In this modern digital age where we can order t-shirts, mugs, cakes ,and cookies with digitally transferred photo images on them, why not move into manicures using this same technology.
Nails have become a fashion statement and quite an outlet of individuality for some. Instead of having nail technicians slave away at hand-painting their elaborate designs, and instead of using somewhat less elegant water transfer or decal printed designs, I suggest a modified printer that would be able to take any digital image and print a scaled color copy directly onto fingernails for a precise and original work of art.
This device could certainly handle a plain color coat and simple designs (such as a french manicure), as well as more complicated images such as patterns (imagine plaid or polka dots), designs, and photos (imagine a sunset or a favorite pet).
Many other additional benefits would arise from this technology: • The perfect shade could be achieved to match clothing or accessories using the eye-dropper computer tool. A live camera feed or digital image could capture desired color for color capture on a computer screen.
• Images could be made to be symmetrical and perfect using various computer tools. Make perfect hearts, stars, or other shapes.
• Images could be resized and centered perfectly before application. No more running out of room on one side as you paint designs. And forget those crooked water transfer designs!
• Cropping and zooming in/out of images could be used to create coordinating nails with themes. For example, imagine a photo of a sunset you'd like to use. On nail might just have the sun on it, another a palm tree, yet another, the entire sunset image.-- XSarenkaX, Jul 29 2002 Edible printables http://www.party-photo-favors.com/ [XSarenkaX, Jul 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] spray-on nailpolish http://www.halfbake...ray-on_20nailpolishThe 'lo-res' version. [phoenix, Jul 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] Skin dye ink-jet http://www.halfbake...kin_20dye_20ink-jetThe all-over version. [phoenix, Jul 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] Alternatively http://www.beldecal.com/commercial.cfm...print your design on this stuff. (My guess is that you use clear varnish on top of the decal.) [DrCurry, Jul 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] Airbrushed French Manicure... http://www.nailpart....au/frenchmani.html...is how it starts. Follow the 'Next' links at the bottom of the pages. [phoenix, Jul 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] ImagiNail http://www.imaginail.com/index.htmlThe ones who eventually Baked this idea. I've let them know we did it first. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004] ImagiNail http://www.imaginail.com/I guess [phoenix]'s link has become outdated. Here's a link to their home page. [XSarenkaX, Oct 04 2004] digital nail art, well almost http://www.diginailart.comIt seems like the whole world has evolved or revolved to be digital. Its the new order. [DigiNailArt, Aug 31 2005] Baked!? https://m.facebook....&id=137306806459616Seems there is no purchasing info in the video, but isn't it cool? [XSarenkaX, Aug 12 2019] Watch out for students printing exam cheat sheets.-- FarmerJohn, Jul 29 2002 is there really a demand for this?-- sappho, Jul 29 2002 Demand? Who cares? It's the inevitable progression towards technological advance being used for fashion and entertainment.-- XSarenkaX, Jul 29 2002 bliss: see link.
XS: somewhere out there, there is a printer that can print on round and/or delicate objects (it can print on egg yolks, for example). Seems to me this is what you want. However, I've lost the link.-- DrCurry, Jul 29 2002 [DrCurry] I'm well aware of this method of applying nail design (water decals) but doing things this way does not ensure precision of application, such as dead-on centering. Also, there is no accounting for nail size doing things this way.
I like your idea about incorporating the technology used to print on eggs (egg YOLKS? is that a type-o?), but this device is much more complex, as it will require more than dot-matrix character printing in single colors. Perhaps a marriage of the cake-photo-decorating printer and the egg-printer is in order?-- XSarenkaX, Jul 29 2002 Hey Cool! I could print a Dobbs-Head on my middle finger!-- Aurora, Jul 30 2002 or the HalfBakery half-croissant on your thumb.-- XSarenkaX, Jul 30 2002 Maybe not - at that size, it would look like what the Americans quaintly call a booger.-- DrCurry, Jul 30 2002 no link, dear doctor?
have they struck you off yet or was it just an ugly rumour?-- po, Jul 30 2002 Hey Doc, what do you guys call a booger?-- gootyam, Jul 30 2002 I keep telling you blissy, less is more. less is more.-- po, Jul 30 2002 No Bliss, It's just that I like cross continental slang, like 'fringe' instead of 'bangs'.-- gootyam, Jul 30 2002 I think the english call it a bogie.-- Aurora, Jul 30 2002 no, a fringe is a hair style that covers the forehead.-- po, Jul 30 2002 Po- I am sorry to tell you that we call that very thing "bangs"-- gootyam, Jul 30 2002 <wishing I was English>Why DO we call them "bangs" anyway? I mean, there's no explosions. I think "fringe" is a much more accurate description.</wishing I was English>-- XSarenkaX, Jul 31 2002 According to Merriam Webster, short for bangtail, or a short tail. I hope that helps you.-- DrCurry, Jul 31 2002 oh right, 'cause everyone knows that bang=short-- gootyam, Jul 31 2002 bangs are a particular kind of fringe - a large curl as made famous by Bill Haley ?-- po, Jul 31 2002 Nope, bangs is the American word for fringe, pure and simple.-- DrCurry, Jul 31 2002 Bill Haley's large curl is a kiss-curl.-- angel, Aug 01 2002 'bangtail' was a euphemism for prostitute in a film I watched the other day (Johnny Depp in "From Hell", a yarn about Jack the Ripper. Didn't see the end because I was so frightened by the blacked out eyes they gave the chap who played Bilbo Baggins in recent LoTR)-- sappho, Aug 01 2002 This is (shrug) OK for a printer. You know cheap and cheerful. Get you hand-painted nails over in my idea.-- The Kat, May 14 2003 Wow, my idea's been baked? I feel so proud.-- XSarenkaX, May 15 2003 I saw a segment on the "NailJet" this morning on CNN. It's exactly what I had in mind. I hope the inventors try to contact me... Yeah, right. Who am I kidding? I'll just have to settle for modest pride.-- XSarenkaX, Oct 14 2003 I hear that electronic paper is being developed. I wonder if the idea could be enhanced by ultra-thin fingernail-size electronic paper being layered onto the fingernails to create dynamic images rather than static blocks of colour.
Who knows what the future holds.
I'm a man, should i really be thinking about these things?-- MrKangaroo, Oct 14 2003 Does anyone actually know how to buy this thing?-- ckauth, Oct 15 2003 random, halfbakery