Colt 45

I recently learned to tune my shader a little faster when working black and gray so that it provides smoother more consistant shading when working over a large area. Basically your width between your contact point and spring is a little smaller than a nickel but not quite a dime’s width. Then turn up your power till your machine sounds like a model airplane, but dont turn it up so much that it sounds like shit. So now when you work gray wash over a large area fast your needles are going to hit skin more often and provide a smoother gray.

Josh Carlton has some good info in ” In the studio with Josh Carlton”. It has video’s and a book called “Advanced tattooing techniques a guide to realism”. The book explains how to tune a cut back shader.