattooing

Bold lines, bright colours, minimal gradients. Classic motifs like anchors, roses, daggers and pin-ups. Strong longevity.

Portrait Tattoos

Faces of people or animals. Ultra-demanding: proportions, shading and emotional expression must be perfect.

Placement

Where a tattoo sits on the body. Affects visibility, healing, lifespan and flow.

Realism

Hyper-detailed, lifelike tattoos. Requires mastery of light, sampling, layering, contrast, negative space and depth. André’s signature discipline.

Grid Technique (Raster)

Used for murals and large tattoos to ensure exact proportions. Guarantees perfect design transfer.

Sleeve Tattoos

A full-arm project requiring months of planning and execution. Must flow as a unified piece.

Stencil Technique

Transfer of design onto the skin before tattooing. Necessary for accuracy in complex motifs.

Single Needle Technique

Uses one needle for ultra-fine micro details. Very advanced and delicate.

Tattoo Machines

Rotary, pen and coil machines. Pen machines offer precision and comfort, ideal for realism.

Tattoo Removal

Laser removal using pico lasers or Q-switched lasers. Often used to prepare skin for a cover-up.

UV Protection

Sun exposure is the number one cause of fading. Fresh tattoos must be protected with SPF 50+.

Preparation

Hydration, good sleep, clean skin, and avoiding alcohol are essential before tattooing.

Wound Healing

Three stages: exudative, proliferative, regenerative. Proper care ensures perfect colour retention.

Watercolor Style

Artistic, soft, flowing tattoo style without strong outlines. Popular for modern expressive pieces.

Second Session

Large works require additional sessions for depth, saturation and final detailing.

Timeless Style

A design that still looks modern years later. Achieved through contrast, balance and long-term thinking: a key principle in André’s style.

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