Single Needle Tattoos

What are single needle tattoos?

Single needle tattoos are the finest, and most intricate form of fine line tattoos, where artists use only one needle—called a one round liner needle (1RL)—to tattoo your skin with meticulous precision and realistic detail. A single needle tattoo artist specializes in subtlety and elegance with styles ranging from tiny tattoos, micro tattoos, and minimalist tattoos to one line tattoos, landscape tattoos, and fine art tattoos. Single needle tattooing is synonymous with detailed design and the end result often resembles artwork because the artist must perfect the tattoo design with thin lines, smooth shading, and lighter tones of black and grey ink or colored ink. Unlike traditional tattoos, where small mistakes can be covered with bolder lines, single needle tattoos are delicate drawings where every stroke of the pen is intentional and there is no room for error.

At Atelier Eva, world-renowned single needle tattoo artist Eva Karabudak has assembled a team of the best single needle tattoo artists who create a work-of-art custom tattoo, all while surrounded in a spa-like experience. Explore single needle tattoo ideas, the artists who create them, and learn everything you want to know about single needle tattoos.

Single Needle Tattoo Artists

Discover the best single needle tattoo artists. Click on any tattoo image to learn more about the tattoo artist, or visit our Artists page to see the artist’s single needle portfolio.

Do single needle tattoos last?

Yes, especially if you take care of your tattoo, and choose a great single needle tattoo artist who understands shading, and ink depth. Single needle tattoos tend to fade faster than traditional tattoos because there is less ink in the skin. When your skin naturally undergoes its turnover cycles to create new skin, the body actively removes some ink because it is a foreign body—and this is more pronounced in single needle tattoos. In order to keep your single needle tattoo fresh, avoid smoky environments, make sure to apply lotion, use sunscreen when exposing it to sun, and get a touch up within a year to reinforce the ink. Like any style of tattoo your single needle tattoo will keep its vibrancy if you care for it.  

What is the History and Nuance of a Single Needle Tattoo?

The history of tattoos is essentially as old as time itself, and as technology has advanced in the last 100 years, so too have tattoo artist’s palette of artistic themes and tools for enhanced shading technique and nuance. Where bold tattoo styles once dominated with brash nautical and western themes of compasses, anchors, eagles, and pin up girls, a new era of sophistication has emerged amongst tattoo-lovers replete with subtlety and themes of virtuous identity, intellectual beauty, artistic individualism, and enigmatic essence. As artists and lovers alike have sought a wider array of creativity, the single needle tattoo technique has become a definitive art form in the evolution of tattoos. Tattoo innovators, like Mark Mahoney—who is widely considered the father of the single needle tattoo—began to experiment with a single needle in the 70’s. To that point, a traditional tattoo machine for lining and outlining tattoo designs used between 5 and 15 round liner needles (5-15RL), which means between 5 and 15 needles soldered into a pointed shape, working together as one group of needles depositing ink into the skin. The higher number of needles in traditional tattoos produced bolder outlines, darker shading, and less subtlety. But as Mahoney experimented with alternative approaches to limit the number of needles used, his ultra-real tattoo portraits and skylines inspired a new generation of tattoo artists who create with increasing complexity, precision, and detail, especially at the smallest scale with only one single needle. Eva Karabudak is also recognized for pioneering single needle tattoos with color work that resembles re-colorized photography and intimate classical art. Tattoo technology has also adapted to these trailblazers and tattoo pen machines are now made for three round liner (3RL) and single tipped needles (1RL).

Is a Single Needle Tattoo Better?

Single needle tattoos are better for smaller tattoos on the body, providing sharper detail, and more intricate shading. Single needle tattoos can also be scaled for greater size, but they require incredible precision and afford zero margin for error, so make sure you choose a single needle tattoo artist with a portfolio of demonstrated success. When you want a tattoo that is reminiscent of a work of art, a single needle tattoo is ideal.

Single Needle vs Fine Line Tattoo?

Many styles of fine line tattoos use a three round liner needle (3RL), while single needle tattoos use only a one round liner needle (1RL). Single needle tattooing is the thinnest of fine line tattoo line work, creating smaller and subtler tattoos with delicate and detailed artwork, much like a drawing. Both art forms require tremendous concentration and precision with the single needle tattoo style being the most unforgiving. That said, both styles use lighter tones of ink and thinner line work as opposed to darker inks which are more likely to bleed out, making even minor flaws more apparent. As a result of their difficulty, intricacy, and one-of-a-kind beauty, the best single needle tattoos are conceptualized as artwork, and well worth their weight in gold.

Do Single Needle Tattoos Cost More?

No. Tattoos are priced according to their size, location, complexity of design, and the time required to complete the tattoo. At Atelier Eva, the shop minimum is $300, and each artist has their own premium rate, hourly rate or flat rate. Artists estimate a general price range based on the description of what you want, and unless there are significant changes or unforeseen circumstances, you will not pay more than the agreed upon highest amount of the estimated range. In most tattoo shops, there is a shop minimum and artists require a non-refundable deposit to secure your tattoo appointment.

What Does a Single Needle Tattoo Feel Like?

The most common description of the sensation involved with receiving a single needle tattoo is a “pricking” feeling, like being scratched.

Does a Single Needle Tattoo Hurt Less Than a Traditional Tattoo?

Those who have already had a traditional tattoo describe single needle tattoos as far less painful. In general, single needle tattoos hurt less because there is only one needle as opposed to a group of needles, which are used for traditional tattoo needles. Common wisdom surrounding single needle tattoos is that it hurts less to have your skin pierced with one needle vs multiple needles.