Stroke Length for Shading

For shading and greywash, a stroke length between 3.5mm and 4.5mm is commonly listed. This longer travel distance allows the needle to carry more ink per pass and penetrate with enough force to create smooth gradients.

A 3.8mm to 4.2mm stroke is the most versatile shading range. It works well for black-and-grey realism, traditional shading, and soft whip shading techniques.

Soft shading and greywash benefit from strokes on the shorter end (3.5–3.8mm). The gentler hit prevents over-saturation and allows you to build up tones gradually.

Color packing requires longer strokes (4.0–4.5mm) because you need to push dense pigment into the skin. Bold, saturated color work demands the extra needle travel to ensure the ink stays in the dermis.

When shading with large magnum needles (7M1, 9M1, 13M1), a longer stroke helps all the needles penetrate evenly. The extra force compensates for the increased surface resistance of wide needle configurations.

For soft shading with round shaders (3RS, 5RS), you can use a slightly shorter stroke because round configurations naturally penetrate more easily.

Keep your hand speed consistent. Shading looks patchy when you speed up and slow down randomly. Let the machine do the work — apply light pressure and move smoothly.

If you notice the ink is not staying in the skin, try increasing your stroke length slightly or slowing down your hand speed. If the skin is getting overworked, shorten the stroke or speed up.