# Automated Tattoo Machines This 3D Printer Hack Incorporates a Tattoo Gun So You Can Ink Yourself By Alyson Wyers | Published 2014-10-30 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3d-printer-hack References: [psfk](http://www.psfk.com/2014/10/tattoo-machine-creation-3d-printing.html) & [vimeo](http://vimeo.com/102613692) This 3D printer hack could replace your tattoo artist. The automated tattoo machine is an altered 3D printer that creates [permanent body ink](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tattoo-popup). Conceived by Paris design firm Appropriate Audiences, the 3D printing tattoo gun follows a very simple process. The Tatoue involves attaching a tattoo gun on rails to a metal frame in the shape of a square. This contraption can move on three different axes, which allows it to curve and follow the body's lines. After choosing a [tattoo design](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tattoo-cook), you load the file into the printer. Place the limb (ideally an arm) into the frame and the printer will execute the body art. The 3D printer hack also has a sensor that measures the skin's textures and dimensions while in operation. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.5/10 - Popularity: 13% | Activity: 53% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Automated Tattoo Machines:** The automated tattoo machine incorporating a 3D printer hack presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the tattoo industry by streamlining the tattooing process and potentially reducing costs. - **3D Printing in Body Art:** The incorporation of 3D printing technology in creating tattoos opens up possibilities for personalized and intricate designs, providing a disruptive innovation opportunity in the body art industry. - **Sensor Technology in Tattooing:** The use of sensors to measure skin textures and dimensions during the tattooing process could revolutionize the accuracy and precision of tattooing, presenting a disruptive innovation opportunity in the tattoo industry. ### Where This Applies - **Tattoo Industry:** Automated tattoo machines and the integration of 3D printing and sensor technology can revolutionize traditional tattooing practices, creating disruptive innovation opportunities within the tattoo industry. - **3D Printing Industry:** The application of 3D printing technology in the creation of tattoos expands the potential market for 3D printers, offering new opportunities for disruptive innovation within the 3D printing industry. - **Sensor Technology Industry:** The incorporation of sensors in tattoo machines creates an opportunity for disruptive innovation within the sensor technology industry, as it expands the applications of sensors beyond traditional areas. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Powered Tattoo Printers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/imprintu.md) - [Custom Tattoo Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-tattoo-creator.md) - [Custom Tattoo Designers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-tattoo-generator2.md) - [Custom Tattoo Design Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-tattoo-generator1.md) - [Palm-Sized Tattoo Printers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/temporary-tattoo-device.md) - [AI Tattoo Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tattoo-ai-design.md) - [AI Tattoo Designers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tattoo-maker-ai.md) - [AI Tattoo Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-tattoo-generator.md) - [AI Tattoo Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sketch-tattoo-ai.md)