I thought about getting a tattoo once, but I've never been much of a trend follower.

Most of the time...getting a tattoo isn't about a trend nor image. It's mostly about appreciation for art. YMMV.

In that case, based on 99.43% of the tats I've seen, it must be appreciation for grade-school level art.

You have seen VERY little.

:rolleyes:

Much the same here although both of my girls are tattooed so I'm at least trying to understand.

What bothers me the most is how PERMANENT they are but fashion is and always has been forever changing.

^This^
When a tattoo is done by someone who understands human anatomy and form it is very noticeable
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1426412456.jpg

I was thinking about that, wonder if a sort of flexible device, fits over the skin contours. Maybe take an image prior then have the software accommodate the topography. Could even do a mock up with temp ink that only lasts a short time. Call it regret free. Not that people who get inked ever have regrets. :rolleyes:

While I do appreciate the human skill, no human can touch a computer generated image with fine printing. If very small ink ports or needles are used and depth can be controlled I think it would open up the chance for really high quality images at a fraction of the time and cost.

I am a firm believer that with technology anything is possible...

Needles may be a thing of the past. High powered ink jet or tunable inks then laser. I'm telling ya, the old way of needle, wipe, needle wipe, needle wipe may only be used in prisons in 10 years. Its gonna go the way of the typewriter ribbon...

How do you get a machine to stretch the skin the right amount between various different sizes of people?

Am I correct in thinking you have no ink? Skin is weird stuff to draw on, man.

I was thinking of a flexible pad that accommodated to the contours. The spacing between the micro-needles or ink jets would be really small to be able to adjust for the shape. Actually with contours you could get really cool images that would not be possible in 2-D.

Seriously why bother....


.

A pad would need to be flexible enough to go around the smallest (and some cases large) imperfections in peoples skins. It would also likely need to be conductive, and it would also need to be biodegradable in the body, since bit of it would be getting pushed into the skin along with the ink.

I vote skip the pad. Use lasers make a topographic map of the area, while a projector puts down an image of the proposed art. The topographic map along with the image lets the brains of the unit calculate a 'firing solution'. Temporary marks are put down at the corners of the art to act as fence posts for the system. People are wiggly creatures, so the system would need to be able to recognize how much of the art has been completed visually. Use a laser to track distance from the skin.

Come on Mike, lets patent this sumbiatch and make some $ :D

Of course if the pad had both analgesic and antibiotic agents infused into it......

You went from a hater to a lover! Am I a sales guy or what!!!

A researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia has done one better.
He has developed a cream which will remove tatoos.
It works by stimulating the immune system to "capture" the molecules of ink and transport them to the lymph system.

Here's hoping it works as well as the fellow hopes. Could save a lot of folks an ugly future.

Best
Les

THIS^^^^^ I have friends who keep getting these cheap little abominations all over thier bodies (on thier knuckles, inside of her ears) and they just look awful, they don't have a big beautiful inking, they have small tats that cost $50 each....i'll never get it either, I have no ink, and never will !

+1

If I blow my money on some overpriced parts, I don't have to come up with idiotic justification for it 20 years later.

There was a girl that lived grew up in my neighborhood that got some tats while in high school. One was a music note behind her ear; I asked her why: "Because I like music!" I asked her if she liked to eat; "well, duh!" I said "Then why not get a matching fork and spoon on your chin?" She also had a name with a date in Roman numerals on her arm. When I asked what that was, she said it was the name of her boyfriend and the date they met. I asked her "Are you going to have enough room for the rest of the names?" For the record, she didn't think either of these were funny.

Me either. It is as alien as piercings or high dollar cigars. I don't have any real problem with them as long as I can opt out.

I totally get the military tattoo on a shoulder of the company patch to represent the bond of brotherhood men get from serving together in difficult conditions.