Tape and millimeter ruler
Coin calibration photo
Physical studio sample kit
Press clear Scotch tape across the widest curve of your nail bed. Mark both outer sidewalls with a fine-tip pen, lift the tape flat, and align it against a metric ruler.
Rest your hand flat beside a clean standard coin under bright window light. Snap a crisp overhead macro photo; I calibrate the pixel width directly on my cutting mat.
When uncertain about high natural nail arches, order a clear blank tip set in your chosen shape. Test each blank against your natural curve at home before ordering.
Target the widest horizontal point
Always record your measurement across the absolute widest section of the natural nail plate, typically two millimeters above the eponychium line. Never curve the tape down toward the free edge.
If your nail rests precisely between two whole millimeters, round up to the nearest half millimeter. Filing a slightly wider tip down at the studio takes seconds, but a narrow tip will lift.
Prefer to try blanks first?
Ten unpainted sample tips shipped directly to your desk in your chosen silhouette.