Diamond Painting Pro’s Diamond Art Glossary

Welcome to the sparkling world of diamond painting! New to this exciting hobby? You might feel like you've entered a new world with its own secret language! We've put together this definitive guide to help you crack the code of the technical terms, tools, and jargon used by the experts.

Essential Diamond Painting Terms

Understanding these core concepts will help you choose the right project for your skill level and desired look.

Canvas: The high-quality fabric printed with your chosen design. It is coated with a specialized adhesive that holds your diamonds firmly in place.

Drills: These are the "diamonds" themselves—the small, resin or acrylic facets used to create the image.

Full Drill: A canvas where the entire image area is covered in diamonds. These offer a complete, mosaic-like finish.

Partial Drill: A canvas where only specific parts of the design are covered in diamonds, while the rest of the background is pre-printed.

Round Drill: A circular diamond that is easier and faster to place. Because they are round, they leave small gaps between them, letting the canvas color peek through for a softer look.

Square Drill: A square-shaped diamond that fits perfectly flush against its neighbors with no gaps. These create a "snap" sound when placed and result in a more complete, mosaic-like finish.

Spare: We include extra diamonds (usually about 30% more than needed) for every color in your project. These "spares" ensure that even if you spill a few or find a misshapen drill, you’ll have plenty to complete your masterpiece.

Confetti: An area of the canvas that requires many different colors in a small space. It creates incredible detail but requires more frequent color changes.

Custom Diamond Painting: A personalized service where we turn your own photograph—such as a family portrait, a pet photo, or a vacation memory—into a one-of-a-kind diamond painting kit designed specifically for you.

Popular Diamond Painting Tools

These tools move you from "what is this?" to "how do I do this?"

Kit: This refers to the complete kit you receive. Our kit includes everything you need to start and finish your project: a printed canvas, all the necessary drills, a pen, wax, tweezers, tray and instructions.

Tray: The grooved container used to hold your drills. When you shake the tray, the grooves help flip the diamonds right-side up so they are ready to be picked up.

Tweezers: An alternative tool to the applicator pen, often used with square drills to ensure perfectly straight lines or to pluck away a misplaced diamond.

Wax: The sticky substance tucked into the tip of your applicator pen that allows it to pick up the drills from the tray.

Light Pad: An ultra-thin LED device placed under the canvas to illuminate the symbols from beneath, making them much easier to see.

Multi-Placer: A specialized tool tip that allows you to pick up and place 3, 6, or even 10 drills at once, speeding up the process for large areas of a single color.

Parchment Paper: A non-stick paper used to replace the original plastic film on a canvas. Crafters often cut it into small squares to "section off" their work, allowing them to focus on one small area at a time while keeping the rest of the adhesive protected.

Washi Tape: A decorative paper tape often used to "frame" the sticky edges of a canvas to prevent lint and dust from sticking to the margin.

Roller: A tool used to press drills firmly placed once your diamond painting is complete.

Straightener: A straight-edged tool used to nudge drills into perfect alignment for an orderly, professional finish. 

Sealer: A clear liquid or spray glue applied over a finished canvas. It locks the drills in place, prevents them from "popping" off over time, and protects the masterpiece from dust and hair.

Organizer: A storage system (usually a box with small jars) used to keep your drills sorted and labeled by their DMC numbers.

Common Abbreviations Decoded

If you’ve spent time in diamond painting communities or browsing our website, you’ve likely seen these shorthand codes.

DP: The universal shorthand for Diamond Painting.

DPP: That’s us - Diamond Painting Pro!

AB (Aurora Borealis) Diamonds: Specialized drills with an iridescent coating that mimics the Northern Lights, adding extra shimmer to specific areas.

3D vs. 5D: These refer to the number of facets on the drills. 3D drills have 9 facets (3 on each side), while 5D drills have 15 facets, offering more surface area to reflect light and create more sparkle.

DMC: It is the universal standard color numbering system used to identify specific shades of drills, making it easy to replace lost colors.

WIP: Work In Progress. It’s the project you are currently working on!

FO / FFO: Finished Object or Fully Finished Object. An FO is a completed canvas, while an FFO usually means it has been sealed and framed for display.

HAUL: An exciting "unboxing" or showcase of a large order of new diamond painting kits and accessories.

Need more help getting started?

We want to make your crafting experience as seamless as possible. If you have any questions regarding other terms or need any help ordering a diamond painting kit, please feel free to reach out to us at support@diamondpaintingpro.com.