Valhalla Bläck – it’s all about the ink

Valhalla Bläck was founded two years ago in central Stockholm. It's home to a group of artists with a passion for ink. David Cuturic works in the studio with founder Micke and colleague Linus. Each has his own unique form of expression, but they share a common eye for detail.

In the art of tattooing, it is essential to have clear reference images with correct black and colour reproduction. Matching the design with the reality is therefore a process that depends entirely on having highly detailed source material. If the reference image is of a higher quality, the end result will be better.

David had previously worked with poor quality reference print-outs, which meant that he had to spend much longer editing images and enhancing the reference image by increasing the contrast. Now, that particular part of the process has been completely eliminated.

In the studio, you need to print lots of material, very frequently. It was therefore important for Valhalla Bläck to find a reliable and sustainable solution that also ensured that printing costs did not spiral out of control. For the studio, it was extremely important to ensure customers could get an accurate picture of what the end result would look like.

Reduced print costs don't mean any loss of quality, and by using Epson Photo Glossy Paper, David can guarantee his tattoo designs will be shown perfectly, with all their nuances and details. The paper makes the reference image photo more realistic and gives depth to the image.

For a tattooist, it is not just about the need for clear and accurate colour reproduction; it is also about being able to distinguish the slightest tiny shift in tint.

"For some people, grey is just....grey," says David Cuturic. "In my line of work, you have to be able to distinguish between thousands of different shades of grey in order to create life within the design."

The ET-4500, on average, saves 70 percent¹ on printing costs by achieving an extremely low cost-per-page. It can print up to 4,500 pages in black/white and 7,500 pages in colour on a single set of refill inks.

"It is important that the printer generates quality printouts when we need them. Now, we can present our work in a new and better way, and print out our own finished images for our portfolios," says David Cuturic.