Electrum Premium Tattoo Supply
We are committed to providing tattoo artists with the best selection of top-quality tattoo products to enhance the craft. Our extensive inventory of tattoo supplies includes premium tattoo inks, tattoo needles, tattoo machines, and cartridge tattoo needles, ensuring you have the essential tools for exceptional artistry. We also offer a range of medical supplies, such as tattoo anesthetics and ointments, to support safe and comfortable tattooing experiences.
With a focus on quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, Electrum Supply is your trusted partner in the tattoo industry, indlucing tattoo wholesale. Explore our diverse product lineup today, including Electrum Ink, and discover why professionals choose us for their tattoo supply needs.
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We Have Moved
We’ve moved our warehouse and storefront from CR 45 to 1527 W. Wilden Ave.
Thank you for your patience and for being part of the Electrum family.
Full details available in our blog post below.


Start Playing with Fire
- Safe AF - Industry standard internal membrane
- Stable AF - Featuring the FIRST Double Stabilization Technology (Patent Pending) - Say good bye to needle wobble
- Sharp AF - Crafted with the sharpest 316 Surgical Steel to stay sharp for even the LONGEST sessions
- Affordable AF - Stop paying the premium prices for cartridges - FIRE Cartridges are the same quality as brands like Peak Stellar and Kwadron, but without the excessive pricing.
We're OFFICIALLY changing the meaning of AF to (As Fire)
Use code TRYME20 for 20% off your first order. Use code DISRUPT30 on any Electrum cartridge orders over $500 (FIRE, Gold Standard & PMU) to save 30% every time you order
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Made With Love & Good Vibes
We are committed to providing tattoo artists with the best selection of top-quality tattoo products to enhance the craft. Our extensive inventory of tattoo supplies includes premium tattoo inks, tattoo needles, tattoo machines, and cartridge tattoo needles, ensuring you have the essential tools for exceptional artistry.
We also offer a range of medical supplies, such as tattoo anesthetics and ointments, to support safe and comfortable tattooing experiences.
Shop Electrum Merch
Blog posts
Building a Portfolio That Actually Gets You Clients
Good portfolios don’t happen by accident — they’re engineered. Your portfolio is the most important tool you have as a new tattoo artist.It’s your résumé, your sales pitch, your brand, and your first impression all rolled into one. But most apprentice portfolios fail for the same three reasons: They show too much jumbled work. They show work the artist shouldn’t be taking. They don’t show what the artist actually wants to tattoo. You’re not just displaying tattoos.You’re curating a message: “This is my style. This is my standard. This is what you can expect from me.” Here’s how to build a portfolio that books real clients — not charity cases or bargain hunters. 1. Only Show Work You Want to Repeat This is the golden rule. If you show:• name tattoos• walk-ins• inconsistent linework• styles you hated doing• things outside your skillset …clients will ask for more of it. Your portfolio is a magnet.So choose what you want it to attract. If you want to tattoo: • blackwork• fine line• American traditional• anime• realism• ornamental• lettering …then those should make up 90%+ of your portfolio. Even if you only have five strong pieces — that’s better than twenty weak ones. 2. Quality > Quantity Beginners are terrified of having a “small” portfolio, so they cram it full of everything. This is how you kill your credibility. Five banger tattoos > twenty mediocre ones. Clients don’t count.They judge. A small, clean portfolio says:“My standards are high.” A giant, chaotic one says:“I’ll tattoo anything with a pulse.” Choose your message accordingly. 3. Photography Matters More Than You Think A great tattoo with bad lighting, sweaty glare, or poor composition looks like a bad tattoo. Good tattoo photos should: • be matte, not shiny• be shot in soft lighting• show the tattoo straight on• avoid filters• avoid color shifts• be clean, crisp, and simple Use a gentle cleanser (like Cleanse) to matte the skin — not Vaseline, not ointment, not water. Avoid Snapchat.Avoid Instagram filters.Avoid sparkles and stickers. Look like a professional. 4. Show Both Fresh and Healed Work Anyone can make a fresh tattoo look good.Healed work tells the truth. Clients trust artists with healed examples because they show: • longevity• consistency• real skill• realistic expectations Even one healed photo in each section instantly levels up your credibility. 5. Organize Your Portfolio Like a Pro Whether online or printed, structure matters. Ideal order: Your strongest piece (lead with impact) Your specialty (blackwork, fine line, etc.) A curated set of your best 8–12 pieces Healed examples Sketches/designs that reflect your style Optional: Available flash Make it easy to scroll.Make it easy to understand. 6. Include Only Finished, Professional Designs Your designs should look: • intentional• confident• balanced• consistent with your tattoo style No messy sketches.No unfinished drawings.No “here’s a concept I never completed.” You’re building trust — not vibes. 7. Consistency Creates Identity Clients book artists who have a clear identity. If your portfolio includes: • a hyper-realistic wolf• anime• delicate flowers• traditional ships• micro-line birds• Celtic knots …that’s not versatility.That’s confusion. Pick 1–2 lanes. Your portfolio should say:“This is me. This is what I do best.” 8. Update It Constantly Your portfolio is not a scrapbook.It’s a living document. Update it every month: ✔ remove old work✔ replace pieces as you grow✔ add healed shots✔ remove things outside your current style✔ tighten the aesthetic Your skill changes fast — your portfolio should keep up. 9. Have a Clean Digital Home Instagram is not a portfolio.It supports your portfolio. You still need: • a simple site• one page• clean layout• no clutter• no ads• no distractions Your site should say: “Here is my work. Here is how to book.” Keep it that simple. 10. Your Portfolio Should Answer These Three Questions If a client can answer these in 10 seconds, you’ve done your job: What style do you specialize in? How consistent is your work? What will my tattoo look like healed? If the answer isn’t obvious,your portfolio needs clarity. The Portfolio You Build Decides the Clients You Get A strong portfolio: ✔ attracts the right clients✔ filters out the wrong ones✔ increases your prices✔ builds your identity✔ fast-tracks your career Your tattoos are your product.Your portfolio is your storefront.Make it impossible to walk past without stopping.
Read moreSELF TAUGHT SERIES - When You’re Actually Ready to Learn Tattoo Machines
Learning tattoo machines is often treated like the beginning of tattooing.It isn’t. Machines are tools. Powerful ones. And touching them too early doesn’t make you ahead. It makes you unprepared. Being “ready” to learn machines isn’t about confidence or excitement.It’s about competence, restraint, and responsibility. Readiness Is About Foundations, Not Fearlessness You are ready to learn machines only after you can say yes to all of the following: You understand bloodborne pathogens and cross-contamination deeply You know local laws and licensing requirements You can explain skin structure and healing, not just copy techniques You practice exclusively on synthetic skin You treat tattooing as permanent and serious work If any of those are missing, machines should wait. What “Learning Machines” Actually Means Learning machines does not mean tattooing people. It means understanding how a machine functions and how your choices affect skin, even in controlled practice. At this stage, learning machines includes: Assembly and breakdown Needle groupings and configurations Voltage, stroke, and give How machines respond to hand pressure and movement How inconsistent setup creates inconsistent results This is technical education, not performance. The Difference Between Curiosity and Readiness Curiosity says: “I want to try this.” Readiness says: “I understand the risks, limits, and consequences.” Being ready means you’re willing to go slow.It means resisting the urge to test things on real skin.It means caring more about doing it right than doing it now. If you feel pressure to rush, that’s usually a sign you’re not ready yet. What Your Practice Should Look Like When you are actually ready to learn machines, your practice should be structured. Practice should include: Synthetic skin only Controlled, repeatable drills Focus on line consistency before anything else One setup at a time, not constant switching Documenting what works and what doesn’t This is not the phase for experimentation on people. Progress here is quiet, repetitive, and unglamorous.That’s normal. Mistakes at This Stage Should Be Cheap Cheap in cost.Cheap in consequence. Practice skin is where mistakes belong. If mistakes feel high-stakes, you’re practicing in the wrong place or at the wrong time. Mentorship Still Matters Here Even if you are not in a traditional apprenticeship, learning machines should not happen in isolation. Feedback matters.Correction matters.Accountability matters. Someone experienced should be able to tell you: When your depth is off When your setup is unsafe When your expectations are unrealistic Self-direction without oversight is where many people get hurt. Readiness Is About Respect You’re ready to learn machines when you: Respect the body more than your timeline Respect the craft more than attention Respect safety more than ego Machines are not a reward.They’re a responsibility. A Final Line in the Sand If you’re asking whether you’re ready, slow down. Readiness doesn’t feel urgent.It feels deliberate. Tattooing isn’t a race.And learning machines is not the starting line.
Read moreThe Business of Tattooing - Burnout Isn’t a Mindset Problem. It’s a Systems Problem.
Burnout in tattooing is often treated like a personal weakness.Like something you should power through, fix with motivation, or solve by “loving tattooing more.” That framing is wrong.And expensive. Burnout isn’t just emotional exhaustion. It creates real, measurable losses that compound quietly over time. Not all at once.Not dramatically.But consistently. What Burnout Actually Looks Like in Tattooing Burnout in tattooing rarely announces itself clearly. It creeps in through patterns: Chronic fatigue even on lighter days Irritability with clients or coworkers Difficulty focusing during sessions Increasing hand, wrist, or back pain Needing more recovery time but not taking it Most tattooers don’t stop working when burnout starts.They work through it, which is where the real costs begin. The Direct Financial Losses (The Obvious Ones) 1. Missed or cancelled appointments Burnout increases cancellations, whether from illness, pain, or mental overload. One missed day doesn’t seem huge. Over a year, it adds up. 2. Reduced booking capacity When you’re burned out, you book shorter days or fewer sessions. Not strategically. Reactively. 3. Forced downtime instead of planned rest Time off due to injury or collapse costs more than time off you schedule intentionally. None of these losses show up as a single bill.They show up as money you never earned. The Indirect Losses (The Ones Tattooers Underestimate) This is where burnout quietly drains careers. 1. Decline in work quality Fatigue reduces precision. Reduced precision increases stress. Stress feeds burnout. 2. Increased rework and self-doubt Burned-out artists second-guess themselves more, even when the work is fine. That mental load slows everything down. 3. Client attrition Clients notice when artists are rushed, distracted, or disengaged. Even loyal clients drift when energy changes. 4. Physical damage that limits future earning Hand, wrist, and nerve injuries don’t just hurt now. They limit how much you can work later. Burnout isn’t a bad week.It’s a slow erosion of capacity. Why Burnout Is Usually a Systems Problem (Not a Personal One) Burnout thrives in environments with: Inconsistent tools Chaotic scheduling No recovery built into workflow Pressure to always say yes No margin for error Tattooers are often taught to “push harder” instead of adjusting the system. But pushing harder doesn’t create sustainability.It creates collapse. What Actually Reduces Burnout (Actionable, Realistic Steps) 1. Track strain, not just income Income matters. But strain predicts burnout better. Start paying attention to: Hand pain at the end of the day Focus loss during longer sessions Emotional fatigue after specific types of bookings Patterns tell you where your system is failing. 2. Reduce variables in your setup Every inconsistency requires compensation. Constantly switching supplies increases mental load Unreliable tools increase physical strain Troubleshooting mid-session drains focus Standardizing your setup reduces decision fatigue and physical overcompensation. 3. Stop treating full books as the goal Being fully booked isn’t the same as being stable. Ask: Can I maintain this schedule for six months? Do I recover between days or just survive them? Am I booking based on capacity or fear? Sustainable booking looks boring. That’s the point. 4. Schedule recovery like it’s part of the job (because it is) Recovery isn’t what you do when everything hurts. It’s what prevents things from getting there. That includes: Real breaks during sessions Days that are intentionally lighter Time off that isn’t filled with guilt Recovery protects earning ability. 5. Stop normalizing pain as dedication Pain isn’t proof you care.It’s feedback. Ignoring it doesn’t make you tougher.It just delays the bill. The Long View: Burnout Shrinks Careers Burnout doesn’t usually end tattoo careers overnight.It shortens them. It turns five-year plans into one-year survival cycles.It limits how much you can work, grow, and enjoy the craft. Tattooers who last aren’t the toughest.They’re the ones who design their work around longevity. Burnout is costly.Preventing it is cheaper than recovering from it.
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