The UV printer is a new type of direct digital printing technology that has developed in the past ten years. It directly prints the required patterns on the product surface through computer control and software. It is also known as a non-contact inkjet printer.
The “UV” in a UV printer is the abbreviation for ultraviolet. That is, ultraviolet rays emitted by LED lights are used to make printed products dry immediately during the printing process without blurring the patterns.
Market prospects of UV printers
With the development of social industrialization, the innovation ability of industrial digital printing technology is also developing rapidly, mainly reflected in customized products. The UV printer combines UV-cured ink with digital inkjet printing. It has the advantages of convenient operation, fast printing speed, high printing precision, high production capacity, environmental protection and no pollution. Since materials do not restrict UV printers and can print on almost all materials, with rich printing colors and immediate drying after printing, it is becoming more and more popular in the entire market and has a large market. The upgrade of UV printing technology is getting higher and higher, the printing scheme is getting more and more mature, and the market prospect is getting more and more promising.
UV mainly contains three meanings, ink, curing principle, and printing.
- Ink: Different from previous water-based inks, textile inks, oily inks, and solvent-based inks, the new generation of equipment uses UV inks. UV inks themselves are between solvent-based and oily inks. They are a chemical ink that dries immediately after printing and has high adhesion. Here it should be noted that UV inks are divided into three grades: one is domestic, one is produced by the original manufacturer of the print head, and one is high-end imported.
- Curing principle: The curing method adopts an internal cooling curing principle that does not produce peculiar smell, heat, bubbles and other phenomena in a very short time. This is mainly determined by the photosensitizer present in the UV ink.
- Printing: Direct piezoelectric inkjet printing. The print head is 12.5px to 25px above the material and performs inkjet printing. The UV ink is directly sprayed on the surface of the material, and then irradiated by the LED lights on both sides of the print head to realize the drying of the ink.
Widely used and not restricted by materials:
The UV printer is a high-tech plateless full-color digital printing machine. It is not restricted by materials and can perform color photo-level printing on the surfaces of T-shirts, sliding doors, cabinet doors, sliding doors, glass, plates, various signs, crystals, PVC, acrylic, metal, plastic, stone, leather, etc.
- One-time printing without plate making is completed. The colors are beautiful and rich, wear-resistant, UV-resistant, easy to operate, fast in printing images, supports various file formats, and fully meets industrial printing standards.
- It can be widely used in silk screen printing and special printing industries, gift processing industries, advertising industries, building materials and home decoration industries, digital shell personalized printing industries, packaging industries, electrical and mechanical panel industries, home decoration industries, toy industries, utensil and wine bottle industries, cosmetics industries, mobile phone case industries, etc.
- The application of UV printers is very extensive. It is a comprehensive color printing machine that can cross multiple industries with unlimited materials. It has the characteristics of low cost, simple operation, simple process, small area, and flexible DIY personality. It can be used for entrepreneurship, increasing the added value of existing products, and enhancing the core competitiveness of market innovation.
It is divided into roll-to-roll machines, flatbed machines, and cylindrical machines. Now, machine models can be customized for different application scenarios:
UV printers can print on a wide range of materials. The specific distinctions of different models can be made according to their properties. Flexible media such as PVC, canvas for oil painting, reflective film, leather, and plastic bags; rigid media such as acrylic panels, foam boards, corrugated cardboard, plexiglass panels, door panels, glass, ceramic tiles, metal, ceilings, aluminum panels, and wooden boards.
There are several points that need special attention when using a UV printer. Once operated improperly, the machine will be damaged:
- Improper operation when adjusting the print head. Whether replacing the print head or fine-tuning the print head, it needs to be operated in a standardized and cautious manner. Once operated improperly, it will still cause damage to the print head.
- Using inferior cleaning solution and UV ink, randomly mixing inks from different manufacturers, or using inferior ink and cleaning solution will affect the printing effect, block the print head, and cause damage to the print head. It is recommended to use the ink matched by the manufacturer.
- Correctly using and maintaining the machine can not only ensure the normal and efficient production and operation of the machine but also extend the service life of the UV printer, which can greatly reduce expenses and costs.
As environmental protection becomes increasingly stringent, UV will face broad market opportunities. UV’s characteristic lies in its fine printing precision, and it can also restore rich color effects. Therefore, the UV scheme is suitable for the internal lighting scheme.
New technology creates new added value. A customised UV printer is believed to greatly help the business of every advertiser. I hope that every merchant can stand out in the chaotic competition with the empowerment of technology.
