Gloves are the material a studio buys most often and thinks about least, until a box runs out on a Saturday. This note is the short version of what matters: the material, the thickness, the fit, and the count.
Why nitrile
Nitrile replaced latex in most studios for one reason: latex allergy, in artists and in clients. Nitrile is a synthetic rubber with no latex proteins, it resists punctures better than vinyl, and it holds up against the inks, soaps and cleaners on a bench. Powder-free is the norm; powder is a contaminant on a wound. Colour is preference, although darker gloves show ink less and show blood more, which some artists want.
Thickness
Glove thickness is usually given in mil, thousandths of an inch, measured at the palm or the fingertip; the two numbers differ, and a sheet should say which it states. Thinner gloves give more feel and tear more easily; thicker gloves last a long session and dull the hand. Most tattoo gloves sit in the range studios would call medium; the number is on the box and should be on the spec sheet. If it is not, ask.
Fit
A glove that is one size too big bunches at the fingertips and catches on the grip; one size too small fatigues the hand and splits at the thumb. Studios with several artists stock at least two sizes, and the sizes go on the restock list separately. It is the cheapest ergonomic decision on the bench.
When to change them
| Moment | Change gloves |
|---|---|
| After building the field, before touching the client | Yes, always |
| Touching anything outside the field: phone, drawer, door, hair | Yes |
| A visible tear, or ink inside the glove | Yes |
| Break, bathroom, food | Yes, and wash hands first |
| Between clients | Yes, along with everything else on the bench |
How many a week
Count changes, not clients. A session with a field build, one break and a clean-up is at least four pairs; long sessions are more. A box of a hundred gloves is fifty pairs, so a single artist doing eight sessions a week is through a box every week and a half without trying. On our Barrier sheet the burn rate is stated as an estimate per artist per week and marked as such; after three restocks the Engine on the Studio page uses the studio's own numbers instead.