Any tips for tattooing designs onto leather

[li'lpowh]

My husband is really interested in the idea of tattooing designs onto leather since he has seen some examples online and he already owns all the necessary equipment. But he is unsure what he needs to apply to the leather's surface to prevent the ink from bleeding out and making a mess. Is simple petroleum jelly what people typically use to stop the ink from spreading into the leather fibers? We tried looking for a dedicated forum or resource about this specific craft but we could not find one easily. Ayone here with experience?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

My husband is really interested in the idea of tattooing designs onto leather since he has seen some examples online and he already owns all the necessary equipment. But he is unsure what he needs to apply to the leather's surface to prevent the ink from bleeding out and making a mess. Is simple petroleum jelly what people typically use to stop the ink from spreading into the leather fibers? We tried looking for a dedicated forum or resource about this specific craft but we could not find one easily. Ayone here with experience?

Yes, the tattooists that I've seen practicing use petroleum jelly on the surface of the leather so that any ink that spills out does not enter the surface of the leather and destroy the tattoo design that is being practiced.

LD

 

[LeatherallyC00l]

@li'lpowh hmmm, forget the petroleum jelly for the whole piece. Since leather is so absorbent, the best way to prevent the ink from spreading (bleeding) is by applying a pre sealant right before the tattoos.
The leather needs to be slightly sealed so the ink stays right in the needle puncture. Look for a product like Tandy's EcoFlo Super Shne or Carnauba Wax Cream. Applying a thin layer of this will dramatically reduce bleeding

 

[li'lpowh]

@LeatherallyC00l Thanks! I will definitely ask my husband to look for those products.

Hopefully, this can help him tattoo designs onto leather.

 

[liz_gets_crafty]

I hope it's not yet too late to give my two cents. It's correct that petroleum jelly won't work since you're working on skin, not porous leather. Standard tattoo ink will instantly wick and bleed into the fibers, creating a blurry mess. What your husband needs to do to prevent this is to seal the leather before tattooing. Tell him to apply a very thin coat of an acrylic finisher like Resolene or a dedicated surface prep product to reduce the leather's absorbency just enough to hold the ink. He should definitely use veg-tan leather and test various sealants on scraps first!