The color-printing industry—influenced by consumer preferences and ongoing technological advancements—continues to blossom in a digital world. A far cry from bare-bones analog technology common in years past, modern methods present endless possibilities. 

Welcome to the new world of UV printing! The past few years have brought incredible advancements in this industry, transforming what was once impossible into reality. Thanks to the integration of 2.5D and 3D technologies, UV flatbed printers now have the capability to print on items that have been off-limits for the last 15 years. This groundbreaking progress opens up a universe of creative possibilities.

With UV printing, the sky’s the limit, says Lisa Higginbotham, CRM, president and owner of FiveStar Awards & Engraving in Cary, North Carolina. Higginbotham is a past APA president and has been in business since 1999, focusing on corporate awards. “UV printing gives you all kinds of out-of-the-box solutions for customers.”

According to the Color Science Lab at North Carolina State University, “Colors are personal psychological experiences that can be generated from various kinds of stimuli, most commonly lights of a specific spectral composition. They are taken to represent a continuum, transitioning within it in various ways. Similar to all perceptual experiences, they are subjective and depend strongly on illumination, [surroundings] and a number of other perceptual phenomena.”

In the rapidly evolving landscape of UV direct-to-substrate printing, the advent of UV direct-to-film (DTF) technology has turned heads across the industry. This cutting-edge technique presents a multitude of benefits, making it a great advancement in UV printing—particularly when integrated with existing UV direct-to-substrate printers. While UV DTF and UV direct-to-substrate are distinct printing methodologies, each comes with its own merits. When used together, they provide a comprehensive printing solution that caters to an extensive array of substrates and materials. This synergistic pairing holds particular value for businesses that need diverse printing applications.

Combining UV printing and laser cutting is ushering in new opportunities for exciting acrylic finishes. In many ways, the dual processes are a perfect match: UV printing uses special inks that are cured with ultraviolet light, resulting in vibrant colors and sharp graphics. Laser cutting, meanwhile, allows for precise cuts through acrylic materials of any thickness, allowing you to create intricate designs and shapes that would be difficult—maybe impossible—to achieve with traditional cutting methods.

When DJ and Judi Brown started their business in 2006, they were a small operation that used a foil press to personalize small items like napkins, ribbons and cards. Bit by bit, their business—which was called Getting Personal Imprinting at the time—grew as they added services, such as applying photos to porcelain, mugs and other items.

Having both a laser engraver and a UV printer allows for some creative experimentation and expanded product offerings. One of the most intriguing techniques has been combining laser engraving and UV printing by using the rotary attachments to combine both machines on a single stainless steel bottle. I have a vast catalog of digital artwork, all created in Photoshop, all with multiple layers. By separating the layers, it’s fairly simple to design a job that incorporates the UV printer and laser engraver together. As long as there are clearly defined layers where one layer can be printed in full color and another laser-engraved in black and white, you are ready to go.

Southern Trophy House, Inc. is not a new name to Nashville. The shop has been around since 1960 and was even owned for a time in the 1980s by Bill Pace, a retired NFL and college football coach. Eventually, it ended up in the Brown family’s hands in 1990, where it’s remained ever since.

The first thing to know about Moonlight Laserworks, LLC, is that it’s off the beaten path.