Glaize, a made-to-measure nail technology business, has invested in the Mimaki UJF-3042MkII to help bring its designs to life.
Gina Farran had built a successful career in the finance industry as an investment banker in London. As her demanding career progressed, finding time for simple personal pleasures, like getting to a salon for a manicure, became more of a challenge. In the age of subscription boxes, e-commerce, and personalisation, she felt as if the nail industry was in need of a shake-up.
Co-founder Chris Mosedale said, ‘We create made-to-measure nail gels using computer vision technology. We have our own custom, plant-based material which is similar to nail gel. They are laser cut to a customer’s specifications, created from photos of their hands, and they will last as long as a manicure.
‘UV curing is used for gel nails, and someone mentioned that UV printing is quite common in the signage industry, so we thought we would give it a shot. We looked at a couple of other options such as screen printing, but UV printing has the durability and ability to customise that we need.’
Bringing a UV machine in-house allows the Glaize team to trial and tweak as they go.
Mr Mosedale added, ‘It’s all mostly manufactured a million miles away and sold on. Having brought on a chemist full-time, the UJF is seeing a lot of activity, as the business finds the balance between the fine gel and the amount of ink needed to achieve the necessary colours and artistic designs, as well as adjusting the adhesives to accommodate the printed products. It’s running every day right now.’
