How to use thermal tattoo printer (Phomemo, HPRT, Brother)
TL;DR
Check your model's manual for its paper format and required app. With the Phomemo M08F, connect inside the official app, use compatible A4 or Letter sheets, import the Decalker PDF, and print at 'Actual size / 100%'. Mirror the stencil exactly once.
Materials needed
- •Printer compatible with tattoo transfer paper
- •Transfer sheet in the size accepted by the model (A4 or Letter on the Phomemo M08F)
- •Phone or tablet with Bluetooth (iOS or Android)
- •Official app specified by the printer manual
- •Ready Decalker PDF
Step by step
1. Buy printer matching your volume
Before buying, verify the manual: accepted sheet size, resolution, phone app, PDF import, scale control, and mirror option. The Phomemo M08F, for example, is specified at 203 dpi with A4 or Letter sheets. Other models may require different formats and apps.
2. Charge battery + install paper
Charge the printer and load the sheet exactly as shown in the paper and printer manuals. The M08F uses A4 or Letter sheets, not an 80 mm roll. Transfer paper has specific layers and sides; loading it backwards can produce a blank or incorrect transfer.
3. Turn on Bluetooth and download app
Turn on the printer, enable Bluetooth on the phone, and open the official app named in the manual. With the M08F, start the connection inside the Phomemo app, not from the iOS Bluetooth Settings screen. Follow the procedure for your exact model.
4. Generate stencil in Decalker
Open Decalker on the phone, upload the reference, choose a style, and generate the stencil. Processing usually takes about 30 seconds and can vary. On the result, choose '1:1 PDF'. In the iOS app, the share sheet can send it to Files or a compatible app; in the browser, the PDF downloads.
5. Open PDF in printer app
In the printer's official app, import or share the Decalker PDF. Set 'Actual size' or '100%' and disable 'Fit to page' or 'Auto fit'. Mirror exactly once: use an already mirrored PDF or the app's mirror option, never both. On the first print, measure the PDF's 50 mm ruler; if it is not 50 mm on paper, the scale changed.
6. Print and check result
Tap print and watch the sheet feed. Time varies by model, connection, and artwork. Confirm that the ruler measures 50 mm, the design was mirrored exactly once, and no lines are missing. Remove or cut the sheet only as the manual instructs; do not assume the printer has a built-in cutter.
Common mistakes
- !Setting 'Fit to page' (PDF resizes, loses 1:1mm scale)
- !Mirroring in the PDF and again in the app (the second mirror cancels the first)
- !Using an 80 mm roll in a printer designed for A4 or Letter sheets
- !Discharged battery (printer self-shuts mid-print)
- !Loading transfer paper on the wrong side or in the wrong layer order
Decalker shortcut
Decalker exports a 1:1 PDF with alignment marks and a 50 mm ruler. You still need to import the file into the printer's compatible app, select 100%, and check the ruler before using the stencil on skin.
Try Decalker free