What Can You Print with a UV Flatbed Printer?

When people first see a UV flatbed printer in action, one of the first questions we hear is:

“What can you actually print on it?”

It’s a good question — and the answer is probably more useful than you might expect.

From promotional products and personalised gifts to signage, display graphics, packaging prototypes and unusual-shaped objects, UV flatbed printing has opened up a huge range of applications.

And with machines ranging from compact direct-to-object printers through to full-size production flatbeds, there’s a UV printer for very different types of work.

What is a UV flatbed printer?

Unlike a conventional wide-format printer, a UV flatbed prints directly onto the substrate or object rather than printing onto vinyl or another flexible media first.

The material sits directly on the printer bed and UV ink is cured as it is printed.

That means you can print directly onto a remarkably wide range of relatively flat materials, including:

• Plastics
• Acrylic
• Wood
• Metal
• Aluminium composite
• Glass
• Tiles
• Slate
• Leather
• Rubber
• Board and sheet materials
• Promotional products

UV ink can adhere to a wide variety of surfaces, although the exact result depends on the material, its coating and the intended application. That’s why testing is always recommended before committing to production.

Take a look at our UV flatbed printer range to see the different machine sizes and capabilities available.

From promotional products to production signage

One of the biggest advantages of UV flatbed technology is its flexibility.

A compact machine such as the Mimaki UJF-3042 MKII e provides a 300 × 420mm printable area, while the Mimaki UJF-6042 MKII e increases that to 600 × 420mm. For larger direct-to-object applications, the UJF-7151 plusII offers a 710 × 510mm print area.

At the other end of the scale, Mimaki’s JFX range is designed for much larger sheets and higher-volume production.

So while the machines differ considerably in size and throughput, the underlying principle is the same:

Put the object or substrate on the bed, print directly onto it and cure the ink as you go.

Signs, boards and display graphics

UV flatbeds are ideal for printing directly onto rigid sheet materials.

Larger flatbed machines are particularly well suited to applications such as:

• Estate agent boards
• Retail signage
• Display boards
• Point-of-sale graphics
• Exhibition graphics
• Aluminium composite sign trays
• Wall panels
• Interior décor
• Directional signage
• Promotional displays

Because the printer works directly onto the board, there is no requirement to print onto self-adhesive vinyl and mount it afterwards.

That can mean fewer production stages, less media waste and a more efficient workflow.

Personalised promotional products

This is where UV printing gets particularly interesting.

A UV flatbed doesn’t just have to produce hundreds of identical products.

Because the artwork is generated digitally, every item can be different.

That opens up opportunities for:

• Personalised gifts
• Branded promotional products
• Corporate merchandise
• Event giveaways
• Bespoke awards
• Nameplates
• Keyrings
• Coasters
• Pens
• Phone accessories
• USB devices
• Bottle openers
• Promotional packaging
• Short-run branded products

Instead of producing a large batch of identical items, you can produce a series of individually personalised products — potentially with a different name, image, number or design on every item.

That’s a particularly useful advantage for businesses working in promotional print, gifting and short-run manufacturing.

Print directly onto tech accessories

Technology-related promotional products are another popular application.

Depending on the material and its surface, UV printers can be used to personalise products such as:

• Phone and tablet cases
• Power banks
• USB memory sticks
• Laptop accessories
• Remote controls
• Electronics housings
• Charging accessories

For businesses producing promotional merchandise, this makes it possible to offer a much more premium-looking product than a simple label or transfer.

And because the printer is working digitally, changing from one design to another doesn’t require traditional print plates or lengthy setup.

Jigs make irregular products possible

But what about objects that aren’t naturally designed to sit neatly on a printer bed?

That’s where jigs come in.

A jig is a custom holder that positions multiple products accurately so they can be printed in the correct place.

This is particularly useful for products such as:

• Golf balls
• Bottle openers
• Pens
• Bottle caps
• Small promotional products
• Irregular-shaped objects
• Components and manufactured parts

Instead of placing each item individually and setting up the printer every time, a jig can hold multiple products in a repeatable arrangement.

This makes it possible to print several items in one setup and can significantly improve the efficiency of small-object production.

Jigs can be purchased for some common applications or designed specifically around a particular product.

Printing onto bottles, mugs and cylindrical products

UV printing isn’t limited to completely flat objects either.

With the appropriate cylindrical printing option, such as Mimaki’s Kebab system, UV printers can be adapted for products including:

• Sports bottles
• Reusable drinks bottles
• Coffee cups
• Mugs
• Tumbler-style products
• Other cylindrical promotional items

This opens up another significant area of promotional printing, but namely for short-runs / small batches due to the manual loading / un-loading process and time to print each individual bottle. 

Instead of applying a label or transfer onto a product, the artwork can be printed directly onto the surface.

As always, the exact result and durability depend on the substrate and ink combination, so product testing is recommended.

Personalised bags and textiles

UV flatbeds can also be used for selected coated or suitable textile products.

Reusable promotional bags, for example, can provide an interesting combination of branding and practicality.

Rather than producing a disposable promotional item, a branded reusable bag can become something the customer continues to use — keeping the brand visible for much longer.

The key is choosing a suitable material and testing adhesion before production.

White ink, clear ink and special effects

Modern UV printers can do considerably more than simply reproduce a CMYK image.

Depending on the machine and ink configuration, options can include white and clear ink, allowing printers to work creatively with coloured, transparent or darker substrates.

White ink can provide an opaque base underneath CMYK artwork, while clear ink can be used for additional visual effects and finishes.

Some UV systems can also produce textured and special-effect applications, opening up possibilities beyond conventional flat graphics.

That means a UV flatbed can be used not only to reproduce an image, but also to create products with a more tactile or premium appearance.

Short runs, personalisation and on-demand production

Perhaps the biggest change UV printing has brought to this type of production is the ability to make short runs economically.

Traditional manufacturing methods can become expensive when every product needs to be different.

Digital UV printing changes that equation.

Need 100 products with the same logo?

No problem.

Need 100 products with 100 different names?

Also possible.

Need five prototypes before committing to a production run?

That’s where digital direct-to-object printing can really come into its own.

It makes UV flatbeds particularly interesting for on-demand manufacturing, personalisation, prototypes and short-run products.

So, what can you print with a UV flatbed?

The short answer is:

A lot.

The current UV flatbed range spans compact machines designed for direct-to-object and promotional printing through to large-format production systems designed for boards and higher-volume work.

The better question isn’t necessarily “Can a UV printer print this?”

It’s:

“Is this material suitable, and what is the best way to hold and print the product?”

That’s where testing becomes important.

At Granthams, we regularly test customer substrates and products to establish ink adhesion, print quality, positioning and the most appropriate production method.

Want to see what a UV flatbed can do?

We’ve put together videos showing UV flatbed printers in action, including examples of direct-to-object printing and different applications.

Watch our UV printing videos on YouTube →

Explore the UV flatbed range

If you’re considering bringing UV printing in-house, take a look at our UV Flatbed Printer range.

From compact machines such as the Mimaki UJF-3042 MKII e and UJF-6042 MKII e through to the UJF-7151 plusII and JFX production flatbeds, there are machines available for very different applications and production requirements.

And if you have a particular product you want to print, don’t guess.

Whether you’re looking to produce promotional products, personalised items, signage, packaging prototypes or something completely different, a UV flatbed could open up a whole new range of possibilities.