6. UV printing

<table class="picture_with_caption right"><tr><td style="max-width: 400px"><a href="https://a.pololu-files.com/picture/0J11892.1200.jpg?63f43345e62b2966a29cac64b458deed" class="noscript-fallback"><img alt="" class="zoomable" data-gallery-pictures="[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;0J11892&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;\u003cp\u003eLaser-cut and UV-printed acrylic.\u003c/p\u003e&quot;,&quot;url_tiny&quot;:&quot;https://a.pololu-files.com/picture/0J11892.98x98.jpg?63f43345e62b2966a29cac64b458deed&quot;,&quot;url_medium&quot;:&quot;https://a.pololu-files.com/picture/0J11892.600x480.jpg?63f43345e62b2966a29cac64b458deed&quot;,&quot;url_full&quot;:&quot;https://a.pololu-files.com/picture/0J11892.1200.jpg?63f43345e62b2966a29cac64b458deed&quot;,&quot;longest_side&quot;:1200}]" data-picture-id="0J11892" data-picture-longest_side="1200" src="https://a.pololu-files.com/picture/0J11892.400.jpg?63f43345e62b2966a29cac64b458deed" /></a></td><p></tr><tr><th style="max-width: 400px"><p>Laser-cut and UV-printed acrylic.</p></th></tr></table></p> <p>Our UV Printing service – also commonly referred to as Flatbed Printing – is a great way to add vibrant and colorful labels, logos, photos, and artwork to your laser-cut parts. We use UV-cured ink that dries instantly, allowing us to offer fast turnarounds and affordable prices.</p> <h2 id="capabilities">We can:</h2> <ul> <li>Print directly onto a part or part layout up to 24″&nbsp;×&nbsp;16.5″ (61&nbsp;cm&nbsp;×&nbsp;42&nbsp;cm).</li> <li>Print onto many of the materials we can laser cut.</li> <li>Print in 600&nbsp;DPI or 1200&nbsp;DPI resolution.</li> <li>Stack multiple layers of UV-cured ink to meet all of your project&#8217;s needs. <ul> <li><strong>Full-color CMYK</strong> ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, black)</li> <li><strong>White</strong> ink creates a solid, opaque background for printing vibrant colors on non-white materials</li> <li><strong>Primer</strong> ink improves ink adhesion strength making prints robust across a wide range of materials, even for low surface area prints</li> <li><strong>Clear</strong> ink on top adds a layer of protection</li> </ul></li> <li>Print using vector objects, bitmap images, or both.</li> <li>Add a photo (JPG, PNG, TIF, etc) to your laser cut design for you.</li> </ul> <h2 id="pricing">Pricing</h2> <p>We quote custom laser cutting and UV printing simultaneously, so the prices in your quote are for both. Here are some of the factors that affect UV-printing prices:</p> <ul> <li><strong>UV-printing set-up fee:</strong> We charge $50 per unique UV-printing layout. <ul> <li>We reduce the setup fee for repeat orders.</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>UV-printing cost:</strong> We quote UV-printed designs based on layout size, number of ink layers, and printing resolution. <ul> <li>Typical, 600&nbsp;DPI resolution four-layer prints (primer, white, color, clear) start around $15 per square foot (plus setup fees).</li> <li>High-resolution four-layer prints (600&nbsp;DPI primer, 1200&nbsp;DPI white, 1200&nbsp;DPI color, 600&nbsp;DPI clear) start around $25 per square foot (plus setup fees).</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>File creation:</strong> If you have common picture files (JPG, PNG, TIF, etc), but are unable to incorporate them in your laser cutting vector or CAD files, we might be able to create a file for you. Our file creation service costs $60 per hour, with a $15 minimum.</li> </ul> <p>As with typical laser cutting orders, we discount rates for volume orders and offer expedited options. See <a href="/docs/0J24/2">Section 2</a> for more general information about prices for custom laser cutting.</p> <h2 id="limitations">Limitations to consider</h2> <ul> <li>While we can print onto many common laser cutting materials, we cannot print onto <em>all</em> of the materials we can laser cut. <ul> <li>To check what materials we can and cannot print onto, please see <a href="/docs/0J24/5">Section 5</a>.</li> </ul></li> <li>Our inks work best on rigid materials, and the prints do not hold up well to being bent or stretched.</li> <li>Ink adhesion strength depends on the material, whether primer is used, and the size/geometry of the artwork.</li> <li>We typically expect the alignment between printed artwork and laser cut geometry to be around 0.010″ (0.25&nbsp;mm), but we <strong>do not guarantee any particular tolerance</strong>. <ul> <li>For designs where it is important for artwork to go all the way to the part edge we recommend including at least a 0.020″ (0.5&nbsp;mm) bleed past the cut lines, but please note that this might result in some ink getting along the side edges of the part.</li> </ul></li> <li>We decide whether to print before or after laser cutting on a case-by-case basis. If you have specific needs or concerns, please mention them when you submit your quote request.</li> </ul> <p class="clear"><br></p>