The 1003RS is a three-needle round shader on a 0.30 mm taper. It carries the same three needles as the 1003RL liner, but they sit slightly wider so the deposit spreads and the edges dissolve — the cartridge for soft powder shading, ombre blending and feathered transitions rather than crisp lines.

At a glance

• Configuration — 3 Round Shader (3RS)
• Needle diameter — 0.30 mm
• Best for — soft powder shading, ombre brow blending, lip blush, feathered edges
• Pack size — set of 10
• Fitment — Elite PMU Machine
• Hygiene — filtered cartridge with a back-flow membrane, single use, individually sealed

Liner versus shader — same count, opposite jobs

The difference between a round liner and a round shader is not the needle count, it is the grouping. A liner's needles are set tight so the stroke holds a clean, defined edge. A shader's are set a touch wider so the pigment feathers out at the edges instead of stopping sharply. That is what you want for powder and ombre brows, where the whole point is a soft gradient with no hard border.

Use the 1003RS to build soft shaded colour and to blend the transition between a defined front and a faded tail. Use the 1003RL liner instead whenever you need a crisp line — a hairstroke, a lip border, a defined edge. A shader used for lining gives a soft, spreading stroke; a liner used for shading leaves visible dots.

Where the 1003RS sits in the range

All Elite cartridges share the same body and membrane; grouping and count set the job.

• Round shaders (RS) — 1003RS (0.30 mm) and the finer 0603RS (0.20 mm). Soft, feathered shading in a round footprint.
• Round liners (RL) — 1003RL — the tight-grouped sibling for crisp hairstrokes and lines.
• Curved magnums (U) — 0805U, 0807U — for wider, continuous ombre gradients over larger areas.

Go finer to the 0603RS for delicate skin; move to a curved magnum when you want to shade a whole brow body in a soft continuous sweep rather than a round footprint.

Working with it

Shading rewards a light, even hand and patience. Work in soft circular or pendulum passes and let the colour build in layers — forcing saturation in one pass leaves a blotchy heal. Keep the cartridge flat so all three needles feather evenly, hold an even stretch, and taper your pressure toward the edges so the shading fades out instead of ending abruptly.

Hygiene and disposal

Every cartridge is a single-use, individually sealed unit with a filtered back-flow membrane that keeps pigment and fluid out of the machine grip. Check the seal before you open it; if the blister is compromised, discard it. Dispose of used cartridges in a sharps container in line with your state's requirements — in California that means an approved sharps waste container, never household waste.

Who this is for

The 1003RS is professional equipment for licensed permanent makeup artists and tattoo practitioners. It is not a consumer product and is not intended for use at home or by anyone without training in skin, sanitation and bloodborne pathogens.