Flatbed Printing
Flatbed Printing Services
What is flatbed printing?
Flatbed printing is a game changer and part of the printing revolution. Our facility was an early adapter for this new technology which has set a new gold standard for print quality and durability. The term refers to a printing process where a flat surface is printed on directly and instantly cured.
Here are some key characteristics of flatbed printing:
1) Versatility: Flatbed printers can print on a wide range of various materials.
2) UV Printing: Our flatbed printers use UV-curable inks that are dried or cured with ultraviolet light “instantly” after being applied to the substrate, allowing for printing on most non-porous materials.
A) High Quality: They can produce high-quality prints with excellent detail and color accuracy that is unrivaled by other processes such as inkjet.
B) Direct Printing: Unlike traditional printing, which often requires transferring images onto the material indirectly (like vinyl), flatbed printing prints directly on the material’s surface.
C) Wide Format: Flatbed printers are wide-format, and capable of handling large print jobs up to 4 feet wide x 8 feet long. Along with the ability to print on thicker material up to 2″ deep, it opens up a world of opportunities to be creative with new materials.
This printing method is widely used for creating custom signage and exotic print items. Its direct-to-substrate printing method offers efficient production of items with complex graphics or multiple colors, without the need for additional processing or drying time
What types of signs?
The sky is the limit, but here are some common examples of the types of signs that are flatbed printed:
- Easel Signs
- Standees (cut-out photo-quality images)
- Wayfinding signs
- Brand activation signs
- Trade show event signs
- Red Carpet hand-held logos and messages
- Step and Repeat boards
- Table display signs
- Political signs
- Parade signs
- Festival signs
- Rally signs
- Demonstration signs
- Movie location signs
- Custom movie props
What types of materials?
Flatbed printers are known for their versatility in handling a wide range of materials. Some of the most common materials that can be used on a flatbed printer include:
- Acrylic: Often used for making signs, displays, and decorative items.
- PVC and other plastics: Suitable for creating durable signs and prototypes.
- Wood: Used for custom art pieces, signs, and furniture.
- Glass: For decorative items, awards, and personalized glassware.
- Metal: Including aluminum and steel for industrial signs and art.
- Foam Board: For lightweight signs, models, and presentation materials.
- Cardstock and Paper: For high-quality prints for packaging and displays.
- Ceramic: Tiles and other decorative items can be printed with custom designs.
- Fabric: For banners and custom textile prints.
- Stone and Slate: Used for coasters, home decor, and memorial plaques.
- Corrugated Board: For packaging and display stands
Why Flatbed print?
There are lots of choices when it comes to print. When you need something bulletproof the clear choice is flatbed print.
Here are some of the advantages over traditional vinyl print:
- Eco-Friendly: UV inks are generally more environmentally friendly compared to solvent inks, as they don’t contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs)Scratch resistant
- No bubbles
- No wrinkles
- Clean edges
- Photo-quality
- White print on any background color
- Textured Effects: UV flatbed printers can create textured prints and embossed effects by layering the UV ink, adding a tactile dimension to the printed materials