How fast does a tattoo needle go?

Answer 1

A tattoo needle has no set speed. You the artist sets the speed using the contact screw on the Tattoo machine, as well as adjusting the voltage.

If you set the needle speed to slow it can puncture the skin rather then pierce it, causing more blood to seep through the skin making it harder for the ink to stay in the skin.

If you set the needle too fast it can cause the skin to tear or even mulch. Essentially turning the outer layers of skin to a hamburger ( Ground Beef ) like state. This will cause scarring to the person receiving the tattoo, and the ink will not set properly leaving the tattoo discoloured and possible disfigurement.

So make sure you set your speed carefully. I tend to have mine set to what I guess at Approx 10 ~ 15 DPS ( drops of the needle per second )

I hope this helped!