Is a fan or tapered brush better for highlighter?
Choose by placement task: a fan offers a wide, shallow sweep, while a tapered profile focuses contact toward its tip. Compare both with your intended formula and review pickup, release, edge control and packaging clearance. Shape alone does not prove the finish or performance.
| Numbered highlight reference | Recorded head width / exposed length | Recorded overall length |
|---|---|---|
| BH09 — flame highlight brush | 18 mm / 32 mm | 140 mm |
| BH13 — highlight brush | 13 mm / 20 mm | 140 mm |
| BK05 — highlight brush | 31 mm / 38 mm | 150 mm |
Choose the placement task before choosing the shape.
A fan brush presents a spread-out, shallow working edge; a tapered profile concentrates contact toward its tip. Consider a fan when your brief calls for a sweeping motion across a broader area, and compare a smaller highlight head when the aim is placement in a more confined area. Neither shape guarantees a lighter or stronger result: fibre, density, pressure and the formula also matter. Describe where the product should go and how the user should apply it.
Use the recorded dimensions without inventing a fan specification.
The table records three PRETTY highlight references from the supplied white- and black-series drawings. BH09 is identified as a flame highlight brush; BH13 and BK05 are identified as highlight brushes. These names and dimensions do not establish that all three are fan brushes. Use them to compare starting sizes, and select an actual fan reference from the category before asking for its spread, thickness and overall dimensions. Missing fan measurements remain questions for the sample brief.
Compare BH09 and BH13 when the placement area changes.
BH09 and BH13 both have a recorded 140 mm overall length, but their head dimensions differ: BH09 is 18 mm wide with 32 mm exposed bristles, while BH13 is 13 mm wide with 20 mm exposed bristles. This separates head-size selection from total tool length. BK05 provides a broader recorded starting width of 31 mm and a 150 mm overall length. The drawing alone cannot establish contact area under pressure, softness or pickup. Compare those properties on the physical samples.
Review powder, liquid and cream with the intended formula.
Test the same formula and application task when comparing two samples. Record pickup, placement, release, edge blending and visible marks. For a fan, observe the spread and whether gaps appear along its working edge. For a tapered head, observe tip placement and how the head opens during blending. A photograph or a synthetic-fibre label cannot establish suitability for every highlighter formula. Repeat the review after the agreed care procedure if that is part of the sample specification.
Include head protection in the retail configuration.
Check a fan against the width and opening of its proposed sleeve or case. For a taller or pointed head, review tip clearance and whether the insert pushes fibres out of shape. Insert and remove the actual sample rather than approving only a packaging image. Record brush orientation, internal dimensions and any change needed; packaging protection is not established by the product silhouette.
Send a brief that can produce a comparable quotation.
Include the selected code or fan reference, formula type, placement task, proposed head changes, quantity in pieces or sets, logo, finish, packaging and destination. List alternative heads as separate options. Confirm the applicable minimum, paid sample fee and timing for each configuration rather than assuming every reference has the same terms. Keep the approved drawing and sample version with the final specification.
Sources & scope
The PRETTY records below support the product references in this guide. They are not independent certification, capacity verification or order-specific test results.
Put the idea into a brief
What should your brush do?
Bring your formula, customer context and preferred feel. We will discuss the brush, materials and paid sample together.
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These three numbered highlight references provide documented size choices. Their drawings are not performance tests and do not supply dimensions for every fan design in the collection.
BH09 · Flame highlight brush
18 mm head width · 32 mm exposed bristles
Overall: 140 mm
BH13 · Highlight brush
13 mm head width · 20 mm exposed bristles
Overall: 140 mm
BK05 · Highlight brush
31 mm head width · 38 mm exposed bristles
Overall: 150 mm
