01
Millimetres first
Use the maker-stated physical pin diameter when available. A common shorthand such as 08, 10 or 12 is still labelled as a convention until the product specification confirms it.
Free tattoo configuration decoder
Tattoo Needle & Cartridge Finder
Decode the label you have, then separate the fields that matter: grouping, literal needle count, physical pin diameter, taper and manufacturer context. Unknown stays unknown when a code is not safely portable across brands.
Free to useNo accountMillimetre-firstUnknown is validNo technique prescription
Common-format code decoder
Start with the label you actually have.
Enter a compact code such as 1207RL, 1009RS, 1215M1 or 7RL. The parser separates only fields supported by common reviewed patterns. Unknown and manufacturer-specific formats stay unknown.
No code entered
Enter a code such as 1207RL, 1009RS, 1215M1 or 7RL.
Structured configuration
Use the fields printed by the manufacturer. Physical pin diameter in millimetres is the canonical comparison field; gauge aliases, taper names and specialty suffixes remain product context.
Broad grouping family
System
Manufacturer-specific fields
Configuration record
Round Liner
Pins grouped into a compact round geometry.
Broadly comparable fields
Grouping geometry
Round Liner
Pins grouped into a compact round geometry.
Needle count
Not specified
Add the literal count if the manufacturer states it.
Physical pin diameter
Not confirmed
The structured result does not infer millimetres from an unverified gauge or shorthand number.
Needle system
Not specified
System type is descriptive only and does not establish machine compatibility.
This is a broad geometry family. Exact spacing, taper, suffixes, construction and availability remain manufacturer-specific.
This configuration does not establish
Exact mark or contact width
Universal machine or cartridge compatibility
Machine voltage, stroke or hand speed
Needle depth or hang
Skin-type or biological outcome
Healed-result prediction
A correct or best needle for a tattoo
Need the terminology first?
Read the tattoo needle chart for code anatomy, RL vs RS, Magnum families, diameter shorthand, taper and manufacturer-specific naming.
Open the tattoo needle chartNeed to know whether it fits?
Machine, grip and cartridge compatibility is maintained separately because interface evidence is generation-specific and must fail closed when documentation is incomplete.
Check cartridge compatibilityHow to read the result
Separate physical facts from label conventions.
Needle count, manufacturer-stated millimetres and broad geometry can be recorded directly. Gauge shorthand, specialty suffixes and taper names remain contextual until the exact maker documents them.
02
Count is not line width
A 9-pin grouping contains nine pins. It does not mean a nine-times-wider mark, and individual pin diameter does not equal final tattooed line width.
03
Preserve the maker's label
RL, RS and broad Magnum families are useful geometry buckets. Bugpin, taper suffixes, specialty liners and exact Magnum naming stay attached to the manufacturer context.
Source model
Common convention and manufacturer truth are different evidence states.
Core code and geometry claims were reviewed against current manufacturer material on 2026-09-09. Each source is authoritative for its own terminology and products, not proof of one global code standard.
Peak needle labeling guideManufacturer-specific code anatomy, count, RL/RS/F/M1 labels, diameter shorthand, suffixes and product-line-specific taper lengths.FK Irons terminology glossaryBroad grouping terminology and abbreviations including RL, RS, Flat, Magnums, curved/Soft Edge, stacked Magnum and Bugpin context.Cheyenne glossaryManufacturer terminology for Liner, Round Shader, Magnum, Soft Edge and cartridge-family naming. Used as Cheyenne-specific evidence, not a global code standard.Kwadron cartridge specificationsProduct-specific 0.25 mm / #8 Round Liner notation and explicit wording that this configuration is referred to by some as Bugpin.
Intentional limits
What the decoder refuses to infer.
No best-needle or best-cartridge ranking for a tattoo.
No voltage, stroke, hand-speed, depth or needle-hang guidance.
No exact final line width, skin response or healed-result prediction.
No machine compatibility guess from cartridge shape or generic standard-language alone.
Related tattoo tools
Keep geometry and fitment as separate checks.
Use this finder to decode the needle configuration. Use Cartridge Compatibility Checker only when the next question is machine, grip and cartridge fitment.
View all tattoo toolsPractical guides
FAQ
Tattoo needle and cartridge decoding questions.
The tool is deliberately conservative when shorthand or specialty naming cannot be normalized safely across manufacturers.
It decodes common needle-code structure where the pattern is recognizable, then lets you record broad grouping, literal pin count, physical pin diameter, system, taper and manufacturer context. It does not choose a needle for a tattoo.