What Is Nail Art Stamping?
Nail art stamping is a relatively new trend where deigns from a stamping plate is transferred to the nails using various tools. There are various steps involved in this process but after completion it looks gorgeous.
What Is Nail Art Stamping? The process of using various tools to transfer the art on the stamping plate to the nails is known as nail art stamping. Nail art stamping makes the nail art stand out. Various kinds of designs can be added from a single stamping plate, and they can be combined to form a unique design.
Nail Art Stamping
This is the latest craze, a fashionable shortcut to nail art and manicure. There are parlors where you can get the stamping done, or you could get it done yourself.
Hand-painted nails are getting replaced with this method since the outcome is much more detailed and exquisite — the art of transferring elegant designs from the plate to your nails, using various nail art tools. You would require a base coat and nail polish, metal design plate, stamp holders, unique stamping polishes, and topcoat transparent polish.
You will need wipes to clean the metal stamps and acetone to clean the stamp after every application, buds, and a scraper to clean the plates and polish application brush to apply the special polish to the engraved stamps.
The Steps Required
There are umpteen DIY ideas on the internet to get nail stamping done on your own, or you can get this done at the local nail salon. Let us look at some of the essential processes you must undertake in getting nail stamping done on your own. Speed is critical to get this activity done.
Nails
Ensure that the nails, cuticles, and the skin around the nails get cleaned properly using good quality acetone or nail polish remover. All remnant traces of polish and pigments must get removed. Moisturize your hand correctly, so that they are supple and soft. Buff all your nails so that they are in proper shape, and there are no chips or cracks.
Base Polish
Apply the base coat first, before you apply the base nail polish. Depending upon the nail design you propose to stamp and the colors you plan to use for this design, choose the base nail polish accordingly.
Usually, you must get to choose a flat, or contrasting color for this, since it will help the design to stand out. Use good quality nail polish, which will quickly spread evenly with a few strokes and dry soon, by the time you have completed application on all your fingernails.
You must now apply a layer of top transparent coat and let it dry completely.
This will help you do your stamping with lots of confidence. In case you make any error while stamping, you can remove the design with tape or lint.
You could also touch up the area with the base polish, to cover up the mistake, and allow to dry. This application of topcoat polish at this stage is optional.
Nail Stamp
Choose the nail stamp with utmost care. Ensure that you know the measurement of your nail. If you plan to grow your nail, keep your nail’s expected size as your basic configuration. Pick up a nail stamp to cover your entire nail with a single stamping.
This is the best way to do nail stamping on your own. Do not join designs on your nail initially. You can do all the experiments after you have mastered the necessary steps. Silicon jelly stamper head works best since they are sturdy and can get cleaned often, without losing its smoothness.
Metal Plate
The design metal plate could have multiple designs. Choose the design which you wish to transfer to your nail. The quality of this metal plate with the design engravings must get chosen with care.
The etchings must be sharp so that the design transfer is immaculate. The metal should be hard enough to get used multiple times. Stainless steel is the most preferred plates available in the market. The plate must be sturdy and glossy, and the etchings must be deep enough to hold the polish for the transfer.
Designs
Keep in mind that the designs do not have vertical lines since it would be difficult to maintain symmetry between all fingernails. It is prudent to have different images on your metal plate so that you could use different designs on each nail, and thereby avoid mistakes to be visible. If you wish to overlap one design with the other, keep them near at hand.
Coat the design which you wish to transfer to your nail with the special nail polish. Use the scraper to ensure the coating gets evenly spread across the engraved design, and there are no blobs here and there.
Roll the nail stamp from left to right over the polish coated image to pick up the decorative details. Now roll the stamper over your nail, so that the design gets transferred.
Though you are using slow drying special nail polish for the designs, you still need to be quick. Use acetone to clean the polish from the metal plate. Repeat the process till all nails get covered.
You can use scrappers and laminated plastic cards to clean difficult to reach corners and crevices of the engraved designs. The plate must be devoid of all polish traces before the same design gets coated with special polish for use.
Topcoat
Clean your cuticles using swab and acetone. Once the design is completely dry, apply a transparent topcoat to protect the drawing below. This covering must be completely dry before you use your hand for any activity.
Stamping Nail Polishes
Thickness
These polishes are thick, so they stick to the metal plate engraving and don’t run away and spread across. Every ridge and trough would hold the pigments so that the transfer of the images are accurate. When the nail stamper transfers the pictures to the nail, they maintain their intricate patterns.
Higher Pigments
The special polish has denser pigments and dye. This helps them transfer images from metal plates to the stamper, and finally, to your nail remains sharp and clear.
Longer To Dry
The polish has unique properties, which does not allow the polish to dry quickly. This helps the image to remain wet, till it gets transferred to your nails.
Gel Stamping Polish
Here are some reasons, people prefer gel polish over regular stamping polish:
Glossy
The design seems to have more sheen compared to the other.
Durable
Gel polish helps you to retain your stamped nail art to remain longer compared to regular stamping polish.
Does Not Dry
The regular stamping polish gives you enough time to transfer the design to the stamper and your nail. You still have to be quite deft. Concerning get polish, you have all the time in the world. It does not dry. After you transfer the design onto your nails, you need to cure them under UV rays for the polish to dry.
Correct Mistakes
Since gel polish does not dry on its own, you can remove the design with cotton and alcohol if it is not liking. If you feel satisfied with the design, you can dry them using the UV rays. This is not possible with the regular stamping polish.
Essential Tips For Nail Stamping
Stamping polish is one of the most critical ingredients in this manicuring or nail art process. You must choose a nail polish that covers your nail with one coat. Metallic and some matte polishes work very well for this activity. This polish must be thick, opaque, and must get dried slowly.
You must clean the metal plate with acetone before and after every application. This will help you remove all traces of the polish, and provide you with crisp image quality. You can use the hard plastic scraper, or laminated card to reach corners and intricate curves, without damaging the engravings.
If your stamper is not firm, but a little soft, you will have to firmly press your nails to the stamper, and not roll from side to side. This will help the transfer of the design to get done effectively.
You must quickly clean your stamper after every use. Packing tape will help you remove small traces of polish from the surface.
If you are new to this adventure, choose simple designs, to just create some accent for your nails. Next, identify designs without straight vertical lines, since it’s challenging to align your nails with the designs initially.
You can turn the stamper in a different direction while transferring the images to your nails. This will give the nails varied looks, and you don’t have to focus on alignment during your novice days.
You can have more than one impression on your nail by using additional colors. Another concept that gets used is reverse stamping. Here, we use a pointed brush and fill the gaps on you stamper directly, after the original design from the metal plate is dried. You must incorporate small motifs in this type of transfer. When you now stamp this design to your nail, you will get solid design forms. You can include other designs along with this, or let it remain on its own. Use your imagination.
Keep in mind adding a top coat on your base nail polish before you start the stamping process. This step will help you with corrections if there is an error in judgment while transferring the designs to your nail.
Decal Films
Decals are unique films that get used to transfer designs, motifs, and artwork to the required surface. Decals can get made up of plastic, ceramic, paper, cloth, or a film of polish. This decal technique gets implemented to your nail-art too. Let’s understand the process:
When you have a large image that you wish to transfer on to your nail, the decal technique works well.
Take a polished plastic surface. Apply clear topcoat coating, with a size little bigger than your nail.
Once the surface gets dried, transfer the design outline, using your stamper on this surface.
Use pointed brush, make touch-ups, fill up the required spaces, and add required colors to the design.
Allow this to dry. Remove this completed film from the plastic surface gently. Trim away any additional bits of smudges, other than the design.
You can apply a fine layer of clear polish on your nail. Place the decal design over the nail and smooth on all sides towards the edges of your nail. Avoid any trapped air bubbles under the decal film.
Once you are ready, apply the topcoat over the designed decal to have a unique piece of artwork on your nail. Apply a thick layer, so that you should be able to cover the nail with minimum strokes. Let this cover dry completely.
Repeat this process for all your nails. Start cleaning your cuticles with swab and acetone with the already dried first nail.
Advantages Of Nail Art Stamping
The detailed designs, which you transfer from the plates to your nail in a short time frame, is impossible in nail art painting. Also, you have many image types to choose from. You only need a detail brush to make a small correction to the design and seal it off.
Nail stamping is cost-effective compared to nail painting similar design by a nail artist, using acrylic paint and brushes. Also, nail stamping designs are more durable and remain on your nails for an extended period.
This form of the nail can be done anywhere, provided you have the tools. You can change the designs for different occasions, without much thought to the efforts and costs. You don’t have to visit your nail spa, and the results are fantastic every time!
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Nail Art Stamping
Given below are some points to remember concerning nail art stamping:
What Is Nail Art Stamping?
The process to transfer the designs from your metal plates to your fingernails, is known as nail art stamping.
How Do I Get This Done?
Clean your nails from all old polish and stains, with alcohol.
Apply a coat of base polish on your nails, and let it dry.
Take a metal plate with the design you wish to transfer, remove all old polish stuck at corners with the scraper.
Apply a coat of nail stamping polish over the engravings, and if it’s multi-colored,add all the required shades with the flat brush.
Take the stamper and press the face on the plate from left to right, and pick up the design.
Now, press the stamper press on your nail, from left to right, to get the image transferred.
After drying, apply a top coat transparent polish layer to seal the design, and your nail art gets done!
Do I Clean The Metal Plate And Stamper Every Time I Transfer The Images?
Yes, you must clean the metal plate and stamper after every use. Use 100% acetone to remove polish from the plate, with a swab of lint-free cotton. To remove the stains from the stamper face, use good quality sticky tapes, so that the stamp does not get damaged.
Is Stamping Polish Different From Regular Nail Polish?
Yes, the polish used for stamping is very different from your regular polish. Since this application requires fine lines and figures to get transferred to your nails, the polish needs to be dense with a more significant amount of color dyes.
Also, since time gets required for the image to move from plates to your nails, your polish cannot dry quickly. The stamping polish has the property of slow drying to address this critical issue.
What do you do with oily stamper head?
Stampers usually are made from silicone materials and tend to become oily with use. You must wash the head with mild soap and water for the oiliness to disappear.
Conclusion
Nail art stamping has taken the nail manicure fashion by storm the world over. With the emergence of smartphones with the internet, this nail beautification movement has gained momentum. This nail art application requires metal design plates, silicon stamper, special stamping polish, and basecoat and topcoat polish!
The transferred design is accurate, and the options available are innumerable, and the precision of these images are outstanding. This format of nail art is cost-effective, durable, and provides you with the opportunity to keep looking for new nail art.