Unlock the Magic of Nail Art: The Complete Guide to Easily Using Nail Stamping Plates
Tired of complicated hand-painted designs but still longing for salon-quality nail art? Meet your new best friend: the nail stamping plate! This simple tool allows anyone to create intricate, professional-looking nail designs in just seconds. Think it’s difficult? Don’t worry! This beginner-friendly guide will teach you step-by-step how to master stamping like a pro.
Prepare the Tools:
Before you begin, make sure you have the following tools on hand:
- Stamping Plate: Choose a plate with patterns that suit your nail length and personal style.
- Stamping Gel: Stamping gel is more suitable for beginners as it has a lower speed requirement. Stamping polish, on the other hand, requires quicker application; otherwise, it may dry on the plate and prevent the design from being fully transferred.
- Stamper: Used to pick up the design from the plate. It consists of a silicone head and a handle.
- Scraper: Used to scrape off excess polish from the plate, ensuring that the design is clearly visible on the plate. This is typically included when you buy a stamper.
- Cleaning Tools: Nail cleaner or 75% alcohol to clean the stamping plate, and tape or lint roller to clean the stamper.
Stamping Steps(Gel Version-UV Lamp Required):
How easy is stamping with gel? Just 7 steps!
- Coat the design with gel: Select your desired pattern from one of the stamping plates. Paint over the design with gel. (Make sure that every detail of the design is covered and that every groove of the pattern is filled.)
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Scrape off the excess gel: Hold the scraper at a 45-degree angle to the stamping plate. Firmly scrape the excess gel away, until you can clearly see the design. ( Scrape from multiple angles several times to ensure the surface is clean, leaving only the gel in the grooves of the design.) If beginners still struggle to scrape the pattern clean, wrap a layer of clear tape around the edge of the scraper.
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Pick up the pattern: Pick up your stamper and roll it over the design on the plate, starting from one side of the stamper and rolling it to the other side. You should be able to clearly see the design on the surface of the stamper. Most of the gel should have been picked up from the stamping plate. (When using gel for stamping, don't move too quickly. Slowly and steadily roll the stamper.)
- Lift off the unwanted design: Use tape to remove the unwanted design from the stamper. (The design can be cured under the UV lamp for 2-3 seconds before removing the excess design to prevent the gel from shrinking.)
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Transfer the design onto the nail: Hold the stamper perpendicular to the nail surface. Once you have positioned it correctly, press the design straight onto the nail. Then, lift the stamper vertically off the nail. (Do not rock the stamper side to side, as it will cause the design to smudge.)
- Cure under the lamp until fully dry: The curing time varies depending on the wattage of the nail lamp, typically ranging from 60 to 120 seconds. (A handheld nail lamps generally have higher wattage, which allows them to cure faster.)
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Cleaning Tools: Use a cotton pad soaked with nail cleaner or 75% alcohol to clean any residual gel on the stamping plate. Use tape to remove any leftover design on the stamper.)
How Else Can You Use Stamping Plates?
1. Multi-Color Stamping
Apply different colors to your chosen pattern on the plate. Gently blend the colors where they meet by lightly scraping up and down with the scraper for a smooth transition. Scrape off excess gel, leaving only the design in the grooves. Pick up the design with the silicone stamper and transfer it vertically onto your nail.
2. Chrome Powder / Metallic Effect Stamping
Method 1: First, apply Powder-Resist Matte Top Coat to your nail and cure for 60 seconds. Then, proceed with stamping: apply polish to the chosen pattern, scrape off the excess, pick up the design with the stamper, and transfer it to your nail. Cure for 10 seconds (adjust based on lamp strength and polish type). Use a cotton swab to apply mirror powder in a circular motion over the design.
Method 2: After applying mirror powder to the nail, do not coat it with any gel polish or nail gel. Instead, use clear stamping polish (typically a thick consistency, such as modeling gel or builder gel) to pick up the design from the stamping plate. Use tape to precisely remove any unwanted parts of the design, ensuring all excess gel is completely lifted off to avoid affecting the final result. Stamp the design directly onto the chrome powder-coated nail surface. Cure thoroughly under a UV/LED lamp until completely dry. Finally, wipe the surface with cleanser or alcohol. The chrome powder without the stamped design will be removed, leaving only the intricate pattern intact. This completes the design.
3. Stamping with Diamond / Acrylic Powder
Ensure your nail is coated with a top coat and cured before stamping. Apply stamping gel to your chosen pattern, scrape off the excess, pick up the design with the stamper, remove any excess, and stamp it to your nail. Do not cure yet. Dip the entire nail into acrylic powder, then cure for 60 seconds. Dust off any excess powder.
