There's no denying that you have a lot of stuff to manage as a tattoo artist, which can be a pain. When you pack up to work a convention, you have to make sure you have enough of everything you'll need and an organizational system that will hold it all and make your tattoo supplies easily accessible while you work. Even in your home shop, it can be hard to make sure you always have enough tattoo ink, needles, disposable tubes, protective gear, skin cleansers, and a slew of other tattoo supplies on hand, not to mention handy. The good news is that Painful Pleasures has the tattoo accessories you need to get organized, keep all the essentials at your fingertips at all times, stay on top of your inventory, transport your gear, and make your job as simple as possible.
Essential Tattoo Furniture
You could sit on a plastic bench and work on clients laying next to you on a couch, but if you're trying to convey that you're a professional tattoo artist, there's some core equipment you just can't do without. Ideally, you should setup your work space with a few pieces of proper tattoo furniture. At minimum, you'll need a good tattoo chair or table for your clients, like a TatSoul 370-S tattoo chair (also available in silver) or a TatSoul X portable tattoo table, and a rolling shop stool for yourself. Additionally, you might want an arm rest that you can use to stabilize your arm while you work or have clients use to prop an arm or leg in a certain position while you tattoo them. Also consider picking up a tattoo chair cover to make clean-up easy and prolong the life of your tattoo chair by minimizing wear and tear, as well as other accessories like retractable wheels for your TatSoul 370 tattoo chair.
The next thing you'll need to think about is how you'll keep your tattoo supplies easily accessible while you work. If you're working in a shop with counters and cabinets you can utilize that are in close proximity to where you'll be tattooing, great. If not, or if you want a portable workstation that you can also take with you to conventions and shops where you'll be doing guest appearances, you have options. We currently offer 4 tattoo workstations, shown below. Click on any of the images or product names to learn more about a particular tattoo workstation.
| Black Porta Station Tattoo Workstation | Neon Pink Porta Station Tattoo Workstation |
| TatSoul Forte Tattoo Workstation Base |
There's another piece of furniture that many tattoo artists never realize they'll need until they start working: lights. Even when you work in a well-lit area brightened by fluorescent lights or big windows that let in lots of daylight, there will be times you'll need extra light, like when you're leaning over and casting a shadow on a client. It's good to have a quality desk light or floor light on hand for times like that. We offer 3 OttLite options from which you can choose:
| OttLite 18W Table Light | OttLite 24W Tattoo Floor Lamp | OttLite 13W Task Light |
If you're starting your own tattoo shop, you should also consider getting a proper flash rack. Many clients like to look at tattoo flash art for ideas, if not the exact designs they want tattooed on them, and having a flash rack or two in your shop will make it easier for those clients to see their options. TatSoul makes three great tattoo flash racks, including a wall-mounted flash rack, a single-tier free-standing tattoo flash rack, and a two-tier free-standing flash rack. You'll get the most tattoo flash display space for your money with the 2-tier option, if you can only start out with one.
Tattoo Workstation Accessories
Once you've filled your work space with all the basic tattoo furniture you need, it's time to start thinking about tattoo accessories that will help you get and stay organized. The more organized you are, the better you'll be able to stay on top of your inventory and ensure that you're never out of any essential tattoo supplies. Plus, getting organized will keep the tools you use most frequently at your fingertips. What types of accessories will help the most? Here are a few tattoo supply storage options, dispensers, holders, and empty bottles we think you shouldn't live without:
| Tattoo Machine Holder With this convenient tattoo machine stand, you'll never have to worry about where to safely set down your machine. | Cosmetic Tattoo Machine Stand If you're a permanent make-up tattoo artist, this cosmetic tattoo machine holder is an invaluable tool. | Disposable Tattoo Pen Dispenser If you use our Precision surgical skin markers, store them in this wall-mounted dispenser to keep them handy. |
| Wall Mount Barrier Film Holder Mount this acrylic blue barrier film dispenser on the wall to make tearing off the perfect lengths easy. | Wall-Mounted Glove Box Holder Keep latex or nitrile gloves in easy reach by mounting this useful acrylic glove dispenser on the wall. | Dental Bib Dispenser Help clients keep their clothes clean with dental bibs, which you can store in this handy organizer. |
| 3 Oz. Cup Dispenser Mount this cup dispenser on a wall in your work space to store 3 oz. cups for rinsing inky tubes & more. | Tattoo Ink Bottle Stands We offer these acrylic stands for storing 1/2 oz., 1 oz., 2 oz., or 4 oz. bottles of tattoo ink. Each 1 holds 30 bottles. | This acrylic Precision brand stand holds #9 & #16 tattoo ink cups & a 3 oz. rinse cup. (See all ink cup holders.) |
| Empty Tattoo Ink Bottles Mix your own colors & store them in our 1 oz., 2 oz. or 4 oz. empty tattoo ink bottles. (See 1/2 oz. option.) | Jar of Petrify Tea Bags Solidify inky water, Sharps container fluids & more with Petrify tea bags. (Empty glass sundry jar also available.) | Clean Room Spray Bottles Our easy fill-&-use Precision plastic clean room spray bottles are available in 8 oz. & 16 oz. sizes. |
| Sani Hands Canister Rack Keep Sani Hands wipes within easy reach with this wall-mountable universal Sani Hands canister rack. | 5 Qt. Sharps Container Cabinet Mount your 5 Qt. Sharps container on the wall in this cabinet & keep it locked up for clients' & employees' safety. | Tattoo Washer Bottles Our Precision plastic washer bottles are available in 8 oz. & 16 oz. sizes. Just fill & squeeze to use. |
In addition to storage containers, holders and dispensers, we carry a range of tattoo accessories that will simplify your work life. You may be able to live without tools like ink mixers and ultrasonic cleaners, but they can come in really handy, particularly when you're really busy. Take a look at some of our favorite tattoo accessories that will make your job easier:
| IKA Lab Dancer Ink Mixer When hand-shaking tattoo ink bottles just won't mix up stagnant ink, our orbital mixer will re-blend it beautifully. | Cordless Tattoo Ink Mixer Take this battery-operated ink mixer with you anywhere. Just replace the mixer sticks after each use. | Ink-Out Ultrasonic Tube Cleaner Clean ink out of 2 tattoo tubes at once with little down time using the Ink-Out Tattoo Machine Rack System. |
Use our nylon, brass & steel brushes to scrub your reusable tattoo equipment clean with a little elbow grease. | Genesis Ultrasonic Cleaners Instead of using brushes, let a professional ultrasonic cleaner scrub your steel tattoo tubes, grips & tips for you. | Precision Automatic Soap Dispenser Wash your hands without making a mess; just wave your hand under this automated dispenser for a pump of soap. |
Seal sterilization bags before autoclaving tattoo equipment with this handy heat sealer, available in 110V or 220V. | Choose from 3 different types of professional autoclaves for sterilizing tattoo equipment in your shop. | 14 LED Head Lamp Instead of worrying with perfectly positioning a floor or desk lamp, light up your work with this head lamp. |
Tattoo Travel Cases
Last but definitely not least, if you plan on working a convention or doing a guest appearance at another shop, you'll need a proper tattoo travel case to transport all the tattoo supplies you have to take with you. We carry everything from Sullen Blaq Paqs to briefcase-style tattoo cases to large travel cases engineered to keep your tattoo supplies organized while you're on the road. Check out a few of our favorites below, or visit our section to see our full selection.
| Sullen Blaq Paq Traveler This unique pack for traveling tattoo artists comes with 3 storage cases & has wheels & an extendable handle. | Small Aluminum Tattoo Machine Case Protect your tattoo machine when you're traveling by stowing it in this sturdy little aluminum carry case. | Sullen Assault Blaq Paq Onyx If you prefer an actual backpack to the Blaq Paq Traveler, this is the option for you. It comes with 2 storage cases. |
| Large Tattoo Travel Case This briefcase-style large tattoo travel case has aluminum reinforcements, 2 clasps & a handle for easy transport. | Tattoo Convention Travel Case This tough tattoo travel case is like a storage cabinet on wheels with a handle to steer it & aluminum reinforcements. | Compartmentalized Travel Case This tattoo travel case has storage tiers you can separate & set around you to keep supplies in easy reach. |
