Frequently asked questions
What is line art gel and what does ND carry?
Line art gel is a high-pigment gel that does not self-level, packed in a bottle with a long liner brush built into the cap for fine lines, French outlines, lettering, and geometric art. ND stocks around 124 listings: LDS Liner Art gels in numbered shades from 01 Black and 02 White through glitter and chrome, LDS Perfect Gel Art Duos, LDS metallic and laser gels, LDS Rhinestone Gel, and A'DOR Marble Ink in 12 colors plus metallic and foil inks in gold, silver, copper, brass, and bronze.
What is the difference between liner gel and marble ink?
Liner gel cures under a UV/LED lamp and holds a crisp edge, so a hairline stays a hairline; use it for lines, French, and outlines. A'DOR Marble Ink is a thin, quick-dry liquid that flows and needs no lamp; use it for marbling, veining, and watercolor washes, then seal under top coat. The ink reads soft and iridescent over a pale base and high-contrast over black.
How do I get a clean, thin line with liner gel?
Load the built-in brush lightly, rest the hand on the table, and pull the line toward you in one motion; thin the stroke by lifting the brush rather than pressing. Cure each color before crossing it with another so the second does not drag the first, and finish with top coat over the whole design. Liner gel is not meant to be worn bare.
Which liner colors should a salon stock first?
Black, white, gold, and silver cover most requests: French outlines, lettering, geometric lines, and metallic accents. Add the Perfect Gel Art Duos in the season's chart colors, one 21 Silver Glitter or 23 Gold Glitter for holiday work, and the 12-color Marble Ink set for stone and marble designs. Each bottle carries its own brush, so a station runs several colors with no brush cleaning.
Is line art gel sold at wholesale?
Yes. Every liner bottle and ink at ND Nails Supply is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The Perfect Gel Art Duos and the Marble Ink sets put a whole palette on the wall in one order. Orders $100+ ship free, and in-stock items ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.
Line art gel: the liner bottle for fine lines, French, and marble
Line art gel is a high-pigment, non-spreading gel packed in a bottle with a long, thin liner brush built into the cap, so a tech can pull a clean line, outline a French, or draw a swirl in one stroke without loading a separate brush. ND Nails Supply stocks around 124 listings at wholesale in two lines: LDS Liner Art and Perfect Gel Art gels, and A'DOR Marble Ink, the quick-dry liquid ink for marbling and veining. Both work over cured gel, acrylic, dip, and polish, and the LDS gels wear 21 days or more under top coat.
What is on this page
| Line | Format | Colors | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| LDS Liner Art gel | Bottle with liner brush in the cap; cures under UV/LED | Numbered shades from 01 Black and 02 White through the color range, plus 21 Silver Glitter, 23 Gold Glitter, and Silver Chrome | Fine lines, French outlines, lettering, geometric and abstract art |
| LDS Perfect Gel Art Duo (ver 2) | Two liner bottles per pack (01 and 02, 03 and 04, and so on) | Paired colors | Building the liner chart two shades at a time |
| LDS metallic and laser gels | Bottle | Silver Metallic, Laser Silver | Metallic lines and chrome-look accents without powder |
| LDS Rhinestone Gel | 15 mL | Clear | The glue gel that holds rhinestones and charms |
| A'DOR Marble Ink | Liquid ink, air-dry, no lamp | 12 colors (Pink, Cool Pink, Aqua Blue, Lime Green, Turquoise, Rust Red, Hot Pink, Yellow, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Blue), sold single or as the set of 12 | Marbling, veining, watercolor washes |
| A'DOR Metallic and Foil Marble Ink | 10 mL and 15 mL, single or sets of 4 and 5 | Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Silver | Metallic veins over stone and marble designs |
Liner gel or marble ink: which to reach for
- A crisp line that holds its edge: LDS Liner Art gel. It does not self-level, so a hairline stays a hairline until it is cured.
- French tips and outlines: 02 White and 01 Black liner gel, pulled in one stroke with the built-in brush.
- Marble, stone, and watercolor: A'DOR Marble Ink. It is thin and flows, dries fast without a lamp, and shifts with the base: soft and iridescent over a pale base, high-contrast over black. Layer under top coat.
- Metallic veins: the Metallic and Foil Marble Inks in gold, silver, copper, brass, or bronze, dragged through wet ink or laid over a dried marble.
- Glitter or chrome lines: 21 Silver Glitter, 23 Gold Glitter, Silver Chrome, or the Silver Metallic and Laser Silver gels.
- Setting charms: LDS Rhinestone Gel, cured under the stone.
How to use line art gel
- Base. Apply the color and cure; for the cleanest line, wipe the tacky layer or work directly on it, both hold.
- Draw. Load the built-in liner brush lightly, rest the hand, and pull the line toward you in one motion. Thin the stroke by lifting the brush, not by pressing.
- Cure. Cure each color before the next if lines cross, so the second color does not drag the first.
- Seal. Top coat over the whole design and cure. Liner gel is not designed to be worn bare.
For marble ink, cure a matte top over the base color and drop the ink onto it (or onto a thin uncured clear gel for a softer bleed), spread or blow it with a brush or air, let it dry, add metallic veins, then top coat.
Building a liner chart
Most salons start with black, white, a gold and a silver, then add the Perfect Gel Art Duos in the shades the season's chart uses. Because each bottle carries its own brush, a station can run five liner colors with no brush cleaning between them, and the 12-color Marble Ink set covers every marble the chart calls for. Liner gels are also the base for sticker-and-stone designs: draw the outline, cure, then place stones in Rhinestone Gel.
Line art gel or painting gel: what is the difference?
Both are art gels, and the difference is the body and the brush. Line art gel is thinner and packed with a long liner brush in the cap, so it flows off the brush in a continuous line and is meant for outlines, stripes, French, and lettering. Painting gel is thicker, sold in a pot or a bottle without a liner, and is worked with a separate flat or detail brush for filled shapes, one-stroke flowers, and 3D embossed designs that hold their height. A salon doing mostly lines and French runs on liner bottles alone; a salon doing painted florals and characters adds a few pots of painting gel and a set of art brushes. The A'DOR Marble Ink is neither: it is a liquid ink for effects rather than for drawing, and it sits beside the liner gels because the two are used together on stone and marble designs.
Common liner problems and the fix
- The line spreads after drawing: too much gel on the brush, or the brush was pressed instead of dragged. Wipe the brush on the neck of the bottle and use the tip only.
- The line breaks: the brush ran dry mid-stroke. Reload for every long line and draw in one pass.
- White liner looks grey: one pass of white over a dark base is sheer. Cure, then a second pass over the same line.
- Glitter liner is patchy: the glitter settled in the bottle. Roll the bottle between the palms before each use.
- Marble ink runs off the nail: too much ink for the surface. Use a single small drop and keep the hand flat until it sets.
Five liner designs and the bottle each one needs
| Design | Bottle | Technique |
|---|---|---|
| Outlined French | 02 White, or 01 Black for the graphic version | One stroke along the smile line with the built-in brush, cured, then a second pass for opacity over a dark base |
| Geometric and grid nails | 01 Black and Silver Chrome | Straight strokes pulled toward the tech in one motion; cure between crossing colors so the second does not drag the first |
| Lettering and micro-art | 01 Black, 23 Gold Glitter | Load the tip only, rest the hand, and draw at the size of the brush tip rather than pressing wider |
| Metallic accent lines | Silver Metallic, Laser Silver | A chrome-look line without powder; seal under top coat like any liner |
| Stone and marble veins | A'DOR Metallic Marble Ink in gold or silver over a marble done with the ink set | Dragged through the wet marble or laid over the dried one, then top coat |
The LDS Rhinestone Gel is the sixth bottle on the tray: a clear glue gel for stones and charms placed on the cured liner design, cured under the stone so the setting holds through the manicure.
Where liner work fits in the appointment
Line art is the quickest paid add-on on a gel menu because it uses the same lamp and the same top coat as the color and adds a minute or two per nail. The common pattern is a plain set with two liner accent nails, drawn after the color is cured and before the top: the client chooses the design from a swatch card at the desk, the tech pulls the lines from the bottle brush, cures once, and tops the whole hand together. Because the liner bottles carry their own brushes, a tech can switch from black to white to gold without a rinse, which is why a five-bottle liner tray is the standard art kit for a salon without a dedicated art station. Salons that also do marble keep the A'DOR inks beside the liners rather than with the painting gels, since the two are used together on stone designs: ink for the wash, liner or metallic ink for the vein.
Keeping liner bottles working
- Wipe the brush on the bottle neck after every stroke, so the tip stays a point; a loaded brush is the cause of most spread lines.
- Cap between nails. Liner gel is thin and cures in daylight near a window or a lamp; a bottle left open next to the lamp thickens at the neck.
- Roll glitter and chrome liners in the palm before use so the particles lift off the bottom.
- Store upright and out of the window. A liner that has thickened is thinned with a drop of gel cleanser stirred in with the brush, not with acetone, which breaks the gel down.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every liner bottle and ink is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The Perfect Gel Art Duos and the Marble Ink sets of 4, 5, and 12 put a whole palette on the wall in one order. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock items ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.