Frames can reveal how a machine is intended to run by the creator
of the frame. This is prevalent in the typically agreed upon
style of the cutback frame. The cutback tattoo machine frame
will have the hole where the front contact screw binds into,

Traditional vs. Cutback Frame Style
Note that cutback typically has a shorter front spring and is intended to run
faster than a traditional setup
tapped further toward the saddle or rear of the tattoo machine.
This can arguably increase the speed of the machine when it is
compared to the same machine frame with a contact post more
toward the tube vise hole.

It is commonly known that the term
cutback comes from tattoo artists trying to speed up their machines
by moving the contact screw further back.

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