What is CPS Tattoo? [Here’s the Right Answer For You!]

Everyone is getting into the tattoo culture nowadays. It’s really easy, cheap, and convenient to get a tattoo. Fortunately, there’s a wide range of options and styles of tattooing.

Among them, the CPS tattoo is one of the well-known ones. Still, many people seem to be confused about what CPS tattoos actually are.

So, are you also wondering what is cps tattoo? 

A CPS tattoo is a ‘Cycles Per Minute’ tattoo. CPS tattoos can be done by tweaking the CPS, duty cycle, spring length, and stroke length of a tattoo machine. High CPS tattoos take less time and are more precise. On the other hand, low CPS tattoos are less precise, less painful, and take more time.

Along with this summed-up information, you’ll need some additional details too. Read the article till the end to know all the important details!

What is CPS Tattoo?

CPS stands for ‘Cycles Per Minute’. The tattoos that are done based on the cycles per minute are CPS tattoos. The term CPS is also known as hertz. Similarly, CPS tattoos are also known as hertz tattoos.

CPS tattoos are a bit different when compared to normal tattoos. These tattoos have a few factors that differentiate them. In the next section, I’ve mentioned all of these factors elaborately. Give it a read!

Different Factors of a CPS Tattoo

A CPS tattoo relies on a number of factors. Knowing these aspects beforehand will give you a good idea of what a CPS tattoo actually is. 

Cycles Per Second:

This is essentially the speed of the tattoo machine. The higher the CPS of a tattoo machine, the faster the rig. The CPS count of a machine is heavily influenced by the tuning.

High and low CPS and their effects have been discussed later in this article, so stay tuned!

Duty Cycle:

The duty cycle of a tattoo refers to the amount of time that the tattoo machine is in use. This cycle takes the percentage of time that the machine is actively tattooing. And then it compares that time to the total time that it is turned on.

The appropriate duty cycle for a CPS tattoo is 50%. Note that it’s recommended that tattoo machines be used for no more than 10 minutes at a time. Moreover, there should be a break of 5 minutes between each usage.

Spring Length:

The length of the spring in a tattoo machine determines how the spring will react according to the CPS.

The greater the spring length, the more versatility. However, short spring lengths in CPS tattoos are the best choice because the machine stays more stable. This is also applicable to wireless tattoo machines.

Ultimately, the spring length of tattoos will depend on the design and the size of the tattoo needles.

Stroke Length

The stroke length is the distance covered by the armature bar of a tattoo machine. This is also known as the ‘throw’ of a tattoo machine.

The stroke’s measured by the distance between the maximum upright position and the downright position of the armature bar.

Now that you know what a CPS tattoo is, let’s discuss the types. There are 2 kinds of CPS tattoos. These include high and low CPS tattoos. The pros and cons of both types are discussed in the next segment, take a look.

Properties of a High CPS Tattoo

A high CPS tattoo is nothing too complicated, it just has a higher hertz/cycles per second. Also, the spring length and stroke length are adjusted according to the CPS.

Less Time:

The high CPS tattoos take less time because of the increased cycles per minute. But it does come with a downside. High CPS gives your skin less time to react. As a result, you may feel some in contact with the tattoo needles.

To reduce tattoo pain, you should also consider using after regimens. Not all of the after-regimens are the same. For instance, although they are quite identical, there are major differences between Lubriderm and Aquaphor.

More Precision:

When setting a high CPS on a tattoo machine, it has more precision. Since the CPS is high, the armature bar moves quickly and takes less time to pinpoint the design. That results in a boost of accuracy. This is the biggest advantage of a high-precision tattoo.

Properties of a Low CPS Tattoo

A low CPS tattoo has some distinct properties because the cycles per minute are lower on this one. It also has some pros and cons, similar to the high CPS tattoo. 

More Time:

Low CPS tattoos take more time than usual. This is one of the downsides of low CPS tattoos. But, the stringing of the tattoo remains for a shorter period of time with low CPS.

This doesn’t happen in high CPS tattoos. So the pain factor mitigates by a bit with low CPS.

Less Precision:

When the CPS is low on a tattoo machine, it tends to be a tad bit less accurate. The armature bar takes more time to breach the skin, as the cycles per minute is lessened. In between each stroke, there’s a chance of displacement of the tattoo area.

Although, you can increase tattoo precision by using high-quality needles and inks. For instance, fusion tattoo ink, kuro sumi ink, etc.

Should You Get a CPS Tattoo?

By now, you should be aware of all the factors of a CPS tattoo. Furthermore, you may be thinking of getting a CPS tattoo yourself! But, should you get a CPS tattoo?

The short answer is, yes! If you want a modern tattoo, CPS tattoos are one of the best options. Just make sure to decide prior hand if you want a high or low CPS tattoo. Also, only proceed with the CPS tattoo if you’re over 18 years and healthy enough to get a tattoo.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Are tattoos 100% safe?

No, tattoos aren’t 100% safe. The tattoo machines breach the skin to transfer the ink from the machine to the skin. As a result, the skin may be exposed to allergic reactions and infections. However, it’s possible to increase the safety factor by using sanitized needles, good-quality inks, etc.

How do smart tattoos work?

In the modern day, smart tattoos refer the e-tattoos or electronic tattoos. The smart tattoos work via the exchange of special ink that conducts electricity. It uses trackers and sensors (really small) to get this job done. Along with the tattoo industry, it also has many applications in the healthcare industry.

What is a tattoo needle cartridge?

A tattoo needles cartridge is a cartridge that holds specialty needles. The needles cartridge can be used in machines, but not all of them. It’s a famous alternative to the standard setups of needles.

The Final Words

You’ve reached the end of this article. Hopefully, now you know what is cps tattoo and all the information about it.

There are many types of tattoos available for the average consumer. So you can choose outside of CPS tattoos if you wish to!

Best of luck.