The journal

Learn from each other, one story at a time

Traditional flash sheet with swallows and roses

History · 9 min read

Flash sheets: how a wall of drawings built a tradition

From dockside shops to today's studios, flash has always been how tattooers teach, trade and tip their hats to one another. We trace a century of swallows, roses and eagles.

Dez Okoro, Artist, Iron Script · 24 Sep 2026

Technique · 6 min read
From stencil to skin: placing a design that moves with the body
Three artists walk through how they size, wrap and adjust a stencil before the first line.
Inez Calder · 18 Sep 2026
Gear · 7 min read
Coil or rotary? Choosing the machine that suits your hand
What apprentices wish they'd known before buying their first setup, from weight to give.
Kenji Arai · 11 Sep 2026
Studio life · 5 min read
Setting up a private studio clients feel at home in
Layout, hygiene and the small touches that turn a spare room into a space people trust.
Lena Sol · 2 Sep 2026

Flash sheets: how a wall of drawings built a tradition

From stencil to skin: placing a design that moves with the body

Coil or rotary? Choosing the machine that suits your hand

Setting up a private studio clients feel at home in