How to Use Thermal Fax Paper for Tattoos

Thermal fax paper lets you transfer tattoo designs.

Tattoos are a type of body art in which colored pigments are inserted under the skin to create a permanent design. The key to a professional looking tattoo is ensuring that the initial pattern is as perfect as possible. One of the most common ways of creating the tattoo template is to draw it onto a piece of paper, transfer it to thermal fax paper and then place the thermal paper design onto the skin. This allows the tattoo artist to trace around the design as the pigments are injected.

Things You'll Need

• 8.5 x 11 inch printer paper
• Thermal fax machine
• Thermal fax paper
• Scissors
• Razor
• Tattoo soap
• Cloth
• Tattoo stencil solution

Instructions

1. Draw or print the tattoo design on a plain piece of 8.5 x 11 printer paper.

2. Remove the protective sheet and the yellow page from the thermal fax paper. Thermal paper consists of four layers: a yellow top layer, a protective sheet, a white page and the bottom carbon layer.

3. Insert the thermal fax paper into the rear slot of a thermal fax machine, with the carbon layer facing downward.

4. Insert the paper containing the tattoo design into the front slot of the thermal fax machine, with the design facing down or toward the back of the machine.

5. Press the "copy" button on the thermal fax machine and wait while the machine transfers the tattoo design onto the thermal paper.

6. Cut the tattoo design out of the thermal paper using scissors. Leave an edge of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch around the design. Separate the white sheet from the carbon paper. This is your tattoo template.

7. Prepare the skin by cleaning it with a specially formulated tattoo soap applied to a cloth. This soap removes all skin oils and bacteria from the skin. Use a razor to shave all of the hair from the tattoo area, extending out 2 inches farther than the tattoo design.

8. Apply a stencil solution to the skin, rubbing it in like lotion.

9. Place the thermal tattoo design on top of the stencil solution gently. Place your hand over the stencil and press down once. Do not smooth it with your hand, as this will distort the design. Peel the paper off gently to reveal the design that is now on the skin.

References

• You Tube: How To Tattoo Video - Thermal Fax Copier Machine
• You Tube: How To Tattoo Video - Applying carbon copy tattoo stencil onto skin