This article written by Theo Priestley originally appeared in Forbes. To read the article on that site, please click here.
Are tattoos considered a form of art now ?
Many businesses worldwide now allow visible tattoos in the workplace and their are rules in place that those with tattoos cannot be discriminated against. – David Corden

Out with the old behemoth thermal copier
Equipment that had stayed the same for many years has seen more changes in the past few years than ever before and this is due to the greater demand within the industry. Artists want the very best tools to do their jobs to the highest levels of detail possible and they are willing to spend their money on a product that aids them in producing the best work possible.
“If I don’t have the best carbon transfer possible it can greatly effect the outcome of the tattoo.”

In with the new tiny PJ printer
Which is where Brother Europe accidentally stumbled into a market they had no idea was waiting for technology to advance. The PJ-623 wasn’t designed to be the tattoo industry’s weapon of choice but it quickly grew in popularity when a famous artist called Paul Talbot began to use them over the older, larger thermal copiers whose design hadn’t changed in years. Word quickly got out and insiders at Brother Europe took notice, who have begun working directly with tattooists about further requirements and refinements to the printer hardware itself.
Matt Condon, product planner for Mobile Solutions at Brother Europe said: “Although the tattoo industry was an unexpected market for us – our PJ thermal printers are now being used by tattoo artists both in Europe and stateside.
“As a print technology specialist, we design versatile products that are used in mainstream offices as well as more niche applications. The PJ series is popular with those who need a full A4 page mobile printing solution – such as field workers in a number of vertical markets. We have been really interested to see the demand for our products within this entirely new market for Brother evolve. We have been working with some of the most respected people in the tattoo industry to understand requirements for future products. We will soon be launching our next generation PJ line-up, which will have enhanced features and connectivity options.”

Not your average tattoo studio, which also helps change perceptions towards the industry
Corden agrees, seeing the PJ as the next step towards increasing the detail in his work, a major factor in changing perceptions towards tattoos. “I use the Brother printer because it prints directly from the laptop and in so doing it picks up every pixel and doesn’t rely on my having gotten the temperature settings right.” said David as he printed off another piece of Alex Ross art for my sleeve. “The printer is so compact that I take it to conventions with me and so don’t have to queue with the other artists waiting to use an old fashioned stencil machine that will likely have overheated by the time its my turn.”