Over the past few months, direct-to-mask printers have exploded in the market. Since face masks and face coverings are now the norm, there has been a rise in personalizing and decorating face masks and face coverings to promote businesses, to showcase favorite sayings and to hand out to employees. This article will explore the different facemask printing machines on the market.
According to the FDA, a face mask is defined as “personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer from airborne particles and from liquid contaminating the face”. These can be in the form of surgical masks or N95 respirators. These are meant to block contaminants that may contain germs from your face (both from your mouth and from others). N95 respirators are meant for healthcare workers who come into contact with many people who could be carrying such bacteria.
Face coverings are typically made of polyester or cotton and are meant for the public to wear. If these are worn by hospital workers, they are worn over surgical masks
Face masks and coverings can be decorated a few different ways. Pad printing, inkjet printing and sublimation are all methods in which obtain a logo on a face mask or covering.
Pad printing is a great method for printing on face masks due to its flexible nature. This style of printing enables a company to print up to 2-colors and images up to 140 mm. Additionally, pad printing is perfect for any substrate from cotton to polyester to plastic.
Learn more about Inkcups’ line-up of face mask pad printing machines:
The B100 1-color pad printing machine for face masks is the perfect solution for a 80 mm (3.14″) graphic. Print up to 1300 cotton and polyester face masks per hour.
Learn more about the B100The B150 large image pad printing machine for face masks obtains a larger image than its B100 counterpart. Print images up to 140 mm (5.5″) at a rate of 1300 face masks per hour.
Learn more about the B150The 2200-PS is a 2-color pad printing machine for face masks equipped with a pad shuttle feature. The 2200-PS is also able to print 1-color images by turning off the pad slide feature. Print up to 1100 face masks per hour.
Learn more about the 2200-PSThe latest in pad printing technology is here! The Brite Tagless Printer has the unique ability to print bright white on dark fabrics. Print on black, navy or other dark face masks with this printing machine.
Learn more about the Brite MachineDigital printing or inkjet printing on face masks is the best option for printing full-color, full-coverage graphics. When analyzing if your machine is the right option for this type of application, be sure to speak to your ink supplier.
Learn more about Inkcups’ line-up of face covering inkjet printing machines:
Like its smaller counterpart, the X5® UV Flatbed Printer features a bed perfect for printing numerous face masks or face coverings at a time. The X5®’s bed size is 1100 x 610 mm (43.3 x 24″).
Learn more about the X5®While sublimation is a great solution for full-color prints on face masks, the limitation is that it is only for polyester face masks and coverings. The sublimation paper is printed with the graphic and then heated onto the face mask.
While all options have their benefits and limitations, it is important to focus on the ink. The ink is the deterrent in this case. If your UV ink is not flexible in nature, then it will not appropriately print on the face mask. If the pad printing ink is not meant for cotton (or the corresponding substrate), adhesion will not be optimal. For sublimation, if your product is not polyester, the sublimation paper will not adhere at all.
See our pad printing and inkjet printing videos on face masks and face coverings: Face Mask Printing Machine
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