UV Flatbed Printers: A Resource for Printers

UV flatbed plotters are noteworthy among the printing solutions recently gaining popularity among printing companies. The latest FESPA Census report ranks this technology as the second most widespread among professional printers and the top technology to be acquired in the next two years. The main reasons include:

• Staying competitive by adopting this technology.
• Expanding the range of graphic applications.
• Tapping into new customers in new markets.

Even in industrial printing, where screen printing and pad printing are traditionally more common, in-house or outsourced, UV flatbed printing is the top technology choice among the respondents of the FESPA report. Here, the primary need is to supplement traditional technologies with digital to increase production flexibility, save costs, manage orders in real-time, and not be limited by the size of the runs, whether they are very small or even unique pieces or more significant numbers. We're talking about membranes, control panels, plaques, and container cases, all customisable, even individually.

This evolution should not be surprising. All brands have always offered UV flatbed solutions. While these printers were large premium-priced in the past, today's flatbed UV printers are available in various sizes, with a wide price range and different types of ink. They become a possible purchase consideration for printers who had not considered buying them before due to the prices and sizes, where it was difficult to reach an acceptable break-even point.

Why UV Flatbed Printing?

Without delving into technical details, explaining why UV flatbed printing is essential in advertising and industrial printing is necessary. Primarily, it allows printing on various surfaces and objects quickly and with the right quality and detail. Here, the specific properties of UV inks come into play. By nature, they can grip many surfaces, allowing for overprinting of glossy or matte 3D effects, tactile and textures.

Another strength is that UV ink drying is practically instantaneous, thanks to UV LED lamps (hence the technology's name) that polymerise the ink, making it solid and dry immediately after printing without affecting the surface. This is particularly important when printing on sensitive materials. This eliminates the need for drying and mounting panels (as in the case of advertising panels printed on vinyl). In the case of objects, we can immediately print the object in the necessary colours without additional finishing.

Therefore, the advantage of UV flatbed printing is rapid drying, a wide choice of surfaces and objects for printing, and the possibility of various printing effects. But there's another reason for the success of UV flatbed printers. Like their Roll-to-Roll counterparts, today's printers can choose the best suits their activity. Let's see how.

Two Types of UV Flatbed Printers

We can divide UV flatbed printers into two main groups. They can be considered interchangeable for some graphic applications, but there are structural differences that indicate their primary suitability.

The first group is more dedicated to printing panels of various types (PVC, corrugated, forex, etc.), plates, sheets, cardboard, and canvases. Materials that can be placed on a flat surface without the need for great heights but with wide loading space to accommodate these materials and with very high production speeds.

Referring to the Roland catalogue, which I use as an example, being aware that other brands offer their solutions, we find the Roland EU-1000MF model in the first group. It has ample printing space (2440x1120mm), is perfect for loading panels or sheets of any type, and has a high production speed. The product is designed to meet the needs of versatility and productivity. Its main applications are advertising communication, interior and exterior decoration, signage, furniture, stand and shop fittings, and artistic or photographic reproductions.

Usually, for these types of printers, four-colour printing is more than sufficient (in addition to glossy and matte effects and white ink for backgrounds or dark materials) and allows for very high speeds.

The second group of UV flatbed printers is more geared towards personalising objects, gifts, or industrial components. Although they can accommodate panels, their primary vocation is to customise all types of objects, even with significant thicknesses of several centimetres. For this reason, they are available in different printing areas to meet every customisation need.

For this group, the Roland models I use as a reference are those in the CO-300 and 640 series. The print sizes scale to 76 and 160cm, and lengths can reach up to 4 meters. In this type of machine, high speed is not as important (although it remains more than acceptable) as the ability to print a series of objects of every kind, such as promotional items or for merchandising, boxes, containers, bottles, tiles, golf balls, suitcases, doors, tables, and much more, offering maximum flexibility and extremely high print quality.

There is no limit to the number. Single-piece printing is also possible. Materials can be placed on the flatbed directly or with dedicated jigs, depending on what needs to be produced.

At the ink configuration level, in addition to four-colour printing, varnishing, and white, we also find orange and red to manage better out-of-gamut colours (reproductions of brands, unique colours for product differentiation, or high-impact graphics for photos or illustrations). Moreover, the product designed to print on many objects is also equipped with a primer, which acts as a gripping agent for printing in case the surface is complex for direct printing.

A wise choice

UV flatbed devices have transformed the landscape of digital printing, providing a versatile and efficient means to print on various surfaces and realise different types of applications, as we have seen.

The versatility of printing on different types of surfaces and objects significantly expands the portfolio of the printer and industrial product designers or developers. Working digitally, it is possible to respond to market demands much more quickly than in the past, even for small runs, unique pieces, or more complex productions. It's worth noting that productions can also have different graphics to print simultaneously, taking customisation to the highest level.

UV flatbed printing integrates perfectly with other customisation technologies, such as screen printing or pad printing, offering operators a wider variety of choices. Naturally, it also pairs excellently with roll printing (eco-solvent, water-based, sublimation), covering every need for visual communication.

The ability to choose between different types of flatbeds allows for configuring the printer closest to the printer's needs, whether a printing company or an industry.

Therefore, it's a technology within reach and budget, with many different proposals regarding price/performance configurable according to one's needs. It is worth considering in a company's investment plans.