The difference between stroke (stroke length) and needle depth on PMU machines

What exactly is the situation now? With pmu machines, what exactly is the difference between the stroke (stroke length) and needle length (needle length) of the permanent make-up machines?

The specialists of Microbeau, the makers of the Vertix Pico and the Vertix Nano cartridges explain:

Stroke lengths are used for different pmu techniques. Depending on the type of machine, the stroke may vary. The stroke is often confused with the needle depth, read below the difference between the stroke and needle depth on pmu machines.

Personal preference

What needs to be said first is that the desired stroke length for you depends on your personal style. Before you can figure out which machine and stroke is ideal for you, we recommend assessing which treatments you want to perform and what feels comfortable for you.

Main features of the battle

Determines the maximum needle depth
Determines how hard the machine hits the skin during a treatment
Determines how fast the needle moves

Needle depth VS stroke

The needle depth of a machine determines the distance between the needle and the tip of the needle module. The stroke determines how the needle retracts and collects ink. Both needle depth and stroke must match in size.

Using stroke lengths

Short stroke

If you use a short stroke, you can expect the needle to move slower and penetrate the skin more gently than with a higher stroke. This stroke is optimal for blending or soft shading PMU treatments. A stroke of 2.5mm or less can be considered short. In the PMU industry this is the most commonly used stroke length.

Medium stroke

The medium stroke length (2.7mm to 3.5mm) is recommended for novice specialists as they are the most versatile, safe, and inclusive strokes to use for a variety of treatments and techniques. If you want to perform shading (shadow technique) or packing technique, then this is the trick for you! This stroke length is not recommended for precise, fine line techniques. With a short stroke, the end result can be slightly neater and tighter than with a medium stroke. However, this does depend on each specialist. Specialists with a lot of experience can quickly achieve all the desired results with multiple stroke lengths.

Long stroke

A long stroke length (greater than 3.0mm / 3.5mm), is often used by the more experienced specialists for intense, single-pass lines. These strokes are also very suitable for gray shading and color packing. Longer strokes feel like a heavy blow to the skin and allow a lot of ink to pass through. Machines with a longer stroke require practice and experience because you use them for "single passes" and can traumatize the skin if used incorrectly.