What is UV printing?
UV printing is one of the most flexible and exciting print processes ever created, and its uses are almost limitless. Discovering UV printing technology and learning a little about how it works will be beneficial for your business and you will be inspired by what you can achieve with it.
Do you need UV printing?
Gadgets, gifts, signage, merchandising, electronics, ceramics, jewellery, and homeware are just some of the commercial sectors touched by UV printing technology.
Meet the users' demand by printing outstanding results.
UV is speeding up and simplifying the personalisation print process meeting the increasing demand for limited runs of unique and decorated products.
At the same time UV print adds exciting and sophisticated textured special effects to the finished result. From bottles to pens to smartphone cases and USB sticks, UV printers, such as Procolored UV range, offers white and clear ink (matt and gloss varnish) that work with the standard CMYK colour gamut to create vibrant colours and outstanding gloss, matt, textured and 3D effects on a vast array of substrates.
So, to answer the question: UV? Yes, very much so.
UV printing has rapidly become an essential tool for sign makers, graphic providers, advertising agencies and designers and retailers. UV allows printing onto a breath-taking array of surfaces and shapes.
Even those who already have screen and pad printing as part of their skill set are enjoying a healthy return from the liberating simplicity, speed, and cost-effectiveness of UV digital printing in addition to their existing daily workflow.
In addition, UV printing can be easily placed into copy shops, printing centres and shops, to offer customised and highly profitable products .The question is not whether you should invest in a UV printer – it’s more of a case of how much you should invest, and what printer model best suits your needs.
What is UV printing and how it works?
Let’s start with a brief but important explanation about the technology.
UV digital printing speeds up the print production process by instantly curing specially formulated UV inks on a vast range of materials using UV lamps. Let's see the three elements that produce the final artwork.
Print head technology
Precision ink placement is delivered using piezo print head technology, in which microscopic piezoelectric elements (such as crystals and ceramics) are mounted behind the print head nozzles.
When an electrical charge is applied these elements flex, ejecting precise quantities of ink onto the print media.
This advanced technology provides an exquisite degree of control over the machine’s ink delivery while also creating perfectly spherical dots at different droplet sizes for extraordinary control over print quality, colour density and finish.
This may sound very technical but don’t worry, the technology is there to serve you, not confuse you. You will notice the amazing print quality, and so will your customers.
UV inks
The ink is instantly cured during the printing process and there’s no need for degassing or drying.
An object can be printed and immediately used for its intended application, or the printed substrate – for example cardboard for a packaging prototype – can be taken straight from the printer to the cutter without any risk of the ink chipping or cracking.
UV inks like Procolored UV are normally flexible, to follow curves, or print on an elastic medium.
UV lamps
UV digital printing speeds up the print production process by instantly curing specially formulated UV inks on a vast range of materials using UV lamps.
Emit only UV-A light) and cost-effective, plus they do not need any warm-up time to cure inks, saving both time and energy.
Such lamps allow the UV device to print on heat sensitive materials including shrink wrap, natural wood or the film used to protect smartphone or tablet screens.
Watch this video to learn more about UV printing and how it works.
