Expanding into UV flatbed printing can open fantastic new opportunities for an established large-format printing business. You’ll already know what many of the benefits are, whether it’s printing directly to a huge array of rigid and flexible substrates, the new products you’ll be able to produce, or the quantities you can produce them in. It’s quick, versatile, and profitable to produce high-value product personalisation, custom packaging, interior decoration or something nobody else has even thought of yet.
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However, with so many options available, choosing the right UV flatbed printer for your specific needs can be daunting. It’s an investment, so it needs to be right for now as well as the future.
UV printers come in different sizes and print speeds, catering to different throughput requirements. The beauty of digital print is the ability to print on demand – you only need to produce what you sell. So, while waste and stockpiling are less of an issue, you need a device to keep up with demand without being excessive.
Small businesses and those with lower volume needs will likely be happy with a desktop or benchtop model. They offer a compact footprint and budget-friendly pricing, while still capable of producing high-quality results at professional speeds. However, if you predict high-volume production or larger jobs, you’ll want to explore larger flatbed printers that offer larger print areas, faster print speeds, and enhanced features to keep up with demanding workloads.
Likewise, knowing what products you plan to sell (right away and in the future) will determine the size of machine you need. Yes, small items like promotional USB sticks orphone cases can be done on a smaller flatbed, and for many businesses that will be ideal, but be sure to consider other products you could produce in the future. Equally, if you anticipate printing larger signage, POP displays, or other oversized graphics, you'll need a flatbed printer with a print area that can accommodate those dimensions. If you’ve already checked this and you fear your items are too large, be sure to check with a print specialist because some machines can be modified with factory parts to increase print height.
One of the key advantages of UV flatbed printing is the ability to print directly onto a wide range of rigid and flexible substrates, from metal and wood to glass and leather. With a little help from primer, there are very few materials you can’t print to. So, beyond what products you want to produce and what materials you want to print them on, make sure you consider:
Pay close attention to print resolution, ink configurations, and colour management capabilities offered by different models. Powerful colour management tools and ICC profiling capabilities ensure accurate and consistent colour reproduction across various substrates and even devices. If you produce branded signage and banners for a client, being able to offer them promotional merchandise that you can guarantee will be a colour match will be a big bonus.
Printer manufacturers are putting a lot of effort into streamlining print processes and flattening the learning curve wherever possible. Many devices have features that allow them to integrate seamlessly with your existing workflow and software. From intuitive interfaces that can simplify job setup to powerful but easy-to-use RIP software packages, such as Roland DG’s VersaWorks 6, these features can significantly reduce manual intervention, minimise errors, and improve overall efficiency.
If you can purchase your new UV flatbed printer within the same brand as your other device(s), not only will you be familiar with many of their features already, but they often work off the same systems or even allow for integration. Roland DG Connect PrintAutoMate, for example, allows users to automatically map incoming jobs to their related jigs and output devices for printing high volumes of items, meaning you can automate the printing of 6 cases to a small flatbed and 10 electronic panels to a larger flatbed.
While the upfront cost of a UV flatbed printer is a significant investment, it's essential to consider the ongoing operating costs as well. Factors such as ink consumption, printhead longevity, and maintenance requirements can vary significantly between different models and manufacturers.
Research and compare these costs carefully, as they can have a substantial impact on your overall profitability over the lifetime of the printer. There are solutions available, such as Roland DG Connect, that give you insights into various business processes like job profitability and costs, as well as device monitoring and health checks to keep downtime to a minimum.
Downtime can be costly, so reliability is key. As much as we hope things won’t go wrong, it’s best to plan for when they might. On top of device reliability, you want to know that the service and support you receive will be high-quality and prompt.
Manufacturers might offer comprehensive warranties, readily available spare parts, and responsive technical support to minimise potential disruptions and ensure your printer remains productive. Roland DG Care is an industry-leading warranty plan that provides full coverage with no hidden costs, replacement genuine Roland parts, rapid call-out response and more.
It’s already been mentioned, but it bears repeating: factor in your potential for future growth. Anticipate potential increases in production volume or changes in application requirements, both in what you can produce and what the client will demand. Demands change and so must your ability to meet them.
Choosing an upgradeable system can help future-proof your investment, allowing you to adapt to evolving market demands without the need for a complete overhaul of your equipment.
It’s undoubtedly exciting to be in the market for a new UV flatbed printer, but it’s also daunting. However, the number of options available works in your favour as long as you plan carefully, evaluate your specific needs, consider the factors above, and speak to the experts. You’re sure to find the perfect solution to propel your printing business forward.
UV printer can print image onto mobile case, wood plate, metal board, magic cube, LEGO, glass bottle and etc., as a result, if you wanted to quickly boost your printing business, UV printer is the second-to-none choice.
Choosing the best UV printer for you is crucial to archive your printing needs and promote the printing business success. However, the UV printer types, configurations and specs vary a lot, to bring a profitable printing business with high ROI, avoid waste of your money and investment, this complete guide gives everything you need to know about:
UV printer is the printing machine utilizes Ultra Violet curing technology directly print and instantly dry UV ink on surface. UV printer can print onto almost all kinds of materials and substrates at different shapes: flat, roll, cylinder.
In printing market until , UV printer has 4 poplar types: UV flatbed printer, UV roll to roll printer, UV hybrid printer and UV DTF printer. What are the key differences among them? UV flatbed printer can print directly on almost all flat materials. UV roll to roll printer mainly for soft and flexible materials, achieving high-speed roll-to-roll and multi-mode printing. UV hybrid printer can directly print onto firm or soft (roll) substrates. UV DTF Printer prints the graphics onto a transfer film, then removes the design and pasting the image to soft & firm materials at any shape surface.
DON’T BE MISLED: if you did search term “UV printer”, some search engine shows UV flatbed printer result most, which is not inaccurate, though not completely wrong. But when you want to spend your money and invest in UV printing, do remember: UV flatbed printer is one popular type of UV printer, there are other 2 types. It’s important to know and choose the most suitable type of UV printer for your business since each type of UV printer has its own advantages and features.
Yes answer if you wanted to directly print or transfer design, image onto materials such as metal, glass, wood, canvas, leather, and etc., UV printing is the most recent digital technology applies in various industries such as personalized gifts, consumer products, advertising printing, decoration and etc. (See List of UV printing applications, Details of UV Printer Applications)
The UV printer may not the best answer if you only wanted to make T-shirt printing or large format printing onto garments, DTF printer, DTG printer or sublimation printer are better choices.
Though UV printer can work onto fabrics and cotton as well, it is not recommended for printing on garments as they may have direct contact to skin. Remember: choose the best printer type is important.
The first advantage of UV printer is the high printing flexibility, in another word, no material limitation. Wood, canvas, leather, glass, even heat-sensitive materials, whatever you wanted to print on, at flat or square or roll / cylinder shape, all the printing needs can be done by UV printer.
The most attractive advantage of UV printer is the instant printing, you can get the final products which are ready to sell and ship without waiting time, as long as the UV printing machine finishes the print process, the applications are good to go. This UV printer feature greatly improves the turn-around time and printing efficiency, to make it simple, you can accept more orders, have high production volume, process more products within shorter time for printing.
UV printer offers great color density and saturation, with high resolution printing, the print quality looks finer and more vivid. UV printer can also print 3D effects which makes the final product looks luxury and touches textural.
Compare to traditional printing methods such as traditional ink printing or screen printing, the UV printer uses UV ink to print, the UV cured inks are with coating, as a result, the printouts are more resistant to scratches, fading and water as well as chemicals & cleaners.
In order to meet the changing customer needs, manufacturers need to constantly update their technology to stand out in the competitive market. Hence, in , the UV printer will face 2 breakthroughs, bringing new vitality into the market: the ability to print on fabrics and cylindrical items.
Traditionally, the UV printer mainly works on rigid surfaces like glass, metal, and wood. As for soft materials like fabrics, people choose the DTF printer to print on. However, after numerous tests, SUBLISTAR has launched a UV printer that can print on fabrics, which will be trendy in . The UV crystal labels for fabrics do not peel or crack and are washable. This function broadens the applications of UV printers to the garment industry and opens up more possibilities for businessmen. In addition, as the UV printer can print on fabrics materials like cotton, polyester and demin, it will become an essential tool for fashion designers, textile manufacturers, and custom print shops.
Another breakthrough of UV printers in is the creation of cylinder UV printer. A cylinder UV printer is a revolutionary tool for printing on cylindrical items, offering unmatched precision and versatility. Equipped with Ricoh printheads, this printer is capable of delivering high-jet and high-precision printing quality, ensuring sharp and vibrant prints on a variety of cylindrical surfaces such as bottles, pens, and mugs. The UV technology used allows for instant curing of the ink, which enhances durability and ensures that the designs won’t fade over time. With the ability to print directly onto curved surfaces, a cylinder UV printer eliminates the need for additional labeling or wrapping, making it an ideal solution for customized products in industries like promotional goods, packaging, and personalized gifts.
Both the trends will leave a deep impression on the digital UV printing market. To know more about these 2 trends in , read these articles Is Cylinder UV Printer Right for Your Business? and Can UV Printer Print on Textile?
The best UV printer is the one most suitable to finish your printing needs. For example, as the real cases in best practices: a small business owner can choose an A3 size flatbed UV printer as the best one to meet mobile case, beer cans printing, in another case, a local advertising company tends to choose a UV DTF printer or UV hybrid printer as the best choice to print the sticker, branding and campaign / event graphics on both soft roll material and firm substrates.
On the other hand, some industry leading manufacture offers configurable UV printer to meet customer needs. Does it sound complicated? However, if you read the following guide, choose a best UV printer will be easier and clearer logically.
To choose the UV printer, 8 factors need to consider are:
No one wants to waste money, everyone just wants to maximize the ROI (return on investment).
As printing business owner or UV printer buyer, you should have a clear understanding of the printing needs, the market demand and stats in your local area, find answers to following questions:
At the time you have the answers to above questions, clarify the market and business requirements, you can narrow down the selection range according to the characteristics and different types of UV printer, you finish the step 1 to buy your best UV printer.
Do you still remember this fact: there are 3 popular UV printer types. It is the 1st crucial factor you need to consider because different UV printer type is designed to finish different printing jobs.
Let’s go over the features of the 4 UV printer types with real printing examples:
Now you’ve known your printing needs, market demands and the high-level UV printer type, the next steps are to understand the detail features of UV printer.
As a tool of production, UV printer’s productivity almost means everything to both personal users and business owners, the performance and quality can be read by following key specs:
Usually, a good online dealer or reliable manufacture lists the full specs in product info web page for customer and buyer’s easy access.
As the first performance metric to consider, the speed of small UV printers ranges from 0.28 to 12 square meters per hour, or 3 to 129.17 ft2/hour. (while some “$-monster” can print up to 200-400 ft2/hour).
Why the range is so wide? It’s because the printing speed is closely corelated to printing resolution (accuracy). As for UV flatbed printer, higher printing solution (dpi) means longer time to work, for UV DTF printer, number of PASS is the condition, 4 PASS means faster to print, 6-12 PASS requires longer printing time.
Usually, an A3 size UV printer can print at max speed of 3 square meters (32 ft2) per hour, a larger (600mm*900mm) UV printer with better performance can print up to 5-8 square meters (53-86 ft2) per hour, a high-end UV DTF printer can print up to 12 square meters (129 ft2) per hour at 4 PASS mode.
Tip 1: Ask for the real printing speed.
As the real case explains in Calculating UV Printing Cost, a mobile case is about 0.02 square meters (0.22 ft2), evaluate your market and print requirements with the real data will help to a better understanding of UV printer’s productivity.
To choose UV printer, focus on print resolution and ink configuration will help you buy a machine with best printing quality.
Print resolution is measured by DPI (drop per inch), higher resolution means finer details of final printout, on the other hand, ink colors configuration directly impacts the vibrant and accurate color printing, this is crucial when you wanted to print brand sign, icon and banners those require exact match to their branding standard.
In addition to 4-5 (or more) ink colours, if “varnish” or “CMYK+W+V” is listed in product info, it means the UV printer can finish more vivid, luxurious and tactile printing. (Ref. When to use UV varnish?).
Tip 2: Request UV printing sample is good idea
At the stage of understanding printing needs, you have already had ideas about what objects and applications the UV printer will mostly work to, besides knowing the material and shape, don’t forget to evaluate the size of product and pay attention to the print size while choosing UV printer, sometimes the UV printing machine can only print smaller size range compare to the size of object.
Tip 3: check the actual printing size but not only attachable object size
To buy a UV printer best for you, Width-Length-Height (Thickness) are 3 key dimensions to check, the roll/cylinder length & diameter are additional to check to choose UV DTF and UV hybrid printer.
Tip 4: check with specialist to confirm the print height is adjustable
One of the amazing advantages of UV printer is the wide range of application, which means it can print onto any object at any shape, includes the non-flat uneven surface, golf ball is a real case.
As above image shows, in the real case, there are hundreds dimples on a golf ball, to print brand icon, remarkable event info on it is challenge, advanced UV printer very well finishes the printing job by it’s “high droplet printing” feature.
Pinzhihao supply professional and honest service.
As a result, remember to check the “ink drop depth” or “high drop printing depth” will help you get better understanding of the capability of your ideal UV printer.
Take care of UV printing supplies if the final printing quality is important to you. Generally, UV supplies include:
UV ink, which will be cured under ultraviolet light, is specially designed for UV printer. During the UV printing process, the ink will be sprayed into the surface of the products and then cure under the UV light. The curing process is crucial to enhance adhesion and resistance to abrasion, moreover, since UV ink doesn’t include volatile solvent, it won’t harm printing substrates or contaminate the environment or people.
Currently, there are 7 popular types of UV ink in the market, the details are introduced in: UV cured ink: Types, Features, Pros and Cons. Therefore, to choose the most suitable UV ink for your business, you should pay attention to the following factors:
UV DTF AB film, also called UV DTF polymer cold transfer film, is an essential consumable for UV DTF printing. Usually, the UV DTF printer will print patterns on the A film, after that, cover the patterns with B film, then peel off the A film and paste the sticker to the product and remove the B film. When choosing UV DTF film, consider the following 2 factors:
Recently, silver and gold UV DTF AB film gains popularity in the printing market. Hence, choosing high-quality UV DTF AB film will ensure the printing performance and help make perfect label stickers. In addition, UV DTF AB film with good quality will feature strong durability and last for a long time.
Anyway, whether choose UV ink or UV DTF AB film, quality is always the top priority. Consumables with excellent quality will not only output nice patterns but will also protect the print head, allowing for long and stable uses of printer. This also works in DTF consumables. Read this article to learn knowledge about DTF film.
The price of UV printer and cost of UV printing are the deciding factors other than performance.
In the market, the UV printer prices in a wide range from $500 to $ or even higher up to $ for super large format one.
However, the relationship between price and quality can be given in general: a better-quality UV printer from industry leading manufactures (such as Roland, SUBLISTAR, Epson) price:
Tip 5: you may get fixable rate and payment options if you talk to the manufacture directly
Differentiate to UV printer price, the cost of UV printing represents the spending of daily running includes UV supplies cost, maintenance cost, electricity bill and labor cost. Though UV printer can work to so many applications and products, in general, the UV printing costs from $1.25 to $1.44 per square meter, or $12.5 to $14.4 per square foot. To have detail understanding to calculate UV printing costs, the guide with 2 real examples is recommended.
All factors about the UV printer itself have been introduced, it’s time to talk something about the factors surrounding by.
To streamline the working process, you need to make sure that the UV printing software is compatible with the UV printer. Different manufacturers may use different systems and RIP software, so you need to make it clear that whether the new UV printer can integrate seamlessly with your existing workflow and designed software.
The common design and RIP software on the market are Maintop, Photoprint, CADlink, Future RIP and etc.
Practice: Find the RIP Software filed in UV Printer Specification of UV Flatbed Printer: STAR V .
If you plan to purchase the UV printer from the brand you already owned a product, this will not be a problem because they often work under the same team and can be linked. For example, multi-printers from SUBLISTAR can be controlled through one computer thanks to the MPM technology. But if you wanted to purchase a UV printer from the brand you haven’t had a printer, consult with professional team from the manufacture to clear the question.
On the other hand, ask for powerful colour management tools and download the ICC profiling can help you ensure the accurate and consistent colour reproduction across various substrates and devices.
Tip 6: Check the RIP software, consider to choose UV printer can work in a seamless printing process.
The performance and productivity of printing are directly impacted by the hardware of UV printer, have an understanding of the core parts of UV printer will not only help you read the parameters but also have a whole picture of the machine, it’s the first knowledge makes you become a real user, it may also help you keep away from over charging in case of repair is required out of warranty.
The 7 core components of UV printer are: printhead, mainboard, servo motors, ink supply system, printing platform, guide rail and LED curing lamp, to product high quality UV printing, each has its own role which have been well explained in the structure and core parts of UV printer.
It’s strongly recommended to do some search online and talk to a specialist before placing your order. A reliable manufacture shall provide complete sales and after-sales support chain.
To check training, service and support info, search or ask the questions such as:
In a word, a UV printer manufacturer usually trustworthy if it provides extensive online resource. (Such as: training, troubleshooting, how-to guides & videos with online support group or community.
Tip 7: besides just browsing, talk to professionals from manufacture and ask above questions to get detail service and support info
Just leave comment or click “talk with professionals” button if you have more questions about UV printer or UV printing, or post your question on the latest printing forum. The experts in printing industry will soon bring the answers to you.
The guide may need some time to read, understand, the real cases are the best examples to understand, here are some.
A local printing shop in the US wanted to find a UV printer for their small business and wanted to make it bigger.
As the shop owner talked, the UV printer will mainly print icons, small graphics, images and short text onto crystal objects, firm metal plates, acrylic or key & key chains. The target customers are personal and business clients. In the peak season, the order volume is much higher, the printing speed and quality are both concentrated.
According to above client’s needs, the first consideration is UV flatbed printer is the best type since there is no need to print on soft roll materials. On the other hand, as the size of metal plates sometimes are in medium width, the small UV printer won’t work. Taken printing volume and target customer groups into account, a UV printer perform speed printing with high quality printing is recommended. In the last, the high droplet printing very well meet the requirements to print on crystal’s uneven surface in various shapes.
Taken type, size, volume, speed and UV printing quality into account, the UV STAR V printer is recommended to meet all of the requirements and satisfied by the user.
A local gift shop in UK has incorporated with a conference partner regularly organizes meetings, events and conferences for organizations and companies.
The gift shop needs to print icons, brand, conference information on mug, cup, flag and banner. As the meetings are well scheduled and planned, the gift shop usually has enough time to work to order, athoc or urgent delivery are NOT required.
Consider flag and banner are the objects to print on, the printing on soft materials are required, UV DTF printer or UV hybrid printer are 2 better types to consider since both of them can print onto firm and soft roll materials.
Since usually the print shop gets enough time to prepare, print and deliver, automatic transfer is NOT a must, as a result, UV DTF printer can be the choice.
In the last, besides smaller objects such as mug, flag, larger size banner are required, apparently, the 600mm*900mm UV printer is better.
Both UV DTF printer and UV hybrid printer are recommended, the final decision is: the UV DTF printer: UV-60R is chosen by the shop owner.
An interesting real case happened in Canada market: a printing shop near university had been running business for paper (essay, cover letter and resume) printing for years, (a nearby UPS store provides similar paper-printing service as well), the printing shop owner occasionally found the students want timely shipment of personalized mobile case, they wanted to be in trending designs, order online usually cannot satisfy them.
Instant is the only matter, the owner wanted to print student’s desired graphic and pattern on mobile case immediately, order shall be finished and the final product shall be ready to go as soon as possible.
The shop owner also mentioned there could be small amount orders to customize personalized gifts for the birthday.
Speed and size are 2 major factors to consider since mobile cases are almost the only product to print, with small personalized objects to print. The shop owner also didn’t want to invest too much on it since it was the first idea try to expand the business.
To meet all requirements, a UV hybrid printer: UV-H is recommended with customized configuration, the printer can finish the print work instantly, also supports the roll material printing if some students wanted to give a birthday gift such as mug with sticker.
Another recent real case can be the typical example often happens in beginner or starter.
In the inquiry, the buyer said just wanted to try the UV printing business, there are certain market needs, but as the beginner, the risk of investment is must-to-consider, the starter just wants to buy a UV printer and try the return on investment.
In this situation, when the professionals ask buyer’s questions listed above, the answers are usually vague, all kinds of object could be printed on, the target market is personal user, the printing resolution and quality is not required so precise, meanwhile, the beginner wanted a new UV printer from reliable manufacture to have better support, service and warranty.
For UV printing beginner or starter, compare to factors such as printing quality, speed, connectivity, the price, space and warranty tend to be more important.
In this case, for UV printing beginner, UV-30R Star VI and UV-30R Star IV are recommended, both of the printing machines can finish common requirement such as sticker printing on all kinds of surfaces and materials, they are ideal for beginner to try the return on UV printing market.
The buyer finally order the UV-30R STAR VI since it’s the latest generation of UV printer for beginner.
Choose best UV printer for you is not easy, but once you read the guide, follow the steps and consider all the important factors and take notes, bring them to the talk to professionals, your ideal UV printer will be there to boost your business soon.
Just leave your comments below for any questions, or don’t forget the tips: talk to UV printing specialists for more configuration, payment option and flexible price.
Country Name MessageUV printer can be classified into UV flatbed printer, UV hybrid printer and UV DTF printer. Read this article Choose Best UV Printer? Find Features, Pros & Cons of Each Type to learn more.
Can UV printer print on fabric?Generally speaking, UV printer is capable work onto fabrics, but it’s not recommended. UV printer works better on plastic, glass, metal, acrylic and other un-fabric materials.
Is UV printer suitable for customization business?Yes, UV printer is totally suitable for customization business.
Is the UV printer capable of creating any multi-dimensional products?A UV DTF printer can print on multi-dimensional products. It is not restricted to flat surface.
For more information, please visit uv printing service.
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