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- Tattoo Stencils, 1920-1922 - Tattoo stencils range in material from disposable paper to plastic. Designs were drawn on transfer paper or scratched into plastic with a needle. With plastic stencils, powdered charcoal was rubbed into the lines; Vaseline was applied to the skin. When the stencil was pressed against the skin, the charcoal transferred as an outline. Stencils allowed tattooists to circulate and exchange ideas.
- 1920-1922
- Collections - Artifact
Tattoo Stencils, 1920-1922
Tattoo stencils range in material from disposable paper to plastic. Designs were drawn on transfer paper or scratched into plastic with a needle. With plastic stencils, powdered charcoal was rubbed into the lines; Vaseline was applied to the skin. When the stencil was pressed against the skin, the charcoal transferred as an outline. Stencils allowed tattooists to circulate and exchange ideas.