Systems and apparatuses for applying coating to nails are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, to performing image processing on an image of the nail to locate a boundary of the nail. The method can further include determining a path along which to move the nail relative to an applicator, the applicator being used to coat the nail. In a further embodiment, using the located boundary of the nail, a dispensing procedure for the applicator to follow to coat the nail is determined.