UV printing is a form of digital printing that uses ultra-violet lights to cure or dry ink as it is printed. As the printer distributes ink on the surface of a material, specially designed UV lights follow close behind, drying - or curing - the ink right away. Originally developed for quickly drying gel nail polishes during manicures, ultraviolet light applications quickly expanded into commercial and industrial markets. As the UV lights cure any printed ink right away, the dots of wet ink do not get a chance to spread out once printed, resulting in much better-quality detail.
Moreover, UV cured inks are weather-resistant and provide more resistance to fading. This curing process is more environmentally friendly as it generates few VOC’s, odor, and heat. UV curing also enables the flatbed printer to be used with nontraditional materials like acrylic or aluminum.
When is UV Printing chosen?
When it is a rush job
As there is no evaporation procedure to wait around for, UV inks do not carry the down times other inks do while they dry. This can save time and get your pieces into the market much faster.
When environmental impact is a concern
As evaporation is minimized, compared to other inks, there are far fewer emissions of volatile organic compounds into the environment. UV printing uses a photomechanical procedure to cure the ink versus drying through evaporation.
When you want to avoid abrasion or smudging
The fact that UV printing dries right away guarantees that irrespective of how fast you need the piece in hand, the work would not be smudged and a UV coating can be applied to stop abrasions.
When a particular look is desired
UV Printing is perfect for projects that require one of two looks:
A satin look on coated stock or
A sharp, crisp look on uncoated stock
Certainly, that does not mean other looks cannot be accomplished. Consult with your printing representative to see if UV is correct for your project.
When printing on non-porous or plastic substrates
UV inks can dry on the surface of materials directly. As it is not essential for the ink solvent to soak up into the stock, UV makes it possible to print on materials that would not work with conventional inks.
Thus, UV printings offer a range of benefits that more basic printing options cannot deliver. Green friendly, more efficient, and delivering a high-quality productivity that will make your business materials look great, UV printing is a great choice for the modern company.
