UV Roll Printers for Signs

UV-printed colors have improved of late, as for this backlit bus stop application.

UV PRINTING IS SO cool. Just about every signshop would like to have one or more. They can print on virtually any media as special coatings are not required. Using UV light for curing means near instant print drying. The inks have no venting or waste disposal issues that require special attention. So what’s keeping you from taking the leap? For one, with their large flat beds they take up a ton of room. Plus, they can cost a small fortune for a bare-bones model. Finally, if you do primarily flexible, flat work (banners, posters, wraps) you will need to add roll-feed capabilities and frankly the print speeds won’t be astounding. Well, guess what? Many manufacturers offer UV roll-to-roll printers in addition to their flatbed lines. Let’s see if one is a good choice for you.

UV roll-to-roll printers practically work the same as their flatbed siblings, only without the vacuum tables. The inks and ink properties are the same so you can expect these printers to work with just about any media that loads and feeds properly. An issue with eco-solvent and solvent printers is that you are restricted to using adhesive vinyl and perhaps some specialty media offered by the printer manufacturer. With UV printers it doesn’t matter. Print on vinyl, cloth, paper, banner material … If it loads and feeds, it will probably print. You may need to check if profiles are available or make them yourself, but that’s necessary for all printers.

Many people feel that the print quality and color vibrancy of UV prints are inferior to those of eco-solvent or aqueous-base inks. Image quality and vibrancy from UV printers can now go head to head with the older technologies. As far as print speed is concerned, entry-level machines will print at 250 to 300 sq. ft./hr. In standard mode the industrial printers can hit speeds exceeding 7,000 sq. ft./hr. But print speed is only part of the equation. If you use an eco-solvent printer, you probably allow 24 hours for the print to dry and outgas before laminating or finishing. UV prints are gas-free, dry after printing and are immediately ready to finish.

So, do UV roll-to-roll printers have any other tricks up their sleeves? Why, yes indeed! Many of the printers can run additional ink colors other than CMYK. Some offer primaries like red and orange. Most of them offer a white that can be used to print CMYK over non-white media to ensure proper color. The white, in some cases, can be used as a blocking layer that allows for double-sided printing on backlit or clear media to produce two-sided images. A real cool addition is clear varnish, which is available in gloss or matte finish on many of the printers and can add a protective layer to the image. Some printers also allow you to build up selective portions of an image to give it dimensionality, even patterns and textures. Try that with an eco-solvent printer. (Just kidding — don’t.)

While on the subject of inks, it’s worth noting that UV inks are very durable and scratch/abrasion resistant. Certain UV inks may be too rigid for wraps applied to vehicles with extreme curves, but some manufacturers offer flexible UV inks to address this situation. If you primarily work on wraps, take that under consideration when shopping. If you just do a few simple wraps like vans, pretty much any of the UV printers should be okay.

All of this sounds great, but how about addressing the real showstopper for most shops: price. A 64-in.-wide printer-cutter will run around $30K or slightly less, which is not much more than a solid eco-solvent printer. Of course, if you need grand format and super-high speeds, you’re looking at six figures. The great news is that you do not have to be a huge shop to get into UV roll-to-roll printing.

PHOTO GALLERY (6 IMAGES)