Advancing the Tattoo Industry Through Unified Standards and Responsible Innovation.
Ethical Standards for Products and Studios
TIMA is currently developing clear, accessible Ethical Standards for Products and Studios. These guidelines will support manufacturers, artists, and studio owners by outlining the shared responsibilities that keep our industry safe, respected, and self-governed.
Our goal is to establish baseline expectations that reflect TIMA’s mission:
to protect the tattoo trade, strengthen industry representation, and promote responsible practices across the entire supply chain.
These standards will help unify how we communicate about safety, quality, transparency, and professional conduct, ensuring that every part of the tattoo ecosystem is aligned and operates with integrity.
A full draft will be released soon for member review and feedback.
Dispute Tattoo Inks being Considered an Injection
The Tattoo Industry Manufacturers Alliance (TIMA) formally disputes the use of the term “injection” when describing tattooing or tattoo inks, as it is scientifically and technically inaccurate. Injection implies the delivery of a liquid substance into the body via pressure-driven force and hollow-bore needle systems designed to deposit material into tissue or circulation. Tattooing does not meet this definition. Tattoo machines operate through rapid, shallow, mechanical puncture that creates micro-channels in the skin, allowing pigment dispersions to be deposited within the dermal layer through capillary action and localized tissue interaction—not forced injection. Conflating tattooing with injection misrepresents the mechanics, materials, and risk profile of the process, leading to regulatory assumptions that do not reflect real-world tattoo practice. Accurate terminology is essential to developing fair, science-based standards that appropriately address tattoo materials, artist technique, and public health without imposing frameworks designed for unrelated medical or pharmaceutical applications.
Promoting accountability for all stakeholders in the tattoo supply chain.
The Tattoo Industry Manufacturers Alliance (TIMA) recognizes that effective safety and quality standards for body art products depend on a clearly defined chain of custody and shared stakeholder responsibility. From raw material sourcing and manufacturing through distribution, professional use, and end application, each stage of the body art product lifecycle plays distinct roles, carries distinct obligations, and entails distinct levels of accountability. When responsibilities are undefined or fragmented, gaps in documentation, traceability, and risk management can emerge, undermining both product integrity and public trust. TIMA’s approach emphasizes collaborative contribution from manufacturers, suppliers, artists, educators, and regulators, ensuring that practical guidance reflects real operational conditions. These collective contributions will form the foundation of the Inktegrity resource library, providing accessible, industry-led educational tools that support transparency, consistency, and informed decision-making across the body art community.