9 Best Laptops for Tattoo Artists in 2024

The world of tattoos is an exciting one, and the people who work in it are some of the most creative individuals you will meet.

Tattoo artists need to have a lot of qualities on top of creativity– they also need to be able to keep up with the technology!

With tattooing becoming more popular than ever before, any aspiring artist needs to use high-quality equipment that won’t slow them down or make their job difficult such as an artistic laptop.

And that’s why we have been reviewing the best laptops for tattoo artists since 2019.

As a tattoo artist, I know that it’s tough for you to find the perfect laptop that can run certain software such as Illustrator, Photoshop, Krita, and so on.

Utilizing a laptop, you can take your tattoo artistry to new heights. With the “undo” and “redo” features on editing and drawing software, it is now easier for artists to experiment with their designs without fear of ruining them completely compared to reliance on paper.

Now before jumping into the list, let me remind you of the needs you should look for in the laptop,

1# Choose a laptop that is convertible with Stylus (Pen) compatibilities so that you can draw anything you want on drawing software.

2# The laptop should be lightweight so you can take your laptop to the clients and help them choose the correct tattoo design.

3# The laptop should have good battery life and enough specs to run the software you will ever need.

Now with the above reminder, let’s start with the list of best laptops for tattoo artists.

9 Best Laptops for Tattoo Artists

1. Apple MacBook Air 2023 – Best Laptop for Tattoo Artists
2. Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel – Creator Laptop for Tattoo Design
3. Microsoft Surface Studio – Best Laptop for Tattoo Artistry
4. Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – Tablet for Tattoo Designing
5. HP Spectre X360 – Best 2 in 1 Laptop For Tattooist
6. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet Gen 3 – Detachable Laptop For Tattoo Artists
7. Microsoft Surface Book 2 – Affordable and Detachable Laptop
8. LG Gram 16T90Q – A Convertible Laptop
9. Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 – Chromebook for Tattoo Artists

Apple MacBook Air 2023 – Best Laptop for Tattoo Artists

MacBook Air has always been the artists’ favorite because of its usability, reliability, affordability, and seamless connectivity with other Apple Products.

Although, I’ve said above that the laptop for tattoo artists should have a touchscreen with active stylus support but the reason this laptop is in first position is actually different.

Upon asking other tattoo artists combined with some of my observations, I noticed that tattoo artists love the iPad above anything, they use it as a graphical tablet to draw designs and tattoos using Procreate and Clip Studio Paint.

Now the reason behind the 2023 MacBook Air recommendation falls behind its connectivity with iPads that allows you to use the iPad as a second monitor on which you can draw tattoos and later edit your Artwork with Photoshop or Illustrator on this new MacBook Air which comes with one of the best CPUs, M2 chip with 8-cores and 10-cores GPU which is capable enough to run any editing software without any problem.

The variant I think is going to be enough for most tattoo artists is with 8GB RAM and 512GB Storage, not 256GB because as a tattoo artist, you can’t delete your Artwork as you never know who will like which tattoo.

The recommended display size is 15.3 inches so you can notice all types of curves and edges.

And as all of you are already aware of how beautiful Apple products are, the aluminum used is just like always giving a sleek look with 3.3 pounds of weight. Also, this one comes with around 18 hours of battery so it’s another great addition here.

With the ability to send and receive files using AirDrop, and 1080p FaceTime Webcam, the 2023 MacBook Air is by far the best laptop for tattoo artists but only if it is combined with an iPad.

Take the iPad as an additional accessory to level up your design game.

Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel – Creator Laptop for Tattoo Design

Tattoo designers who give the privilege to outlook along with performance, Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel is a stylish rig with Windows-OS.

Equipped with a powerful CPU (Intel Core i7-10750H) and good GPU (GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q), this laptop still can handle most editing and drawing software such Krita, Photoshop, and Illustrator

Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel features a vibrant 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) touchscreen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with LED-backlit IPS anti-glare features.

With 400 nits of brightness, you can use it outdoors along with 100% sRGB color gamut coverage to make sure you can enjoy the vivid colors on this screen as much as possible when drawing tattoos It also supports Acer ColorBlast Technology so you’ll never run out of colorful content!

Now this rig can be used not only as a laptop, or tablet but in 3 more different positions. You can use it as a tablet to draw, as a tent to show your catalog to your clients, and as a laptop for editing and other purposes.

Also, it comes with Wacom AES 1.0 Pen which is designed for artistic drawings. Hence, you can judge how optimized this laptop is for you.

In simple words, if you want a laptop that is specifically designed for tattoo designing then this Windows-based laptop can be a perfect choice.

Microsoft Surface Studio – Best Laptop for Tattoo Artistry

There are so many people around the globe who love Microsoft laptops because of their close to flawless compatibility with Windows OS.

And if you’re one of those peps, then in 3rd position I reviewed the Microsoft Surface Studio laptop which in terms of usability is going to be the same as Acer ConceptD Ezel but at a lower price and lighter weight.

Now that the practicality is the same as ConceptD Ezel, you can use it as a tablet, tent, laptop, and 2 more different positions. The only problem is, that you have to buy its accessories such as Surface Slim Pen 2, and screen protector separately which can count as an additional cost.

Talking about the display then it comes with 14.4, inch PixelSense Flow Touch with 120Hz refresh rate which will give you smooth drag during drawing. It also comes with Thunderbolt 4 port means you can use it to connect an external monitor or you can also use Microsoft Surface Studio as a graphical tablet. No wonder it is specifically designed for artists.

Talking about the specs, then although it doesn’t come with a dedicated GPU, it is equipped with 11th gen i7 processor with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti hence it’s going to be enough to support most editing software anyway.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – Tablet for Tattoo Designing

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is one of the detachable laptops from Microsoft that can be used as a laptop or in studio mode but design-wise, it’s a tablet.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is best for tattoo designing at best if your wish is to get a tablet on which you can draw and edit your tattoos without any reliance on other things such as on graphical tablet and laptop (if you want to use it for editing). In simple, Surface Pro 9 is a Windows Based tablet combined with the functionalities of a laptop and the usability of a tablet.

Surface Pro 9 is powered by the 12th generation Intel Core i7-1265U processor. This powerful and efficient tablet gives you plenty of power to supercharge your workday with a maximum clock speed of 4.6 GHz, which can handle any workload thrown its way!

The device has a 13-inch screen that is touch-sensitive and features pixel-sensing resolution which will allow it to accurately track any finger movements or function as an interactive display. The only thing that can be considered as a con is that you have to buy Slim Pen 2 and Surface Pro Signature Keyboard separately which then will act as a protective cover as well.

If you don’t want to get tangled with MacBook Air and iPad, and don’t want a convertible laptop and traditional laptop either then getting a tablet like Surface Pro 9 is the best solution for you to take tattoo designing on the next level.

HP Spectre X360 – Best 2 in 1 Laptop For Tattooist

HP researched for years to improve the Spectre series models and to cope up with the competition in 2024 they added everything they could including powerful specs.

To be honest, this HP Spectre X360 is one of the beautifully designed laptops that is so portable and useful in any case of condition.

Design and aesthetics matter a lot if you want an accurate mixture of pocket-friendly and compatibility hence, the HP Spectre x360 is one of the best pieces of heavy aluminum with a sleek dark blueish color.

Display of this convertible laptop is with 16 inch touchscreen with a resolutions of 3072 x 1920 pixels which is also protected with Corning Gorilla Glass, so there is no need of buying dedicated protective cover which you would be required to do with Surface models.

Now again the best part, it comes with MPP2.0 Tilt Pen at no extra cost to you which is a great addition in the time when other brands are charging extra for it.

Intel Core i7-12700H in this thin laptop supports all types of multi-tasking. Also, it comes with a Micro SD card slot which most tattoo artists are fond of.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet Gen 3 – Detachable Laptop For Tattoo Artists

Now if you don’t want hustle of buying different accessories to get a good device on which you can draw your tattoos then Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet Gen 3 can be a perfect option.

It’s basically a tablet just like Surface Pro 9 but unlike that, it comes with a ThinkPad Pen Pro and Detachable Keyboard with no additional cost.

Now as some of you already know how durable ThinkPads are then there is no need to question the durability and reliability of this laptop which comes at around $600.

With 13-inch 3k touch display, you can create most designs using most software and apps. Also, it’s protected with Corning Gorilla Glass too.

The keyboard is exactly the same just like ThinkPad predecessors but much thinner. The battery life is also exceptional, optimized with Windows 10 Pro.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 – Affordable and Detachable Laptop

On the 7th, we reviewed the third Microsoft device which is the legendary Microsoft Surface Book 2. With over 1,000 reviews online, this 2017’s detachable laptop was one of the earth-shaking for most competitors as the design was so unseen at that time.

Fortunately, Surface Book 2 comes with a keyboard just like the ThinkPad Tablet Gen 3 although the Surface Pen doesn’t. We haven’t seen Book 4 even when rumours were there but after Book 3, Microsoft hasn’t put the Book series in the spotlight till yet and the reason is still unofficial.

Anyway, this laptop was designed in a way that it’s still relevant even in 2024. With a really sleek design, the keyboard is so well designed with strong hinges that it doesn’t wobble when the tablet/display lid is connected.

With a 13.5-inch PixelSense Display backed by GTX 1050, it will allow you to run vast editing software with fast rendering speed.

Now if your budget is short and you want something unique then Book 2 can still be your choice.

LG Gram 16T90Q – A Convertible Laptop

Now in 8th position, the LG Gram 16T90Q convertible laptop takes place.

Starting with the display, it comes with a 16-inch touch display which works exactly like the Spectre X360 but with a bigger size and lower price.

The incredible thing about this laptop that I like the most is its weight which is around 3.5lb making it one of the lightest 16-inch laptops that is easy to carry too.

The battery life is also quite long enough that would allows you to draw tattoos for around * hours.

LG Gram loves to design their laptop with a thin body, hence just like the predecessor this LG Gram also has 0.67-inch thinness making it quite sleeker than others.

Although it comes with a 12th Gen i5 CPU, the credibility might not be the same as the above laptops but still, it won’t let you down.

Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 -Chromebook for Tattoo Artists

Unlike Apple’s AppStore, Play Store is loaded with sketching and drawing apps hence some tattoo artists prefer to buy Chromebooks instead of tablets or iPads.

For that reason, we reviewed the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 which was designed just like the Galaxy Note series. The aluminum body and inbuilt Stylus Pen were unseen and became one of the best-selling features of this Chromebook in 2018.

With 12.2-inch Full HD Touchscreen and convertibility option, it comes with a dual webcam that allows this to work exactly the same as a tablet but with Chrome OS.

Although the mobile processor is not that powerful considering tech advancement in 2024, it can still help you with light working.