UV on Wood

UV Printing on Wood

Wood grain shows through thin ink. UV with a white base gives full-color prints on a natural material stores can sell at a premium.

Substrates: MDF, plywood, birch, pine

Settings that work

Temperature	No heat
Press time	3–8 minutes
Pressure	N/A
Peel	N/A
Wash care	Dry wipe

Settings are a starting point, not gospel. Film batches, ink lots and press calibration all shift the ideal number — always pull-test a sample before a paid run.

What goes wrong, and how to fix it

Problem	Fix
Grain texture breaks the print	Sand to 220 grit and seal with a primer before printing.
Ink sinks into porous wood	Unsealed pine absorbs ink. Two white passes fix it.

Good fit

Wood signs
Coasters
Puzzle and toy blanks
Custom boxes

Where it fails

Raw oily woods (teak, rosewood) without sealing

What to buy for wood

Weekly volume	Machine class	Why
Small items (cases, pens, keychains)	A5 / A4 flatbed	One object at a time. Enough for gift orders, too slow for batch retail.
Up to 30 × 45 cm (plaques, tumblers with jig)	A3 flatbed	The default size for gift and promo work. Add a rotary jig for cylinders.
Signs, panels, batch cases	4060 / 6090 flatbed	Bed size decides throughput. A 6090 prints a full panel in one pass.

Volume bands assume one operator and a standard 38 × 38 cm press. Verify with a sample before committing to a machine size.