Can Normal UV Printers Be Used for UV DTF Printing?

Many people ask ”Can I convert my UV printer into a UV DTF printer?” “Can my UV printer be used for UV DTF printing?”  On this issue, let me introduce two UV DTF printing solutions.

What is UV printing ? How does it work?

UV printing is a method of digital printing that makes use of ultra-violet lights to dry or remedy ink as it is printed. As the printer distributes ink on the floor of a cloth or substrate, specifically designed UV lights comply with shut behind, curing – or drying – the ink instantly.

UV printing is commonly finished the use of a UV LED printer which incorporates out a few rapid methods to create the print. The first approaches is utility of the ink onto the material. Then, a 2nd procedure rapidly follows the place specifically designed ultra-violet lights emit the UV mild on the ink, curing it instantly.

Because the ink can’t be absorbed by way of the materials or distorted earlier than it dries, UV printing can be used without difficulty on a broad vary of substrates:  fabric, canvas, glass, wood, plastic, lined media, Polystyrene, PVC, acrylic, wooden and aluminium and more. Quality, clear photos are completed at all instances and the photographs are lengthy lasting considering the fact that the UV ink is greater resistant to sellers of corrosion. This makes UV printing appropriate for printing banners, displays, billboards, flyers, promotional garb etc.

What is UV DTF printing? How does it work?

UV DTF printing requires a UV LED flatbed printer and two kinds of films – PET film and transfer film. It uses UV hard ink. This process needs to print C/M/Y/K/W color ink, varnish and a special glue to achieve the best effect. The workflow of UV DTF printing is as follows:

1.Print the pattern on the PET film with UV DTF printer

2.After printing, put the transfer film cover the PET film

3.Cut out the desired pattern and paste it on the material to be transfered

4.Press the pattern repeatedly, slowly tear open the transfer film, finished

Difference Between UV DTF & UV

1. Print Method

UV printers direct print on substrates
UV DTF printers print on PET films then attach to the substrates

2. Printing Ink

UV printers use C/M/Y/B/K/W and Varnish
UV DTF printers use C/M/Y/B/K/W, Varnish and Special Glue

3. Applicable substrate

UV printers can use for small, easy to move substrates
UV DTF printers can use for substrates of all shapes and volumes

4. Substrate type

UV printers can transfer on acrylic, glass, wood, metal and textiles etc.
UV DTF printers can transfer on glass, acrylic, wood, board, metal and leather etc.

Difference Between UV DTF & DTF

Compared with DTF printing, DTF requires a DTF printer, a shake powder machine and a heat press. UV DTF requires a UV flatbed printer and a laminating machine. DTF is mainly used for the transfer of fabrics, the new technology is mainly used for the transfer of hard materials.

UV DTF printer makes up for the shortcomings of UV printer and DTF printer. DTF can only print on fabrics, this UV DTF printer can print on hard materials. UV printer can’t print on immovable materials, this UV DTF can print on walls, glass doors and etc.

Can Normal UV Printers Be Used for UV DTF Printing?

The first solution is to use a UV DTF printer, the printer must be four staggered print heads, these four print heads are used to print C/M/Y/K ink, white ink, varnish and glue. And the LED curing light of the printer must be of proper intensity. At this time we need to use PET film and transfer film.

The second solution is to use an ordinary UV flatbed printer, provided that two or three print heads must be installed. If your UV printer is equipped with three print heads, these three print heads are used to print C/M/Y/K ink, white ink and varnish respectively. What we need at this time is a new type of printing film called AB film. A film is a film with special glue, and B film is a transfer film. If your UV printer is equipped with two print heads, then you will not be able to print varnish, and the color will not be as good as three or four heads.

The difference between using AB film and directly print glue with UV DTF printer:

1) The price of AB film is high, and the cost of direct printing glue is low.

2) When printing with AB film, the small text transfer effect is not clear, and the glue overflow is serious. There is no such problem when printing glue directly with UV DTF printer.

UV DTF printing technology can currently be used for hard materials such as Glass, Acrylic board, Wood, Board, Metal, Leather and so on. No limited by the surface shape of the printed material. We Sublistar team is making some explorations and improvements to be used on more substrates. Stay tuned!