GBP
UV printing is one of the most versatile ways to add full-colour designs to hard surfaces. Instead of being limited to paper or garments, a UV printer can print directly onto many everyday products and rigid materials.
That range is exciting, but it can also make it difficult to know where to start. The best opportunities are not always the most unusual ones. They are often products that customers already buy, but with personalisation, short turnaround times or a finish they cannot easily find elsewhere.
Here are 20 practical products that UK print businesses, sign makers, gift companies and promotional product suppliers can create with UV printing.
1. Acrylic signs
Acrylic is widely used for business signs, reception plaques, door signs, menus and decorative displays. UV white ink can provide an underbase for colour on clear or coloured acrylic, while clear varnish can add selected gloss or texture.
For a premium finish, designs can also be reverse printed onto the back of clear acrylic so that the material protects the printed surface.
2. House signs and number plaques
Personalised house signs are a simple product with year-round demand. Acrylic, coated metal, slate-effect blanks and suitable rigid boards can all create different looks for different budgets.
3. Awards and trophies
UV printing can add names, dates, club logos and sponsor details to awards and presentation items. It is particularly useful for short runs because each item can carry different information without creating screens or plates.
4. Branded notebooks
Notebooks with suitable rigid or coated covers can be personalised for companies, schools, events and gift buyers. This is an easy product to offer alongside pens, bottles and other branded merchandise.
5. Phone cases
Phone cases remain a popular personalised product. A jig can hold several cases in a fixed position, helping the operator repeat the job accurately and produce small batches efficiently.
Always test the exact case material and coating before taking a production order, as plastics can vary considerably.
6. Promotional products
Power banks, keyrings, desk accessories, presentation boxes and other promotional items can all become higher-value branded products. UV printing is useful where customers want full-colour graphics, photographs or small quantities.
7. Coasters
Coasters made from suitable acrylic, wood, cork-faced material, ceramic or coated board can be sold as gift sets, hospitality products or business merchandise. They are also a manageable product for testing designs and new materials.
8. Wedding and event signs
Welcome boards, table numbers, place names, menus and directional signs can be produced in coordinated colours and styles. Because every item can be different, digital UV printing suits personalised event work particularly well.
9. Packaging prototypes
Short-run boxes, sleeves, lids and packaging samples can be printed without committing to a large production order. This gives designers and small brands a physical sample to photograph, present or test before ordering packaging at scale.
10. Point-of-sale displays
Counter displays, branded panels, product information boards and promotional signs are useful for retailers, hospitality businesses and event exhibitors. Larger UV flatbeds can print directly onto the board, reducing the need to print and mount a separate graphic.
11. Control panels and equipment labels
UV printing can be used for suitable equipment panels, switches, legends, identification plates and durable product markings. These jobs require careful material and durability testing, but they can provide valuable repeat business from local manufacturers and engineering companies.
12. Metal plaques and nameplates
Coated aluminium and other suitable metals can be printed with logos, text, numbering and full-colour graphics. Applications include office signs, memorial products, asset plates and branded machine panels.
13. Wooden signs and gifts
Wood grain can become part of the design, or white ink can be used beneath colour where a brighter result is required. Popular products include family signs, nursery décor, keepsake boxes and branded display pieces.
Natural materials vary, so testing adhesion and appearance on the exact blank is important.
14. Glass and mirrored products
Glass awards, decorative panels, mirrors and display items can all be personalised. White ink is especially useful when printing colour onto transparent material. Depending on the product and its intended use, a primer or adhesion promoter may be required.
15. Tiles and ceramic blanks
Decorative tiles, plaques and suitable ceramic products can carry photographs, artwork, patterns or branding. These can work well for interior décor, commemorative gifts and small-batch artist collections.
16. Bottles, tumblers and drinkware
Cylindrical products can be printed using a compatible rotary attachment, while UV DTF transfers provide another route for decorating awkward shapes. Bottles and tumblers are popular for business merchandise, sports clubs, schools and personalised gifts.
17. Custom menus
Restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels often need menus, reserved signs, table numbers and information plaques. UV printing allows these products to be coordinated and produced in shorter quantities when prices or menus change.
18. Branded presentation boxes
Rigid gift boxes, sample cases and presentation packaging can be printed for product launches, awards, corporate gifts and influencer campaigns. White and clear ink can create a more premium finish than a standard label.
19. Retail display products
Shelf talkers, product stands, display blocks and branded fixtures can help retailers present goods more effectively. A business with both cutting and UV printing equipment can manufacture the shape and add the graphics in-house.
20. UV DTF decals for difficult shapes
Not every object can sit flat inside a printer. UV DTF technology prints the design onto film before it is transferred to the final product. This makes it useful for curved, irregular or pre-assembled items such as drinkware, containers and promotional products.
The ColDesi 24H3R UV DTF printer is designed for roll-fed production of ready-to-apply hard-surface decals. If buying a printer is not yet the right step, YES Group also supplies trade UV DTF transfers so businesses can test demand first.
Choosing the right UV printer for your products
The most important question is not simply, “What can a UV printer print?” It is, “What do my customers already ask me for?”
A compact A3 system may be a good fit for phone cases, small signs, gifts and promotional products. A 600 × 900 mm or 900 × 600 mm bed gives more room for larger items, jigs and batch production. Sign makers and industrial users may need a 1600 × 1200 mm, 2500 × 1300 mm or even 3200 × 2000 mm flatbed for boards and panels.
Product height matters too. A large print bed is not automatically the best choice if most of your work involves tall boxes, awards or assembled products. Think about bed size, object height, daily volume, available space and the products that will repay the investment.
You can view the full YES Group UV printer range, from compact direct-to-object systems to industrial flatbeds and UV DTF production equipment.
Test the product before promising the result
“It is made from acrylic” or “it is a metal bottle” does not tell you everything about how a product will print. Coatings, surface contamination, manufacturing processes and intended use can all affect ink adhesion.
Before accepting a large order, test the exact product, prepare the surface correctly and check the finished print after curing. If the item will be cleaned, handled outdoors or exposed to abrasion, test it under realistic conditions.
See UV printing in action
YES Group offers demonstrations at our Mansfield showroom. Bring the products or materials you want to print and our team can help you explore the most suitable process and machine size.
Explore UV printers, call 01623 863343 or email sales@yesltd.co.uk to arrange a demonstration.