UV-reactive inks jetted onto any substrate, then instantly cured by UV lamps integrated into the printhead carriage.
Special ink stays liquid until it's hit with UV light, then instantly hardens into plastic.
- ▸Print, flash a UV lamp, done — ink is dry and tough straight off the press.
- ▸Sticks to plastic, glass, metal, not just paper.
- ▸Modern industrial printers use this for packaging and labels.
History
Developed in the 1990s for industrial labelling. Now central to large-format signage, packaging mockups, and printing onto plastics, wood, glass and even paper with raised varnishes.
Process
- 01
Load substrate flat or roll-to-roll.
- 02
Printhead jets UV-reactive monomer inks.
- 03
Integrated UV LEDs cure the ink milliseconds after deposition.
- 04
Build up multiple layers for raised varnishes or 3D textures.
- 05
Output exits dry and abrasion-resistant.
Strengths
- +Prints on almost anything
- +Instant dry
- +Can build textures
Limitations
- −Inks more brittle than solvent
- −Higher running cost
- −Industrial only
Sources & citations
References for the history and process described above.
- 01UV-Curable Inks — RadTech — UV+EB Technology
- 02Photopolymerization — Encyclopædia Britannica