With tattoo transfer paper or stencil paper, you can easily make all tattoos realistic works of art. Choose the best tattoo transfer paper can save you time for drawing as well.
Every tattoo artist swears by a few products that make his work easier, and at the same time more pleasurable for the client. As part of the equipment, even though not technically, there is the tattoo transfer and stencil paper. It’s crucial to have this type of paper to transfer the stencil outlines and start tattooing. But, choosing the best one, or the right one, can be a challenge and confuse you.
Best overall
Premium Pick
Budget Pick
We did our research and summed it up to a few tattoo transfer and stencil paper products. We focused on their best features, and foremost, their usability to help you speed up your work preparations. You can find all the details below, and choose as well!
These where our top 3 selections we made for you. Once you decide on some of them, you will notice how fast your tattoo prep-time goes! With the help of our summary of features below, you’ll be able to pick one in no time!
Read also: Best Tattoo Transfer Stencil Machines
Why do you need tattoo transfer or stencil paper
You need a paper like this to simplify your work and improve the quality of your designs as well. With stencil paper, you can be sure that your drawing skills are always perfectly implemented, and the outlines are always bold and precise. This ensures the final perfection of the tattoo overall.
This type of paper is for all tattoo artists, regardless of whether beginners, apprentices, or long-time experts. When it comes to speeding up work while you create a great drawing, tattoo transfer paper is a product you must have.
Also, such stencil paper is suitable for those working with all sorts of decorations that need transferring of drawings onto surfaces or objects as well (here some temporary tattoo stencil papers come in handy).
The Best Tattoo Transfer Papers in 2022
1. Cridoz Tattoo Transfer Paper
Best overall
If you need a stencil paper that you can easily cut and shape according to the tattoo designs, you can choose this one. Speed up your work with easy tracing, and simple shaping!
As our first, and best overall pick, we announce the Cridoz brand. They offer a great tattoo transfer and stencil paper of A4 size, with several great features. They include 35 sheets of it, and it has 4 plies (master, carbon, protective-tissue, and backing). The size of the paper is 8 ¼” x 11 ¾”, but you can cut it and reshape it easily.
Dimensions of the package are 11.85 x 10 x 0.63 inches, with a weight of 11.3 ounces.
Pros
- 35 sheets of paper
- 4-ply
- Simple usage
- Can be reshaped
- For freehand, and copier usage too
- Easy line-tracing
Cons
- Sticking to skin feels loose
- Stencil pigment is a bit faded
2. Bekith Transfer Stencil Paper
Premium Pick
This is a good pick for you if you rely on the general outlines of a stencil. You can pick this if you are comfortable with bold extremes, or subtle stencils at the same time. Easy to use, and good for contouring.
As a second suggestion, we go with Bekith as our premium pick. They offer stunning 100 sheets of stencil paper of size 8 ½” x 11″. This one also comes in 4 plies, each size A4, and also usable for both freehand drawing and copier stencil prints. The transfer is nice, with a smooth finish.
Dimensions of the package are 12.32 x 8.7 x 0.98 inches, with a total weight of 1.85 pounds.
Pros
- Large quantity (100 pieces of paper)
- 4 plies
- Simple to use
- Good finish
- For freehand and copier usage too
- Vivid stencil lines
Cons
- Stencil lines could be too bold for some
- Some lines will transfer more faded
3. Pirate Face Tattoo Transfer Stencil Paper
Budget Pick
Pirate Face Tattoo Transfer Stencil Paper
If you are relatively new in the tattoo business, a beginner or apprentice, and you don’t spend too much stencil paper, this is for you. It is affordable too, so it’s perfect for beginners with fewer clients.
As our third suggestion and budget pick, we have the Pirate Face Tattoo brand, with an affordable product. They offer 15 sheets of paper, all of size A4 and dimensions 8.5″ x 11″. This is a good deal for those on a budget because you get a nice quality paper for a great price. And, it can also be used for freehand and copier stenciling.
Dimensions of the package are 9 x 1 x 11 inches, with a total weight of 5 ounces.
Pros
- Affordable
- Good quality per price
- 4-ply paper
- Both for a copier or freehand use
- Bold and vivid transfer
Cons
- Press the paper more to transfer all lines equally
4. SLSY Tattoo Transfer Paper
This is another great pick for you if you like a large quantity in your order. The great thing here is that if you dislike the stencil paper, you can even be refunded. But, we doubt you’ll seek refunding once you get a bold finish!
As a fourth suggestion, we list the SLSY brand and their tattoo transfer and stencil paper. They offer it in amazing 100 A4 sheets per package of 4 plies. This is another product in a row fit for double usage – printer or freehand. The paper piece size is 8.27″ x 11.7″, and for optimal results, place it on moistened skin. If not satisfied, they offer you great customer support or a refund!
Dimensions of the package are 12.4 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches, with a weight of 1.9 pounds.
Pros
- 100 sheets
- 4 plies
- Freehand and copier usage
- Nice finish result
- Refund if not satisfied
- Superb customer support
Cons
- Reapplying or pressing more for better, bold stencil
- Stencil lines could wipe easily sometimes
5. Sunnyscopa Printable Temporary Tattoo Paper
Sunnyscopa Printable Temporary Tattoo Paper
If you want to give your customers a unique service of trying out tattoos before you ink them permanently – this is your perfect choice! Your customers could test out a design and wipe it off even right before you start tattooing.
As our final suggestion, we give you the Sunnyscopa brand with their stencil paper. Again, paper dimensions here are 8.5″ x 11″, and you’ll get 10 sheets of this paper. The fun feature here is that you can ‘brand’ the paper with a custom design of your choice for a gorgeous temporary design. It’s simple to use, and you just need to use any office printer you have nearby. The tattoo can be easily removed as well – damp wiping with oil is enough. You can rest assured this doesn’t react badly on any skin type.
Dimensions of the package are 11.22 x 8.66 x 0.28 inches, with total weight of 1.01 pounds.
Pros
- Personalizing
- Simple usage
- Easy tattoo removal afterward
- Safe for the skin
- Trusted brand
Cons
- If not pressed properly, the thin film could wrinkle the skin
How we picked and tested the tattoo transfer & stencil papers
Before we summed up the reviews, we paid close attention to certain practicalities and features of the best tattoo transfer paper. It is ideal if you choose a product with all of these features at once, but the majority of stencil papers contain almost all (if not all) of these:
- Amount of plies
- Simple usage
- Printer and free-hand usage
- Tracing simplicity
- The boldness of the stencil outcome
- Price
Tattoo transfer and stencil paper buyer’s guide
How do tattoo transfer and stencil paper work exactly?
This type of paper has 2 subcategories: thermal and hectograph paper.
The thermal copier paper always has 4 layers; the 1st is a white sheet where you transfer the design. The 2nd is milky color, and it’s the thinner sheet that you always throw away. Then, the 3rd one is an ink sheet, purple as indigo color (royal blue), and 4th is a yellow, bottom sheet that holds everything in place from above.
The other type, hectograph paper is suitable if you are into old-school time-consuming preparations with your manual efforts, and less relying on machines. This one has 3 sheets (unlike the 4 above). You throw away the middle sheet first, and then you draw the design on the first top layer, and the bottom sheet is where you see the outcome, the transferred picture. To transfer this onto the skin, you have to use some moisturizer (deodorant stick or special sprays) to see the bold outlines.
Luckily, our product suggestions so far are all fit for free-hand, as well as copier usage.
Can I use regular paper instead of tattoo transfer paper?
No, it’s impossible to do tattoo stencils with normal paper only. How would you transfer the design? How would you do tracings? That would be free-hand tattooing, in a way! So the answer here is no, without tattoo transfer and stencil paper there couldn’t be a stencil transfer onto the skin. Whether you do free-hand or copier prints, this type of paper is a must-have.
Of course, unless you want the extreme move of free-hand direct tattooing.
Do I need a special printer for tattoo transfer & stencil paper?
Yes, if you only have a regular printer, the process is a bit complex. You would need to print your design on regular paper, in this regular printer, and do manual tracing (hand tracing) on top of carbon paper – this is a lot messier and impractical than just using stencil paper. With stencil paper, work seems cleaner and there is no residue on your hands after the drawing. You will need a Tattoo transfer stencil machine for this. And, the perks of most stencil papers is that they are fit for a tattoo transfer printer, and free-hand usage.
How to do tattoo stencils if I don’t have a special copier?
This is not hard, but it might be more time-consuming. For this you still need to use the stencil paper, then a tracing paper, and sketchbook as well. First, you need to separate the stencil paper from the brown layer with it.
It is good to secure the design you want with tape onto the stencil paper (you need to avoid slipping or falling off of the design here). It is also a very good recommendation to use those light boxes or light tables that will make it easier for you to follow lines.
Conclusion
Before you choose, let’s remind ourselves of the suggestions we made. The ultimate best overall was the Cridoz, with the large number of sheets that you can shape easily. Then, we had the premium pick Bekith, with even more sheets included, and leaving a nice, bold, and strong outline finish. As the third, budget pick, we mentioned the Pirate Face Tattoo brand, quite affordable, but offering just as good quality.
Cut the prep-time in half before tattoo sessions, and make use of the tattoo transfer and stencil papers. The tattoos you will draw and make will be flawless, and you could even have a busier schedule since you’ll have more time to draw. Good luck shopping!
