WHAT MADE PRINT DEVELOP OVER THE YEARS
As new generations arrive, new trends and new customer behaviors develop. Different businesses changed, including the printing industry.
Printing was a very valuable invention that initially helped us to read. But little by little, printing began to be used more commercially and in different industries. With more use, more problems arose and people demanded solutions.
Thanks to technology, even printers have largely developed with its help.
Today we will talk about two printers so fascinating that they have changed the way we perceive print. They are UV printers and DTG printers.
WHAT IS A UV PRINTER?
The UV printer uses ultraviolet radiation to print on flat surfaces. Works on a variety of materials including metal, stone, plastic, acrylic, leather, etc.
Ultraviolet radiation cures the ink while printing is taking place. It is because of this property that UV printing can be performed on a variety of materials.
Usually UV printing is done on flat surfaces. However, innovations make it possible to do the same also on cylindrical surfaces.
BENEFITS OF USING THE UV PRINTER
Since the ink cures almost immediately during printing, the ink dots do not have a chance to spread onto the substrate. This makes printing more accurate with high color saturation.
The ink is not absorbed into the substrate. Instead, the ink predominantly remains cured on the outer surface of the substrate.
Due to the fast drying of the ink and the low absorption properties, the ink does not have the opportunity to chemically react with the substrate. This ensures the protection of the substrate material and opens avenues for printing on different varieties of materials.
UV printing is also environmentally friendly because it does not release volatile organic compounds.
Due to the instant curing property, the production time is also reduced.
When printing with UV printers, there is no need to protect the surface with an overlaminate or place under glass. Since no additional materials are needed and less ink is required to print; UV printers also reduce printing costs.
The fast drying of the ink also makes the ink smudge resistant.
UV printing provides a uniform print without a fading effect and provides a glossy appearance to the aesthetically pleasing print.
WHAT IS A DTG PRINTER
DTG stands for Direct to Garment. So, as the name suggests, DTG printers are used to print on garments directly. They are widely used today to make custom garments, especially consumer T-shirts.
This printing method emerged in the 1990s and became commercially available in 2005.
During DTG printing, the ink goes directly to the fibers of the garments, so it is not possible to feel or smear the ink when touched.
BENEFITS OF USING THE DTG PRINTER
DTG printing offers a wide range of colors to choose from. It can be used not only on white garments, but can also be used on colored garments.
With the development of technology, DTG printing has become easy. Digital software can be used to create designs for the garments. It can be used to create detailed designs according to customer needs.
Since it is water-based, DTG printing is environmentally friendly.
Low setup costs also make DTG printing an attractive option.
With DTG printing, there can be both mass production and short production runs.
It also saves time as printing is done quickly.