Needles and cartridges: how to read codes and configurations
On the box of a needle or cartridge there is a code of a few digits and letters that sums up gauge, number of points, configuration and often the taper too. Knowing how to read it makes it possible to compare products from different brands and to understand why two needles with the same code are not necessarily identical. This guide explains how the pieces of information combine, shows some examples and compares the main families of configurations from the point of view of shape. The definitions of individual terms are in the glossary: here the subject is how to read them together.
A code is a short sentence
A commercial needle or cartridge code works like a sentence made of parts in a fairly constant order: first the gauge, then the number of points, then the configuration and, when stated, the taper. Some manufacturers add an internal code, a colour or a reference to the membrane type.
No standard imposes this format. It is a widespread convention, which is exactly why the code is best read as a clue and checked against the manufacturer's description, especially when comparing different brands.
The four parts of the code
1. Gauge
These are usually the first two digits. They indicate the diameter of each individual point, with a conventional correspondence: for example 08 for about 0.25 mm, 10 for about 0.30 mm and 12 for about 0.35 mm. A higher number therefore means a thicker point, the opposite of what intuition would suggest.
The correspondence with millimetres is an industry practice and is not identical everywhere: some manufacturers state the millimetres directly, others use a symbol such as #. The millimetre value in the product sheet is more reliable than the digits alone.
2. Number of points
The following digits indicate how many points make up the group: 07 for seven, 15 for fifteen. On its own this number is not enough to understand the needle: seven points in a Round Liner and seven in a magnum draw completely different shapes.
On magnums manufacturers may count the total number of points or describe the two rows: the product description says which convention is used.
3. Configuration
The letters describe how the points are arranged: RL (Round Liner), RS (Round Shader), M1 (Magnum), RM (Curved Magnum), F or FL (Flat). These are the most common codes, but some manufacturers use variants, for example a «soft» version or a different numbering for magnums.
4. Taper
At the end of the code an abbreviation of the taper may appear, that is, the length of the conical section at the tip: for example MT for medium taper and LT for long taper. The categories (short, medium, long, extra long) do not have the same millimetre measurements for every manufacturer.
When the taper is not in the code, it is usually in the description or in a datasheet.
Five example codes
The examples are indicative: they serve to show the structure, not to describe a real product.
| Code | How to read it |
|---|---|
1003RL | Gauge 10 (about 0.30 mm), three points, Round Liner |
1207RL-LT | Gauge 12 (about 0.35 mm), seven points, Round Liner, long taper |
0809RS | Gauge 08 (about 0.25 mm), nine points, Round Shader |
1215M1 | Gauge 12, fifteen points, magnum with two staggered rows |
1009RM-MT | Gauge 10, nine points, Curved Magnum, medium taper |
If a code does not follow this order, or contains letters that do not appear here, it is probably a manufacturer's code: the product description is the reference.
Two needles with the same code are not necessarily identical
The code describes categories, not fine measurements. Two 1207RL cartridges may differ in grouping (points closer together or further apart), in taper (the length of the conical section), in how far the needle protrudes from the tip and in the type of membrane. These are differences the code does not show and that manufacturers describe in words, not in shared numbers.
That is why comparing brands is more accurate when code, description and, where available, images and declared measurements are read together.
The families of configurations, seen as shapes
Looking at the group of points from the front, each family draws a different shape. This comparison is purely geometric: it does not indicate how to use a needle, nor which one to choose.
| Family | Shape of the group | Basic idea |
|---|---|---|
| Round Liner | Compact circle | Points close together, gathered contact area |
| Round Shader | Looser circle | Same pattern, points further apart |
| Flat | Single row | Points aligned on one plane |
| Magnum (M1) | Two staggered rows | Wide, continuous area |
| Curved Magnum (RM) | One or two rows in an arc | Wide area with a curved profile |
The same families exist with different numbers of points and gauges: the shape stays, the width and density of the group change.
Cartridge or needle and tip: what changes when reading
A cartridge contains the needle, the tip and usually the membrane in one piece: the code describes the whole, and compatibility with the machine, that is, the attachment system, adds to it. With separate needle-and-tip systems, on the other hand, the needle and tip (or grip) have to be matched, and the tip's configuration follows the needle's.
In both cases the same rule applies: the code tells what is in the group of points, the datasheet tells how it fits with the rest of the equipment.
Related terms: Diameter / Gauge · Needle Configuration · Round Liner · Round Shader · Magnum · Curved Magnum · Flat · Taper · Grouping · Cartridge · Membrane · Needle Hang · Needle Depth · Cartridge compatibility
Related guides: How to read the specifications of a tattoo machine · Coil, rotary and pen: comparing architectures · How to compare two tattoo machines
You may also like
- Guide6 min readHow to read the specifications of a tattoo machineA datasheet looks like a list of numbers, but each number describes only one part of a machine that, when working, behaves as a whole. Stroke, weight, voltage or runtime say something precise, but none of them, alone, tells you what it will be like to use that machine. This guide proposes a way of reading specifications in groups, relating them to one another: what a datum really says, what depends on context and what is not reported at all. At the end you will find a small method to apply to every Odisage product sheet.
- Guide5 min readCoil, rotary and pen: comparing architecturesCoil, rotary and pen are the names used for the main families of tattoo machines, but they are not three categories on the same level: coil and rotary describe how the movement is produced, while pen mostly describes the shape. This guide compares structure, transmission, power, adjustments, ergonomics and maintenance, and retraces how the architectures have evolved. There is no winner: the aim is to understand how a machine's behaviour changes with how it is built, and why different artists may prefer different systems.
- Guide5 min readHow to compare two tattoo machinesComparing two machines does not mean deciding which is the best: it means understanding how they differ, how much those differences matter and which data can really be set side by side. This guide proposes a twelve-point method, from architecture to personal preferences, and explains which specifications can be compared directly, which need context and which are manufacturer's declarations. It is meant to be used together with Odisage's Compare function, which places the data of several products side by side and highlights the differences.
Stay one step ahead.
New tattoo gear comparisons, guidesand insights,straight to your inbox.