Beginner looking for honest advice before buying a UV printer
Hey everyone,
I recently discovered the concept of UV printing and completely fell down the rabbit hole, to the point where I’m considering buying one myself. I currently have absolutely no experience with running these machines, so I’m mainly curious about the opinions of people who do have experience with them.
Since these definitely aren’t cheap toys, I have a few questions:
- What brands or machines would you recommend these days?
- What software is best to use for UV printing?
- Are there any important things I should know before getting started?
- How much maintenance do these machines actually require?
- How sensitive are UV printers to clogging or other issues if they’re not used daily?
- Are the prints durable enough for long-term outdoor use (weather resistant)?
- Is UV printing good for photorealistic images, like portrait photos of people or pets? Most examples I find are mainly stylized or illustrated prints.
- Does UV printing work well on natural stone materials, and can these machines generally handle the weight of heavier stone pieces?
I already own a CO2 laser machine for engraving and cutting, and UV printing seems like a really interesting addition for making more high-end and detailed products. If I do decide to get one, I’d much rather focus on quality over quantity. So if one machine costs €1000 more but is genuinely worth it, I don’t mind paying extra for better quality.
Thanks in advance for your time and advice, I really appreciate it!
To give a bit more context, I’m mainly looking for a machine that can print all colors on its own. Machines like the EufyMake E1 are more in line with what I’m looking for, but I don’t know if there are better types of machines in this category.