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Discussion Advantages of UV to a Solvent

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MiguelGonzalez

New Member
Hi guys, what are the pros and cons of UV printer over a solvent printer. Im using s40 right now and i am doing all kinds of printing, from photo for frame to banners, stickers and decals, canvas, etc. If i get a uv roll to roll what would i be able to do that the s40 can't do. Also how good is the print quality, and outdoor life of an uv, and also will the print cost be significantly higher than a solvent printers. There is not a single uv printer in my area that i can ask for a sample.
 
White Haus

White Haus

Not a Newbie
UV vs Solvent is a pretty wide net to throw.

Main differences that come to mind are:
UV ink is thicker, can sometimes result in silvering after lamination.
UV ink is dry and ready to handle as soon as it comes off the printer
UV ink sits on top of media where as solvent eats into the media (can be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're doing)
Outdoor life of UV ink is generally lower than solvent
Color gamut of UV vs solvent can be smaller (colors can sometimes appear more "dull" compared to solvent, in my opinion)

Print costs will really depend on what you're comparing.

We have a Mimaki UCJV and it's been ok but my plan is to trade it in for a Oce Colorado in the next couple of years. The mimaki is good for banners and decals, wall wraps, etc. I haven't tested it on canvas yet but would be curious to see what the finish looks like since it would sit on top of the material. You'd also have to make sure the ink is soft enough so that it doesn't crack when stretched around the corners.
 
enes sonmez

enes sonmez

New Member
is it same for Vanguard Flatbed Uv prints ? we will try on pylon signs for the first time without lamination and want to see howmany years it will stay there.
 
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netsol

Active Member
You'd also have to make sure the ink is soft enough so that it doesn't crack when stretched around the corners.

isn't this where we get into rigid vs flexible inks?
 
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Ronny Axelsson

New Member
My experience with UV inks (Mutoh rigid and flexible) is that they are useful for many things but not suitable for outdoor stickers.
The inks seem to overcure in sunlight and the sticker may start to curl over time, and even fell off, if printed near the edges.
Cured rigid ink is like concrete and may break when folded, but has very good scratch and solvent resistance.
Flexible inks are softer and more flexible (of course) and I assume the roll printers (mine is a flatbed) normally use flexible or semi flexible inks.

In short, UV inks have some advantages, especially on hard materials, and the prints look very good with excellent sharpness and details.
Outdoor durability is good but soft materials may curl or break over time.
Color fading is acceptable, and maybe even slightly better than solvent inks due to the thicker ink layer.

UV inks works well on many materials and doesn't need heat to cure, so it is suitable for many things where other inks won't work.
The ink layer stays on top of the surface which makes the ink layer thicker and it doesn't adhere to all materials. Tests are always recommended.
Since there is no solvent vaporization, the odor is very low.
 
S

signheremd

New Member
White Haus said:
UV vs Solvent is a pretty wide net to throw.

Main differences that come to mind are:
UV ink is thicker, can sometimes result in silvering after lamination.
UV ink is dry and ready to handle as soon as it comes off the printer
UV ink sits on top of media where as solvent eats into the media (can be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're doing)
Outdoor life of UV ink is generally lower than solvent
Color gamut of UV vs solvent can be smaller (colors can sometimes appear more "dull" compared to solvent, in my opinion)

Print costs will really depend on what you're comparing.

We have a Mimaki UCJV and it's been ok but my plan is to trade it in for a Oce Colorado in the next couple of years. The mimaki is good for banners and decals, wall wraps, etc. I haven't tested it on canvas yet but would be curious to see what the finish looks like since it would sit on top of the material. You'd also have to make sure the ink is soft enough so that it doesn't crack when stretched around the corners.
Click to expand...
That right there...

We use our UV to flatbed print direct onto MDO, Composite, Aluminum, Coroplast, Magnetics, and sometimes Acrylic or Vinyl. The advantage is labor saving for most of these - no assembly, just print and install. We do laminate such prints if they are to be up for years. For vehicle wraps and decals we use our solvent printer. There is some overlap, but both are useful.

If I had to choose just one, I would choose the Solvent printer - we do a lot of vehicles and decals, can print onto vinyl and laminate the vinyl onto an MDO, Aluminum, Composite, etc... But for yard signs, MDO realty signs, etc., print, ready, and done is a huge labor savings.
 
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Superior_Adam

New Member
With what you listed as doing UV would not be the best fit for you. UV is great for substrates. The only real advantage of UV roll to roll would be if you needed white ink.
 
M

MiguelGonzalez

New Member
Thank you all, for roll-to-roll it seems there is not much advantage over a solvent except for white ink. And also as you guys mentioned it seems the outdoor life is almost the same, I read/heard somewhere that UV inks are way superior against fading for outdoor signs, and with no experience with UV that intrigues me but thank you guys for clearing it up.
 
White Haus

White Haus

Not a Newbie
MiguelGonzalez said:
Thank you all, for roll-to-roll it seems there is not much advantage over a solvent except for white ink. And also as you guys mentioned it seems the outdoor life is almost the same, I read/heard somewhere that UV inks are way superior against fading for outdoor signs, and with no experience with UV that intrigues me but thank you guys for clearing it up.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where you read that but as far as I know/am concerned no UV ink will last longer than solvent ink, unless you're talking screen printing ink.
 
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