How to do tattoo cover-up (2026 guide)
TL;DR
Photo of old tattoo -> Decalker Create with AI + 'cover-up blackwork heavy density' -> 4 variations covering 100% -> choose + Decalkar -> tattoo in 2-3 sessions. Black density + composition larger than original = total coverage.
Materials needed
- •Photo of old tattoo (good light, no flash, 1500px+)
- •Decalker (free 10/mo covers 1 cover-up)
- •Preferably thermal stencil paper (thick paper handles coverage)
- •Quality solid black ink (Eternal, Solid Ink, Fusion)
- •Shader needle for density (5RS, 9RS, 13RS)
Step by step
1. Photo old tattoo in natural light
Client comes to studio. Position in natural light (near window). Take 3-4 photos: zoom out (shows skin context), zoom in (tattoo details), 45deg angle, front. Decalker analyzes better with focused photos + good light. No flash (creates reflection on old black).
2. Evaluate old tattoo density
Categorize in 3 levels: LIGHT (faded fineline, light gray background) — easy cover-up, 1 session. MEDIUM (thick black lines, dark gray background) — 2 sessions, dense blackwork. HEAVY (extensive solid black, saturated areas) — 3+ sessions, focus on masking with large shapes + greater saturation. Educate client that LIGHT is easy mode.
3. Generate 4-8 cover-up designs in Decalker
Decalker -> Create with AI -> prompt: 'cover-up blackwork heavy density, [theme client chose]' (ex: 'neo-traditional rose', 'realistic lion'). Theme must be THREE times larger than old tattoo area to cover edges + 30% safety. Decalker generates 4 variations. Do 2-3 prompts (4-8 variations total) for options.
4. Mix references if wanted
Client chose 1 design? Use Mix to incorporate additional element (ex: chosen design + old tattoo photo + client secondary theme like flower). AI fuses keeping density to cover 100%. Refine via Refinar with 'add more density on left side' if needs specific masking.
5. Decalkar final + skin overlay
Decalkar chosen design (Anime style — bold line weight). Print thermal stencil at 1:1mm scale. Apply on client skin OVER old tattoo. Stencil lines MUST cross/cover all edges of old tattoo + 30% extra safety margin. Client confirms final positioning.
6. Session 1 — outline + base black density
Start tattooing outer lines (anchor points) + begin filling black areas where old tattoo is densest. Session 1 ~4-6h depending on size. Focus: cover DOMINANT black areas of old. Client leaves with recognizable piece but with black areas darker than normal — expected, will uniform in next sessions.
7. Session 2 (and 3 if HEAVY) — fill + finalize
30-45 days after session 1 (after healing). Continue area filling, add fine details where possible, equalize density. Session 3 (if HEAVY) is typically touch-up + areas needing additional saturation after healing. Educated client leaves happy; uneducated complains 'looks different from original design' — normal, cover-up has this characteristic.
Common mistakes
- !Underestimating old tattoo density (LIGHT vs HEAVY miscategorized = extra sessions)
- !Cover-up design too small (margin <30% = old edges leak through)
- !Using fineline for cover-up (fineline DOESN'T cover — old piece still visible)
- !Promising 1 session when HEAVY (client frustrated with extra sessions)
- !Not showing Decalker preview pre-session (client expects different result)
Decalker shortcut
Without AI: creating 4-8 custom cover-up designs in Photoshop takes 4-8 hours. Decalker does it in 5-10 minutes. Plus, Decalker lets client SEE 4 options BEFORE accepting, reducing 70% of post-session 1 complaints ('was supposed to be different').
Try Decalker free