Power Supply
Category: art
The control unit that powers the tattoo machine and allows the artist to adjust the voltage.
The voltage controls the speed and "hit" of the needle. A higher voltage makes the machine work faster (better for lining), while lower voltage allows for softer shading. The power supply is the artist’s main "knob" for fine-tuning performance.
Common Examples
- I adjusted the power supply voltage up by 0.5 volts to get a sharper hit for the thick outline of the custom tribal piece.
- Modern digital power supplies allow artists to save their favorite voltage presets, making it easy to jump between lining and shading configurations.