Tattoo artists? Check. Physical location? Check.

How about furniture?

Here’s our guide to the essential pieces of furniture you’ll need for your tattoo studio - whether you’re striking out on your own for the first time, or bringing together the ultimate team of artists under one name!

Massage Tables and Beds

While you technically could tattoo a customer while they’re sitting in a regular plastic chair, they probably won’t rush back to you for another.

Keeping your customers comfortable isn’t just about making them happy, but also making sure that they are in the best possible position to make it through to the end of their appointment! Plus, there are some tattoo placements that might require awkward positions, and your setup should support that.

If you’re kitting out a whole studio, think about getting a few different forms of table or bed. A basic massage table is perfect for any tattoo where the customer is lying down - preferably with a hole for their face if they’re lying on their front - or you can use the table to rest their limb on while they sit on another chair. For back tattoos, an adjustable face cradle chair is ideal, and you can also stock up on backrests and bolsters to allow for more flexibility.

On the other end of the spectrum are our all-singing, all-dancing tattoo chairs like the Plinth 2000 - these have adjustable arm, leg and foot rests so no matter where you’re tattooing, you can find a comfortable position. Usually built on casters, with hydraulic height adjustment, this is probably the best way to keep your customer comfortable and happy.

Chair or Stool

Most tattoo artists spend the majority of their day sat down, so you’ll want to make sure you have a comfortable spot to perch your butt!

Most tattoo artists sit on a rolling chair or stool that allows them to reach everything they need without standing up. This also helps them to get the right angle for any piece of work!

A comfortable stool will work just fine, but many artists prefer to use a chair with backrest to help avoid the crippling back issues so rife in our industry!

Tattoo Tray or Work Station

As mentioned above, you will ideally have everything you need for the whole tattoo session within arms reach - and the easiest way to manage that is with a rolling work station, or by using a disposable tray.

The benefit of using the same work station every time is that you can optimise your layout and repeat it every time, so your setup goes much faster. Our Meta workstations come with an easy-to-clean metal top as well as several draws, so that extra paper towels and cartridges are never far from reach.

Most workstations can be optimised to your liking, with extra dividers, extensions and cable managers. This will likely come as you get more experienced at laying out the necessary equipment.

Arm Rests

While these aren’t strictly necessary if you have the right kind of tattoo chair, they can be a huge help for working with clients who are sitting on ordinary chairs - including at tattoo conventions.

A sturdy, height-adjustable and tiltable arm rest is the perfect resting place for arms and legs that are being tattooed - and when you don’t need it for a limb, you can use it to hold your tablet or stencil reference.

Lamps

Lighting is essential to creating a great tattoo, but it’s not just about the general light levels allowing you to see - you also need a lamp that has the right kind of light, especially for taking your completed tattoo photos.

There are three main factors to look out for when you’re buying a lamp for your studio: CRI, lumens, and colour temperature.

CRI stands for Colour Rendering Index, and it measures the ability of a white light to render colours the same as they would appear in sunlight on a scale of 0-100. Essentially, low CRI lighting could mean that the rose red you’re aiming for comes out more like burnt orange - needless to say, it’s an important factor!

Lumens measure how much light you’re getting from the source, with a higher number meaning a brighter light. You’ll want a high level of lumens, but in a non-heating source like LEDs.

Finally, colour temperature is a measure of how warm or cool the lighting is and is measured in degrees Kelvin - the lower the Kelvins, the warmer the light.

While a large standing lamp might be best for your studio, consider whether it’s worth buying a more portable option that your artists can take to conventions.

If you’re planning to kit out a tattoo studio, or just looking for ideas for a remodel, we have everything you need to create a comfortable, safe, and badass working environment!