In recent years, UV printers have gradually seized and even replaced traditional markets. Enterprises need to constantly update their technology, introduce efficient printing solutions, and change outdated business practices in order to bring new vitality and momentum to their operations. However, many people do not know what a UV printer is and its application areas. Let me provide you with a detailed explanation of what a UV printing is.
UV is the abbreviation for “Ultra-Violet Ray”. UV printer utilizes ultraviolet light to cure special inks. UV printing is a process where ink containing photosensitizers is cured and dried using ultraviolet light. It requires the combination of photosensitive ink and UV curing lamps. Currently, UV inks are used in various fields such as offset printing, screen printing, inkjet printing, and pad printing. The traditional UV printer refers to a flatbed UV printer. It is called “flatbed” because it has a flat printing platform for placing the printing products. A typical flatbed UV printer has 2 to 3 UV lamps on each side of the printhead. When the printhead prints the product, the UV lamps simultaneously cure the ink on the surface of the product. The cured ink dries instantly. The cured ink is not only vibrant in color but also very durable, scratch-resistant, and can even withstand outdoor use.
Another advantage of UV printing is that it solves the problem of not being able to use white ink together with colored inks. Multiple printheads and multiple channels can simultaneously print white ink and colored inks, allowing for the printing on different colored materials. Additionally, UV ink does not contain or contains very minimal amounts of organic solvents. Therefore, the printed patterns do not have a strong and unpleasant odor, are non-toxic, and do not damage the substrate. Moreover, UV printing can achieve a resolution of up to 1440 dpi, comparable to the quality of a photograph.
What are the application areas of UV printers?
It is not limited by any material and can perform color photo-quality printing on surfaces such as doors, cabinets, sliding doors, glass, panels, various signs, crystals, PVC, acrylic, metal, plastic, stone, leather, etc. It completes printing without the need for plate making, produces vibrant and rich colors, is wear-resistant, UV-resistant, easy to operate, and has fast printing speed, fully meeting industrial printing standards.
- Advertising processing: Acrylic (plexiglass), KT board, PVC, organic boards, stainless steel, aluminum-plastic panels, two-color panels, metal plates, PP boards, and other materials. UV printers are suitable for industries such as advertising printing, lightbox fabrications, traffic and power hard signs, display boards, etc.
- Building materials and home decoration: Door panels, tiles, glass, UV boards, bamboo fiberboards, gypsum boards, corrugated boards, etc. UV printers are suitable for industries such as whole-house customization, integrated wall panels, furniture sliding doors, cabinet doors, ceramic decoration for background walls, stretch ceilings, wooden crafts, imitation metal plates, Tibetan-style furniture, Tibetan Thangka paintings, art glass, table chairs, curtains, etc.
- Production: Leather, wood panels, electrical panels, etc. UV printers are suitable for industries such as leather bags and accessories, PVC well covers, projection screens, toys (magic gyros, skateboards, puzzles, etc.), product casings (phone cases, USB flash drive casings, power bank casings, color keyboards, etc.), etc.
- Oil painting industry: Murals, oil cloth paintings, wall paintings, home decorative paintings, cross-stitch, etc.
- Personalized customization: Various industries such as phone cases, nail art, albums (studio albums/photo books), cigarette cases, jade buckles, stationery (lighters, pens, cards, personalized water bottles, etc.), gifts (packaging boxes, PP stationery, Rubik’s cubes, bookmarks, wine glasses, wine bottles, etc.), cosmetics (lipstick, lip gloss, perfume, sprays, etc.) that require personalization.
What are the advantages of UV printers?
- Not limited by materials, they can perform color photo-quality printing on surfaces such as wood panels, glass, crystals, PVC, acrylic, plastics, stones, leather, etc.
- Whether it is simple block color patterns, full-color patterns, or patterns with gradient colors, they can be printed in one go without the need for plate making, plate exposure, and repeated color overlay. The printing is instant and dry.
- Special effects can be achieved by printing 3D relief patterns on the surface of materials. The patterns can be customized without limitations, and the relief printing depth can reach 5mm.
What are the disadvantages of UV printers?
- The overall machine price is still relatively high (for first-time investors). But Suntrix is a factory that focuses on reducing ink printing costs, allowing them to provide very competitive prices.
- The printing speed is slower compared to the fast printing of screen printing and offset printing, especially for short-run printing.
- Like all inkjet printers, the machine may encounter clogged printhead issues, especially when it is not used for a long time. This requires regular maintenance to be carried out.
Finishing with UV varnish
UV varnish is one of the most important types of varnish for printing. Compared to other paints, it can be applied inline in very high layer thicknesses. The resulting paint film can usually no longer be distinguished from a film lamination. Due to their high thickness, the UV varnishes also achieve gloss values that are difficult to achieve with water-based varnishes.
Working world UV printing
Printing with UV technology is one of the newer processes in a printing industry that has a long history and is currently experiencing major change. The changing media usage behavior – away from print and towards online – is favoring trends such as greater industrialization and cross-media production.