GB2111431A

GB2111431A - Decorative transfers

Info

Publication number: GB2111431A
Application number: GB08134945A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Spackman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-11-19
Filing date: 1981-11-19
Publication date: 1983-07-06

Abstract

A method of decorating fingernails uses a set of pre-printed decorative transfers of sizes and shapes corresponding to a typical user's fingernails, and/or toenails.

Description

SPECIFICATION Decorative transfers This invention relates to decorative transfers by which is meant carrier sheets bearing a decorative film which can be slid from the sheet, usually in the presence of water, and transferred to the surface of an article to be decorated. Such transfers are known in themselves and are used for example in decorating pottery which has to be glazed. One type of transfer for that purpose is known as an "Underglaze Water Slide" transfer, or another which may be used is known as an "on Glaze Water Siide" transfer.

According to the present invention there is provided a set of decorative transfers of such sizes as to be suitable for decorating a user's fingernails and/or toenails.

There are likely to be ten transfers in the set unless perhaps it is not desired to decorate the thumbnails, and the transfers intended for the different fingernails and/or toenails are likely to differ a little in size from one another in accordance with the variation in the size of people's fingernails and/or toenails, though some transfer designs might not differ in size but instead require trimming to fit each fingernail or toenail, or again a set of transfers might not vary in size, dependent on the design, but would decorate the nail without necessarily reaching the outer perimeter of that nail.

The transfers may be approximately of elliptical shape, being for the most part rather less than 1 centimeter wide, and perhaps about 1 centimeter long, or may be rather larger which would necessitate trimming the design to shape of the fingernail, or the transfer might again be smaller than fingernail or toenail, for instance a small star motif.

The set of transfers can be displayed on a card on in another suitable carrier in positions corresponding to the fingernails and/or toenails, they are to decorate, and may be protected by a transparent cover so as to constitute an attractive sales pack.

The invention includes a single transfer of approximately elliptical shape corresponding in shape and size to an average user's fingernail, and/or toenails, or the transfer may be rather larger or might again be smaller than the user's fingernail or toenail.

The invention also includes a method of decorating a fingernail and/or toenail by applying to the nail a decorative film from a transfer.

Preferably the fingernail and/or toenail has a nail lacquer or clear nail varnish applied to it first, and then the decorative film is transferred to the lacquered nail in a conventional manner and then a clear varnish is applied over the decorative film.

The decoration of fingernails and/or toenails, has become very popular but only usually by applying a lacquer of a single colour, and gold or silver, or perhaps lacquers of two different colours applied manually, but the present invention enables quite complicated decorations to be applied by the simple expedient of a transfer. The transfer can of course be factory made in quantity with quite complicated individual designs.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be briefly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, of which the single figure is a container of a set of decorative transfers.

Each of the transfers consists of an approximately elliptical flat sheet of paper or a plastics material carrying a decorative film, that is to say a film which bears a decoration which could be just a single patch of colour, or gold or silver, but will usually be a more complicated design, perhaps in several colours. Each transfer is a conventional underglaze or on glaze water slide transfer.

The set often transfers are in two sub-sets of five in each of which the sizes differ in accordance with the sizes of the fingernails and/or toenails.

They are positioned on a card and that is covered by a transparent cover to protect the transfers, but nevertheless to leave them visible to customers.

In applying the transfers, it has been found desirable to apply a standard nail lacquer or clear nail varnish to the nails first, and then to wet the transfer and slide the decorative film from the sheet onto the lacquered or clear nail varnish fingernail and/or toenails after which the transfer is covered with a layer of clear varnish.

Instead of the transfers being generally elliptical, as shown in the figure, they could perhaps be rectangular so that the user could trim them with scissors to the shape of her nails, or they could perhaps be star shaped or some other decorative shape which does not reach the outer edge of the nails.

1. A set of decorative transfers of sizes suitable for decorating a user's fingernails and/or toenails, 2. A set as claimed in Claim 1 in which the sizes of the transfers differ generally in accordance with the variation in sizes of the different fingernails and/or toenails on a person's hands or feet.

3. A set as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 mounted on a carrier and protected by a transparent cover.

4. A decorative transfer of approximately elliptical shape less than about 1 centimeter wide, and at least about 1 centimeter long or the transfer may be rather larger or might again be smaller than the usual elliptical shape mentioned above.

5. A method of decorating a fingernail and/or toenail by applying the decorative film from a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Decorative transfers This invention relates to decorative transfers by which is meant carrier sheets bearing a decorative film which can be slid from the sheet, usually in the presence of water, and transferred to the surface of an article to be decorated. Such transfers are known in themselves and are used for example in decorating pottery which has to be glazed. One type of transfer for that purpose is known as an "Underglaze Water Slide" transfer, or another which may be used is known as an "on Glaze Water Siide" transfer. According to the present invention there is provided a set of decorative transfers of such sizes as to be suitable for decorating a user's fingernails and/or toenails. There are likely to be ten transfers in the set unless perhaps it is not desired to decorate the thumbnails, and the transfers intended for the different fingernails and/or toenails are likely to differ a little in size from one another in accordance with the variation in the size of people's fingernails and/or toenails, though some transfer designs might not differ in size but instead require trimming to fit each fingernail or toenail, or again a set of transfers might not vary in size, dependent on the design, but would decorate the nail without necessarily reaching the outer perimeter of that nail. The transfers may be approximately of elliptical shape, being for the most part rather less than 1 centimeter wide, and perhaps about 1 centimeter long, or may be rather larger which would necessitate trimming the design to shape of the fingernail, or the transfer might again be smaller than fingernail or toenail, for instance a small star motif. The set of transfers can be displayed on a card on in another suitable carrier in positions corresponding to the fingernails and/or toenails, they are to decorate, and may be protected by a transparent cover so as to constitute an attractive sales pack. The invention includes a single transfer of approximately elliptical shape corresponding in shape and size to an average user's fingernail, and/or toenails, or the transfer may be rather larger or might again be smaller than the user's fingernail or toenail. The invention also includes a method of decorating a fingernail and/or toenail by applying to the nail a decorative film from a transfer. Preferably the fingernail and/or toenail has a nail lacquer or clear nail varnish applied to it first, and then the decorative film is transferred to the lacquered nail in a conventional manner and then a clear varnish is applied over the decorative film. The decoration of fingernails and/or toenails, has become very popular but only usually by applying a lacquer of a single colour, and gold or silver, or perhaps lacquers of two different colours applied manually, but the present invention enables quite complicated decorations to be applied by the simple expedient of a transfer. The transfer can of course be factory made in quantity with quite complicated individual designs. The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be briefly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, of which the single figure is a container of a set of decorative transfers. Each of the transfers consists of an approximately elliptical flat sheet of paper or a plastics material carrying a decorative film, that is to say a film which bears a decoration which could be just a single patch of colour, or gold or silver, but will usually be a more complicated design, perhaps in several colours. Each transfer is a conventional underglaze or on glaze water slide transfer. The set often transfers are in two sub-sets of five in each of which the sizes differ in accordance with the sizes of the fingernails and/or toenails. They are positioned on a card and that is covered by a transparent cover to protect the transfers, but nevertheless to leave them visible to customers. In applying the transfers, it has been found desirable to apply a standard nail lacquer or clear nail varnish to the nails first, and then to wet the transfer and slide the decorative film from the sheet onto the lacquered or clear nail varnish fingernail and/or toenails after which the transfer is covered with a layer of clear varnish. Instead of the transfers being generally elliptical, as shown in the figure, they could perhaps be rectangular so that the user could trim them with scissors to the shape of her nails, or they could perhaps be star shaped or some other decorative shape which does not reach the outer edge of the nails. CLAIMS

1. A set of decorative transfers of sizes suitable for decorating a user's fingernails and/or toenails,

2. A set as claimed in Claim 1 in which the sizes of the transfers differ generally in accordance with the variation in sizes of the different fingernails and/or toenails on a person's hands or feet.

5. A method of decorating a fingernail and/or toenail by applying the decorative film from a transfer.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 5 in which the nail has a lacquer or clear nail varnish applied to it and then the transfer is applied to the lacquered nail, and finally the transfer is covered with a clear varnish.