Cartridge Needle Buying Guide

Choosing the right tattoo cartridge needle affects everything from line quality to healing time. This guide breaks down the main configurations so you can match the needle to the work you're doing.

Understanding Cartridge Needle Groupings

Most cartridge needles fall into one of a few core groupings, each suited to different techniques:

Round Liners (RL)

Needles arranged in a tight circular formation, used for clean outlines and fine detail work. Smaller groupings (3-5RL) suit delicate linework, while larger groupings (7-9RL) are used for bolder, heavier lines. Groupings with a 10 or 8 gauge are called BUGPINS and are for fineline and fine details. 

Round Shaders (RS)

Similar circular arrangement to liners but with slightly more space between needles, allowing for soft shading, small colour packing, and blending in tighter areas. These may also be used as loose or baggy liners for thick outlines. 

Magnums (M1 / RM)

Needles arranged in two staggered rows, built for covering larger areas efficiently — ideal for shading, colour packing, and background work. Curved Magnums (CM) angle the needle arrangement for smoother, more even coverage over larger or curved areas of skin.

Flat Shaders (F)

Needles arranged in a single flat row, giving artists precise control for geometric linework, sharp edges, and controlled shading transitions. Not typical for use in artwrok tattooing more for makeup.

How to Choose the Right Cartridge

  • Fine detail or linework: start with a smaller Round Liner (3-5RL)
  • Bold outlines: move up to a larger Round Liner (7-9RL) or Round Shader
  • Soft shading or small fills: Round Shader
  • Large-area shading or color packing: Magnum or Curved Magnum

Needle Diameter and Taper

Beyond grouping and count, needle diameter (gauge) and taper length also affect how ink flows and how much trauma is caused to the skin. Finer diameters suit detail work; longer tapers generally give a softer, more gradual ink release, which many artists prefer for shading.

Browse our full range of cartridge needles across trusted brands in our cartridge needles collection.