Benefits And Uses Of UV Direct-to-object Full-color Printing

What is UV Printing?

UV printing, a form of digital printing, uses ultraviolet light to dry and cure ink. The Ultraviolet lamps follow closely behind the printer as it applies ink to a material. They "dry" or cure the ink in a matter of seconds.

This technology offers direct printing capabilities onto a virtually limitless range of flat and 3D media, allowing easy and quick product customization. Ultraviolet is used in packaging solutions companies because of this. After the UV ink has been printed directly on the substrate and exposed to UV light, the liquid instantly becomes a solid.

How do you choose between Ultra-Violet and Conventional Printing?

Inks containing special solvents evaporate in the atmosphere after being applied to the material during printing. The solvents evaporate in the air, allowing for ink to be absorbed into the material. After the solvents are removed, the ink dries and forms a digital image. The process might require different spray powders to aid drying. The printing process cannot be used on plastics, acrylics, and foil.

Ultra-Violet Printing (UV) - Procedure

To dry ink, UV printing uses ultraviolet lamps. The printer distributes the ink on the material's surface, and the UV lights follow from behind, drying the ink instantly. The trend in printing right now is ultra-violet printing. It is more sustainable than traditional printing.

Direct printing is possible on virtually any 3-D media. This allows for quick product customization. The UV ink is printed directly on the substrate. When exposed to UV light, the ink turns almost instantly from liquid to solid. You can print on virtually any material you like using UV inks because there is little to no evaporation and very little absorption.

Because UV inks are quick drying and do not release any VOCs into nature, UV printing can be considered green and safe for the environment. It also leaves little carbon footprint.

LED UV Printing

Led-UV printing is the advanced version of the UV Printing technology generating the wavelength at a light spectrum of 385-395nm (nanometre). This light is safer that its counterpart. These results are far more efficient than traditional UV printing.

Led UV printing is definitely more cost-effective in many ways. Firstly, unlike the UV printing technique, led UV doesn't need mercury lamps to cure the inks, so the absence of these makes it safer and cheaper because the light emitted is in the UV-A range and the same is secured than its counterpart. The power consumption of led UV printing is lower than that of conventional UV printing.

LED UV printing provides a long-standing quality that every luxury business is aiming for. Consumers can have color enhancements applied to final printed products. High-quality finishing ensures that the product lasts. This printing technology is reliable and can be used for both the FMCG (pharmaceutical) and FMCG (FMCG) industries because it takes less time to dry.

The best part is that LED-UV printing is eco-friendly and green technology as there is no VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emission during the printing process. To set up LED printing units, companies need to spend less infrastructure. The end result is a higher quality product that has a shiny and glossy finish.

UV Print Technology in the Food Packaging Industry

Globally, product personalization is a huge business. Digital UV printing gives you the opportunity to satisfy this demand, increase sales and remain competitive.

The conventional print methods were harmful as there were high chances of food getting contaminated when the ink substances get transferred to food items inside the packaging. These inks weren't cured, so there was always the risk of contamination. Final packaging was also not up-to-standard.

It has proven to be very successful in UV printing food packaging. After the printing process, UV inks cure leaving behind no harmful solvents which can contaminate the food. This method is being used by more food manufacturers around the world to produce customized food packaging.

UV Printing in Pharmaceutical Industry

Each label is unique. Different applications call for different printing technologies. Whether it is pharma, sports, food, durable, beverages, cosmetics, or any other industry, every label comes with its own aesthetics. A form of security printing, UV printing, is used extensively in the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmaceutical labels include drug and medical labels, among others. They can be counterfeited and forgeried more often than any other type of label. To protect against such bad practices, UV printing is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry that can even be complemented with serialization.

Invisible UV inks are used for pharmaceutical printing. It is one of the most successful techniques to prevent counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry. These inks are not visible through the naked eye but can be seen under the influence of Ultraviolet LEDs. Invisible UV inks provide a unique identification for pharmaceutical products and prevent forgery.

UV Printing: Untold Benefits

It is clear that ultraviolet print is the future for the packaging and printing industry. As suggested by Grand Prints, it is economical and ecological and offers business-generating benefits such as:

A wider range of print applications: LEDs have a lower heat output and are cooler to the touch. They are therefore able to be used in a wider range of print applications. Printing on heat-sensitive substrates like self-adhesive sheets or thin slides is possible.

Quicker than Conventional Printing: UV printing is much faster than conventional printing. You don't have to wait for the ink to dry as the UV ink dries during the photochemical process. It's almost instantaneous.

Cost-Effective: You can save lots of money as it offers faster drying time. Because the finished product is able to dry faster, it can be printed more quickly. This technique does not require any aqueous coatings as is the case with conventional inks.

Vibrant Finish: UV printing gives you a brighter finish. The UV lights don't allow ink to soak into paper/material. Photo-realistic printing is achievable using this technique.

The bottom line

UV printing is Click for info an industry trend. It will continue to rise in the coming years and will find its applications in more industries. UV printing is the future of packaging and printing.