Get Started with Digital Cylinder Printing

Digital cylinder printing may seem intimidating at first, but with training and ample support documentation it is a process that individuals from various backgrounds and skill levels can learn and develop expertise in. For those with no experience there is now an entry level cylindrical printer on the market to meet their budget, quality expectations, and skill set.  

Considerations 

Whether you’ve been a screen printer for years, currently decorated drinkware with dye sublimation, or this is your first endeavor with printing, there are a few areas to pay attention to. 

1. Price- By nature, digital printing machines are more expensive than other methods due to the complexity of the machinery. However, UV cylindrical printers vary from model-to-model depending on factors such as output, speed, quality and features. 
2.  Applications- UV cylindrical printers have specialty tooling to accommodate straight walled and tapered vessels, commonly drinkware. However, if you’re looking to print on flat surfaces, such as promotional items like mint tins, coasters, or even the flat bottoms of drinkware you would opt for a flatbed digital printer.  
3. Substrate- What do you plan on decorating? Decorating drinkware with a cylindrical inkjet printer typically requires pre-treatment for optimal adhesion, but the ink series is also a factor when it comes to adhesion.  
4. Support- What training is available to you? What documentation will support your printing operations after the training is complete?
5. Ease of Use– There will be a learning curve when it comes to transitioning from dye sublimation, or pad printing, or other comparable methods.

What makes up an Entry Level Cylindrical Printer? 

Entry level cylindrical printers begin at conception with the user in mind. Features in entry level machines boost the user experience by enabling crisp, flawless prints at a lower price, and easy to use interface.  

Helix® ONE Benchtop Cylindrical Printer 

The Helix® ONE UV cylindrical printer is the perfect fit for those looking to enter the drinkware decorating scene. With a lower startup cost, compact design and the ability to reproduce vibrant and intricate images, the Helix® ONE is the ideal first drinkware printer. Decorate a wide variety of powder coated, stainless steel, and plastic drinkware vessels in full CMYKW and Varnish.  

Features of the Helix® ONE

Equipped with components that are far superior to other competitive models available in the market, the Helix® ONE features a motor-driven operation complete with a fully automatic programmable tooling fixture and heigh adjust, as well as a robust linear drive of the highest precision. With 8W segmented software-controlled UV curing units, experience optimal curing capabilities.  

Automatic wiping stations are standard on the Helix® ONE, as well as the white and black sub-tank recirculating system. 

The Helix® ONE paired with LV Series ink promotes adhesion on a variety of substrates including stainless steel, powder coats, plastics and more. Users can opt to add jettable primer to their machine if they’re so inclined. To learn more about the benefits of jettable primer, please read: Jettable Primer Perks.  

Support & Documentation

Having a reliable machine paired with the proper knowledge and training is key to the success of an entry level cylindrical printer. As the process could be entirely foreign to you, it is important to take the time to learn from the experts.  

Support and training with Inkcups is unparalleled. Training can take place at either our headquarters located in Danvers, Massachusetts (north of Boston) or at your own facility. Proper training is vital to the printing process and will cover everything you need to know to run your machine smoothly for years to come including: the entire printing process, (including artwork preparation), as well as troubleshooting and performing standard operating procedures. 

Helix ® ONE customers will be granted access to the Support Hub that contains valuable information about your machine such as FAQs, manuals, SOPs, videos and more. Additionally, the Learning Center on our site also offers a wealth of knowledge including articles, compliance documents, Safety Data Sheets, Technical Data, as well as our database of videos. For instance, all of the Safety Data Sheets for the LV Series ink can be found here.

To get started today on your drinkware printing endeavor contact us, your local sales representative will be able to answer any remaining questions you may have.   

Find the complete line up of cylindrical inkjet printers by Inkcups here.