Tattoo needle configuration refers to how the individual pins are grouped in a cartridge. Round liners keep them tight for crisp lines. Round shaders spread them out for fills and shading. Mags arrange them in rows to cover larger areas.
Knowing the difference makes it easier to choose the right cartridge for your linework, shading, color packing, and everything in between.
Whether you stick to a few tried-and-true favorites or like experimenting with your setup, here’s how liners, shaders, mags, flats, and specialty configurations compare.
Know What’s on the Cartridge Label
Cartridge labels and product listings typically tell you the pin diameter, needle count, configuration, and taper—but the shorthand on the cartridge may look impossible to discern if you don’t already understand it. We’ll break it down for you:
Take 1207RL:
- ● 12: #12 pins, or 0.35 mm diameter.
- ● 07: Seven individual pins.
- ● RL: Round liner.
Taper length may be listed separately, so check the full product specs when you need it.
Moreover, bear this in mind when deciphering your configurations: Needle count tells you how many pins are in the grouping, not how wide it is. Consequently, two 7-pin cartridges can have different widths depending on the pin diameter, spacing, and configuration.
You’ll also sometimes encounter the term bugpin. That describes a smaller pin diameter, commonly #10 (0.30 mm) or #8 (0.25 mm), rather than a configuration of its own. Compared with the same count of #12 pins, smaller-diameter bugpins generally create a tighter footprint.
Want to dig deeper? Check out our guides to taper and diameterOpens a new windowOpens a new window and bugpin vs. standard needlesOpens a new windowOpens a new window.
Round Liners
Round liners arrange their pins in a tight, circular grouping for clean lines, outlines, script, and detail.
Fewer pins generally give you a finer line, while larger groupings give you more coverage and span, so you can produce bolder linework. But count is only part of the equation. Diameter, taper, grouping tightness, machine setup, and technique all affect the line that lands in the skin.
For example, a 3RL might be your move for tiny details, while larger groupings like a 9RL, 14RL, or 18RL give you room to go progressively bolder.
Just remember that finer isn’t automatically better. Give small details enough room to stay clear and readable as the tattoo ages.
Round Shaders
Round shaders arrange the pins in a circle with more space between them than a round liner. They’re great for shading and filling smaller areas where a mag might be too wide.
Smaller groupings give you more control in tight spaces, while larger counts let you fill more area at once. Use overlapping circles or strokes to build an even fill, depending on the area you’re working.
Straight Magnums
Straight magnums, commonly labeled M1, arrange the needles in two staggered rows with a straight edge. They’re a solid choice for color packing, solid black, backgrounds, and shading.
Smaller mags work well for tighter areas, while larger groupings let you cover more skin with each pass. And while straight mags are great for packing, they can handle smooth gradients, too.
Take extra care over curved areas of the body, where the full width of a straight mag may not contact the skin evenly. Tilting too far to one side can put more pressure on the outer pins.
Curved Magnums
Curved magnums—also called round mags or soft edge mags—arc the needle grouping so the center pins extend slightly farther than the outer pins.
That curved profile gives the edges of each pass a softer transition, making these mags a favorite for:
- ● Black and gray
- ● Realism and portraits
- ● Color transitions
- ● Whip shading
- ● Broad gradients
They can pack solid color, too. Straight versus curved isn’t a strict “packing versus blending” decision. It comes down to the footprint and feel you want for the piece.
When to Go XXL
Sometimes you just need more mag.
Our Stellar XXL MagsOpens a new windowOpens a new window come in 29, 35, 39, 45, and 49 counts, with #10 and #12 diameter options.
These extra-wide groupings can make sense for large-scale work like back pieces, big backgrounds, and broad areas of color or shading. The key is having enough space to actually use that width with control.
Working around a tight contour or smaller shape? Size down. Bigger only works better when the tattoo gives you room for it.
Flats: Put Every Pin in One Row
Flats line every pin up in a single row instead of the two staggered rows you get with a mag. That straight formation lends itself to geometric work, defined bands, directional shading, and other marks where you want a strong linear footprint.
How you move and angle the grouping changes the mark it makes, so flats can give you plenty to experiment with beyond one specific technique.
Specialty Needles: Change Up the Mark
Specialty needles tweak familiar configurations to create different effects. Some change the pin arrangement, while others use a different taper or textured finish.
Here’s what those differences mean and where each option can fit into your work.
Hollow Liners: Get Bold Without Going Solid
Hollow liners arrange the pins in a circle with an open center. This creates a wider grouping without filling that entire space with needles, making them a solid option for bold outlines with less resistance than a densely packed liner.
Whipshading Stipple Mags: Build Texture Into Your Shading
Whipshading stipple mags space the pins to create more distinct dots as you move through the skin, giving you an easy way to build peppered shading, stippled textures, and soft transitions.
Our Stellar Whipshading Stipple MagsOpens a new windowOpens a new window come in 3×3 and 3×6 configurations with #10 and #12 pins and a 7 mm extra long taper.
Adjust your hand speed and machine speed depending on the effect you want: spread the dots out for a lighter, more open texture or build them closer together for denser shading.
Textured Needles: Hold More Ink on the Pins
Textured needles have microscopic grooves along the pins that help hold more pigment. Unlike the specialty configurations above, the needle arrangement itself doesn’t change—you’re getting a different surface on a familiar grouping.
That makes them an option when you want stronger ink pickup without switching away from the liner or mag configuration you already like.
Find Your Next Go-To Grouping
You don’t need to overhaul your whole setup to try something new. Pick one thing you want more control over—a heavier outline, smoother gradient, faster fill, or textured shadow—and test a grouping built for the job.
Run it on practice skin. Compare it with the cartridge you already know. See what changes when the diameter, taper, count, or configuration changes.
Then keep what works.
Explore Stellar cartridgesOpens a new windowOpens a new window for everyday favorites, XXL mags, and specialty configurations, or check out any of our artist-favorite cartridge needles and experiment with all the configurations in this blog.