Stamping for nails: what is it and how to use it correctly?

Stamping is a method of decorating nails, which today has become a fairly popular trend in creating a stylish manicure and pedicure. With the help of simple devices, you can easily and in a minimum amount of time create truly stylish designs and creative patterns on nails of absolutely any length.

Stamping ("stamping" in translation from English - "embossing" or "stamping") is in its own way an interesting technology of rather quick application of catchy images or patterns of a certain theme on a specially prepared surface of nails with the use of special devices. This technique will allow you to create a unique nail design at home without a visit to the salon, which visually will not differ very much from a professional art painting.

A huge desire to work with stamping and make yourself simply amazing nails usually appears due to the following positive characteristics of this method.

• You get a very neat pattern or drawing with as clear lines as possible. At the same time, the very image on the nails comes out exactly the same.
• From now on, you will not have to go to the master in the salon over and over again to get a beautiful manicure, which means that you can save money on trips to the nail salon.
• You can choose the color of the drawing itself.
• The whole “stamping” procedure will not take much time, with special skill it will take about 2-3 minutes.
• In addition to covering the nails of the hands and feet, the stamping technique can also be used for painting on any other surface.For example, you can easily leave certain drawings with a stamp on your phone to complement your inimitable image.

• You will have the opportunity to apply the most unusual images to your nails. Each new plate with original images will give you the opportunity to apply a new decor. And if, at the same time, take into account that the original design can be created in various colors, then there can be an innumerable number of options for the design of your nails.
• The versatility of technology. Stamping is perfect for both short nails and rather long ones. The shape of the plate itself is not important in this case. A large selection of images and patterns will give the opportunity to adapt your new manicure to any unexpected situation or special occasion.
• You can transfer images of any complexity to your nails - with the help of stamping, you can draw the smallest details of any pattern, which is usually very difficult to do by hand painting.

At the same time, it is worth mentioning certain negative features of this popular technology.

• It will be very difficult to create a beautiful and even design of marigolds using a stamp from the very first time, for this reason, the perfectly resulting patterns will begin to come out from under your hands gradually, and not immediately.
• Not all original inserts from different manufacturers are equally suitable for use, although many of them cost a lot of money.
• After you finish transferring the image to the nail, you will have to wait a little with the top coat - until the varnish is completely dry, you can accidentally rub it over the surface of the nail and ruin the whole thing.
• Don't be surprised if you don't have a beautiful ornament if the paint you put on the print plate dries up too quickly. In this case, it is extremely difficult to have time to transfer the selected pattern to the stamp, and from it to the nail. To solve this problem, it is best to keep a special varnish thinner with you, which will need to be wiped off the plate before each new application.

To make the stamping in your performance as beautiful as possible, you will need to purchase a separate set for its implementation and learn how to apply a pre-selected image step by step on the surface of the nails prepared for this.

A list of special tools that you might find useful for your job.

• First, you will need certain tools: these are scissors, small nippers, files made of glass or ceramics with different levels of dusting to give your nails a certain shape, buff to polish the surface of the nails with high quality. For a background for an image or pattern, you will need a base, top varnish and paint for a drawing of a certain color. If you decide to create an inimitable manicure using gel polish, then you will also need to prepare a base coat with a topcoat, the gel polish itself and a good UV lamp.

• Plate or small disc with engraved prints. Prints must be of very high quality, otherwise a fashionable design will not come out in the end. Usually 3-4 discs with simple patterns will already be included in the “beginner's” kit (they are offered by Konad, MoYou London). To quickly complete the desired design of marigolds, purchase a small-sized plate of the theme that suits you best. It is extremely convenient to store all stamping discs in a special type holder.

• Stamp made of special rubber or transparent silicone. Today, stamps with a transparent pillow are in special demand, because the image will be clearly visible through it at the very moment when you begin to re-print it from the disk onto the prepared nail.With this device, it is convenient to stamp a number of elements of one composition on the marigold in stages, while superimposing them on each other as accurately as possible.

• Scraper (more commonly referred to simply as a scraper). It is needed to remove the excess from the plate or disk as quickly as possible, before the varnish is completely dry. In special sets, you can find a metal scraper, but it can severely scratch the plate. Therefore, it is better to adapt a plastic scraper for this purpose, or even better, an old bank card will do.
• A varnish with a very viscous base and high pigmentation. To carry out the stamping procedure, varnishes from renowned companies are selected. But sometimes you can choose completely familiar varnishes, only having a certain density and matte. Gel polish will not work with a stamp (just as a background).
• Varnish remover and special lint-free wipes. Devices for stamping will have to be wiped with them every time you transfer the print to your nail.

Step-by-step procedure for transferring the desired print.

• With the help of your favorite type of manicure, you need to prepare the nails for the further procedure. It is necessary to give the free edge of all nails a certain shape (for example, oval, almond-shaped, square) with special files and use a buff to polish the surface of the nails, removing the hardened cuticle.
• Next, a base coat is applied, followed by a thin layer of background.
• After that, you will need to take a plate with displaced prints (it is best to fix it in a special holder) and apply a special stamping varnish on the print you have chosen with a small brush.
• A scraper or plastic card is taken and with a sharp movement (applying slight pressure) they remove excess paint from the plate. In this case, the device must be held at an angle of 45 degrees.

• Next, the print print is transferred from the plate to the nail. With a rolling motion of the stamp, the lacquer trace is “removed” from the print. You should not press too hard, while the movement needs to be performed only 1 time.
• Be sure to pay attention to the pad of the stamp. If the resulting print has jagged points and lines, then it is best to correct them with a regular toothpick.
• With a rolling movement of the stamp, the resulting imprint of the image or exact pattern is reprinted onto the nail. If the image turned out to be ugly, then it can be easily removed using ordinary tape or a special sticky roller for cleaning items of clothing.
• To protect the decorative pattern on the nail, it is covered with a layer of finish, while the brush should only move in one direction. It is worth making sure that the print on the nail is 100% dry before gently applying the top over it.

To move on to a new marigold, do not forget to remove excess paint from all tools with a special napkin. If you dream of learning how to correctly design your nails using the stamping method, you first need to practice well in transferring the prints of the existing prints to suitable templates. All your actions should be as fast as possible and at the same time you need to work carefully. Impression varnish dries extremely quickly, therefore all operations with it must be performed on time.

Before using a new disc or plate, carefully remove the protective film from the disc and wipe it off well with a cloth that has been soaked in a dehydrator. The pad of a new stamp is usually characterized by increased smoothness, which prevents the pattern from being printed with high quality when it is transferred to the nail. For this reason, before starting work with a die, treat it a little with a buff or a special file with a fine dusting.

The protective coating on the nails is applied in a thin layer only once and only after the image print is completely dry. The varnish smeared on the print can only be used once. Use nail polish remover to wipe down all fixtures especially well after any use.The stamp must be pressed to the engraving for just a couple of seconds, after which the resulting print must be immediately applied to the nail by light rolling. Excess or damaged elements can be easily removed with an ordinary toothpick, and individual lines of the pattern can be selected or changed with an ordinary thin needle.

The pressure of the stamp on the nail should not be too severe, otherwise the image will be printed blurry. If you do not press very hard, then the print may come out pale or indistinct. A special cream can be applied to the cuticle and the skin next to it so that the varnish does not absorb into them when working. The best option is to choose a product that can be easily removed from the skin at the end of the procedure. Regular varnish may be completely unsuitable for this technology, as it is too liquid for this purpose. Thorough drawing of small details of the pattern can be carried out only with the help of the thickest possible varnish. Stamping requires a coating with a high content of pigment particles. Liquid regular varnishes can leave streaks or blurry patterns on the surface of the marigold.

You also need to take into account that the stamping coating must be applied to the base. And therefore, experienced craftsmen most often choose a matte top, since the drawings and patterns on it look clearer. True, many women manage to use a completely ordinary varnish for this purpose - it is applied with a completely opaque layer. It is best to purchase varnishes that are as pigmented as possible, thick and even viscous. Only by using such a coating, the pattern you have chosen will not be smeared over the surface of the nail.

In order for the future print of the image to come out as clear as possible, the paint on the plate should completely fill only the engraving grooves. All movements are performed at an accelerated pace, clearly, since the colorful stamping varnish hardens in 10-15 seconds. If you purchased a metal scraper, then you can not press very hard on the plate with displaced prints with it, otherwise you will scratch the plate and ruin not so much the creative manicure using the stamping technique, but the device itself.

If you do not have a special varnish, then it is quite possible to use a regular product, but only if it is very thick. To make sure that the varnish is suitable for the design of patterns, you must first apply it in 2 layers on any nail. A suitable stamping varnish will perfectly align on the nail, forming an opaque coating on it. If you want to use traditional varnish without problems, and not paint from the Konad brand, as well as Moyou and Enas, then choose the thickest possible, or even better - a viscous varnish filled with pigments.

The technique of correctly decorating a picture with ordinary varnish will require you to follow certain rules.

• First you need to wash your hands well, dry them, apply a special antiseptic.
• Nails are processed first with a soft, and then with a hard file. This is an important step in removing shine from the nail plate.
• The surface of the marigolds must be properly degreased.
• Cover your nails with background varnish and give it time to dry thoroughly. Only on a dried background will you get beautiful and neat drawings. If the base of the varnish clings to the die, then wrinkles and clots will appear on the base.
• We print the stamp. It is worth making sure every time that the whole image is transferred to the surface of this device. If you notice extra marks of varnish on the stamp or if the drawing is not very clear, then it is better to carefully remove it from the surface of the stamp with a napkin and repeat all 3 steps from the very beginning.
• Let the varnish dry well.

When choosing colors in advance, make sure that the colors you choose give a contrast with the desired base. The created nail designs should perfectly match your style and the color of the garments. To make the coating look as modern and trendy as possible, you can use the trendy shades of the current year.

Reverse stamping is extremely popular today. This method is considered more difficult to perform than regular stamping, but it will look amazing on nails. In the classic variation of stamping, only 1 shade of varnish is usually chosen, and using the reverse method, you can arrange whole color compositions that are neatly transferred to the nails.

Today in stores you can find a huge assortment of different stencils for stamping, and any girl can choose the most suitable option for herself. And they can be:

• all kinds of geometric patterns of varying degrees of complexity;
• hearts, butterflies, flowers, stars of different sizes;
• abstract mosaic, which is especially popular today;
• a manicure with charming snowflakes in the winter season will look very stylish;
• letters and words with which you can write whatever you want on your nails, without spending a lot of time creating a picture.

For information on how to make stamping for nails with your own hands, see the next video.