Nail Printer Review: What are the nail designs from the printer good for?
24.11.2020
Translation: machine translated
Cutter: Armin Tobler
What if you could print every imaginable design on your nails without having to paint them yourself? The nail printer from O'2 Nails makes it possible. At least that's what the manufacturer claims.
Once you've been accidentally insulted for your self-painted nail design, you appreciate the professionals from the nail salon. One slightly shaky hand and the well-intentioned floral design looks more like what the poets among us would call a "slaughterhouse idyll". With the mobile O'2 Nails nail printer, you can supposedly print any imaginable motif on your nails. Without any offence or guesswork. That sounds too good to be true to me.
In a test, I would like to find out how precisely the device works and how user-friendly the control via app is.
The set at a glance
With a height of just under 13 cm, a width of 9.5 cm and a depth of 16 cm, the printer is quite compact. It's all the more surprising that there's room for all the accessories in the rear compartment of the printer.
Included in the scope of delivery:
- Mobile nail printer
- Artificial nail holder
- USB-C cable
- 1 printer cartridge
- 1 user manual and 1 instruction manual
- Card with a standard test sample
- Test paper sheet with 5 pieces
- 8 nail cleaner pads
- Small nail file
- 32 removable nail guard stickers in various sizes
- 1 white print gel
- 1 clear top coat
- LED light
I connect the printer to the power supply and insert the printer cartridge as described in the instructions.
O'2 Nails supplies a black plastic splint and test paper to check that the cartridge is correctly inserted and everything is working properly. The splint acts as a finger dummy to which I attach a test paper. I hold the dummy in the recess in the printer and press it down. This causes the base to snap up and the dummy is fixed in place. Now the app comes into play.
The app - a small but important detail
According to the manual, I can simply search for "O2NAILS" in the app or Play Store and find what I'm looking for. The alternative: I go to the official website. I opt for the first option and download the only app that appears under the name. After reluctantly giving the app access to what feels like my entire life and registering, I find myself in the menu shortly afterwards. I connect my smartphone to the device and start the test print on the dummy finger. It works perfectly. I hold the result next to the comparison images that the app shows me and am satisfied. Nice and sharp and the colours are vibrant.
I'm ready to give the device my finger. At this point, I have no idea that it will be the middle finger.
Despite the included download code, the app doesn't allow me to download the ready-made designs. I am also unable to access my own photo gallery. Hours of despair pass. I get help - very quickly, to my surprise - from the Service Centre. They sent me an email explaining that I had apparently downloaded the wrong app. Android users like me should download the app "O'2 Nails G". A letter that makes all the difference and is not listed in the manual. This time I go to the official website and download the app there. And lo and behold, the problems have disappeared.
Preparations
After this back and forth, I finally want to see what the printer can do. To do this, I file my nails into shape and clean them with one of the nail cleaner pads supplied, which resemble small wet wipes. These degrease the nail bed and ensure that the transparent nail protection stickers, which I then apply, adhere better and for longer. The stickers protect the nail and allow me to easily remove the designs from the nail later. The set contains two sets of 16 sticker foils in different sizes. I choose the sizes that fit my small nail beds. I find the right foil for each finger, but I can't use half of the stickers supplied because they are too big. At least not without cutting them to fit my nails.
After a few attempts, I got the hang of it. It's important that you apply the stickers very smoothly and then press them over the edge of the nail towards the fingertip. Then use the small file. I run it lightly over the edge of the nail. This is how I cut off the protruding part of the foil. Because the file is coarse, small fringes inevitably form. I therefore help myself with a finer nail file from my household and smooth the edge as best I can. I can't get it perfect.
In the next step, I brush the white-milky print gel onto my nail. I have to go over it several times to achieve an evenly covering layer. Important to know: This polish does not dry. There is no explicit note on this in the manual. I can carefully stick my finger directly into the printer. By pressing down firmly, I release the finger-fixing mechanism and connect the app to the device.
Nails with heads
Now I'm spoilt for choice when it comes to the motif.
The following options are available to me:
- I use the ready-made designs that I can download from the app
- I search for a subject in my smartphone gallery
- I help myself to free designs in the "Style shopping centre" area, which I can also download. I can find these again later under the "Personal centre" button under "Style order".
My finger is stuck in the printer. The "Nail art" app button takes me to my app gallery. From there, I can access both the downloaded O'2 designs and my private smartphone gallery. I can first cut the selected design to size and then scale it to the size of my nail. I can see my nail on my app, which is connected to the camera inside the printer. I also have the choice of printing the design in a bright or transparent colour or rotating and mirroring it.
I'll start with an image of the anime character "Sailor Moon" from my private gallery.
I give the printer the OK. A little noise later, the app instructs me to trigger the print mechanism with my finger and carefully free my finger from its captivity. I am impressed. My Sailor warrior is wearing rich colours and clearly recognisable accessories such as a headdress, necklace and brooch. The details are spot on.
Before another mishap occurs, I harden the print and the base coat underneath. To do this, I connect the small LED light via a USB port on the back of the printer and tap the indentation with my fingertip. This touch allows me to choose between a light output of 30, 60 or 90 seconds. Here, 60 seconds is enough. I place my finger under the blue light and wait. After the time has elapsed, the light goes out automatically.
Now my nail looks matt. The top gel should change that. I brush my Sailor Warrior with a generous coat of the clear polish and immediately hold my finger under the lamp again for 60 seconds. The result: a glossy finish that brings out the details in the print.
Only the edges of my nails are unclean. For various reasons: The print gel is very viscous, which makes it difficult to apply the polish evenly and not brush it over the edges of the nail. In addition, the foil on my nails has small indentations that allow the foil to adapt better to the curvature of the nail, but at the same time create small raised areas that show under the base coat. The frayed end of the nail foil also sticks out in certain places. The next day, however, none of this is visible. Thanks to all the hand washing.
Restrictions
Up to this point, I have only tested designs with a white background. This benefits the white base coat. But what if I want to print a large, colourful image on my nails?
It will look like this:
White edges are hard to avoid if I don't want to print on my skin. Unless I use liquid latex. An additional product that the brand offers, but which is not included in the scope of delivery. Liquid latex is a tool that is often used in nail design. You apply it around the nail and allow it to dry. This creates a peelable protective barrier that allows you to apply pressure beyond the edge of the nail. A purchase that should be worthwhile for particularly small nail beds like mine.
The white print gel also limits creativity in terms of colour. The manufacturer's solution: a transparent print gel, which I also have to buy.
The print lasts for three to five days, depending on how hard it is used, before the edges gradually peel off. The film can then be removed without any problems.
Conclusion
I had a hell of a lot of fun with this test. With the right app, my initial scepticism gave way to a willingness to experiment that I haven't felt for a long time. I know that my nails don't offer much room for manoeuvre, so I'm all the more excited about the print details. But is it worth the price?
Yes
Personally, I wouldn't buy the nail printer. I simply don't have enough use for it to justify the price. Especially when I consider the additional costs for replacement material. I find the basic equipment of the set correspondingly stingy. For this price, I would have liked to have found twice as many nail foils, cleaner pads and test paper sheets in the scope of delivery. So much for private use. However, if you own a nail salon, the purchase of the printer should be worth considering. The printer would also be a highlight at children's birthday parties, beauty events or pyjama parties. Post Corona, of course. However, the costs would have to be shared with other parties. As a joint purchase, so to speak.
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
Beauty
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