How to Stay Relevant by Digitally Decorating Tumblers

The techniques for decorating tumblers have multiplied in recent years, but drinkware is one of the least forgiving substrates to get wrong. That’s because tumblers, mugs, and glasses face constant handling and washing, whether by hand, home dishwasher, or industrial machine — which makes adhesion one of the most important factors in how a print performs over time. UV printing with a cylindrical inkjet printer, paired with an ink series formulated for the specific substrate, remains one of the most reliable ways to achieve vibrant, full-color graphics that hold up to real-world use.

What is a tumbler?

“Tumbler” gets thrown around so often these days it’s practically lost its meaning. So let’s define it: a tumbler is an insulated, lidded cup designed for travel, built to keep your drink hot or cold and spill-free while you’re on the move. They’re typically made from stainless steel, powder-coated metal, plastic, or glass — with powder-coated and stainless steel being the go-to choices, since they hold temperature the best.

Beyond keeping your coffee warm (or your seltzer chilled), tumblers earn their keep environmentally. Single-use water bottles and to-go cups are a massive source of global waste and pollution, so swapping in a reusable tumbler is one of the easiest ways to cut down on that footprint every single day.

One of the most fun things about tumblers is the shape! They are available in a wide variety of different sizes and appearances. Some can resemble stemless wine glasses, stemless champagne flutes, or even your classic tall glass. Funkier tumbler designs out on the market mimic traditional glasses used for drinks like a martini but are especially useful for places like the beach where glass is prohibited or where breakable glassware could pose a risk.

Staying Relevant in the Drinkware Market

Designs and logos decorating drinkware does not differ much from other areas. If people are immersed in their favorite streaming series, they are more inclined to add it to other aspects of their life, from their car to their apparel to their drinkware. As tumblers can be used in both the summer and the winter, their favorite franchise can stick with them all year long.

Stay up to date by offering current designs of popular or trending shows, books, or movies. While this may seem obvious and a task upon itself, the reward will be worth it.

UV Printers for Tumblers

When it comes to decorating tumblers, there are quite a few options:

• Dye-sublimation, but this process results in a lot of excess waste
• Pad printing, but this is limited to a single or few color prints
• Screen printing, but these inks often have to be mixed with a hardener, limiting the ink’s lifespan (and also resulting in waste)

That leaves digitally decorating a tumbler. There are many UV printers for tumblers on the market to accommodate different run sizes. From one-offs to long production runs,  Inkcups offers the Helix® the Helix® family of cylindrical inkjet printer.

Helix® ONE

The Helix® ONE benchtop cylindrical printer joins the Helix® line of direct-to-object printers in a compact design and state-of-the-art components, complete with:

• Motor-driven operation with a fully automatic programmable tooling fixture
• Height adjust and high-precision, robust linear drive.
• A segmented UV curing unit, s controlled by software
• A power output of 8W, ensuring that the curing process is optimized for the best results.
• The ability to add jettable primer,
• An automatic wiping station,
• A white and black sub-tank recirculating system

Compact in size, the Helix® ONE decorates CMYK+W and Varnish on a variety of straight walled and tapered cylinders. The Helix® ONE paired with the LV-R Series UV ink produces vibrant and intricate images on a variety of substrates including plastic, stainless steel, and powder coated vessels, perfect for decorating tumblers.

Helix®

The Helix®, Inkcups’ flagship machine, is a cylindrical inkjet printer designed for industrial-scale production of cylindrical objects, both straight walled and tapered. With its advanced printing capabilities, the Helix® can produce high-quality and vibrant prints with speed and accuracy, making it ideal for manufacturers in the drinkware industry. Its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use software make it a popular choice for businesses looking to enhance their production capabilities and streamline their workflow.

Double Helix®

Producing twice the output of the Helix®, the Double Helix® direct-to-object printer offers all of the same quality and print innovations at twice the speeds. Enjoy amazing customers with dazzling print designs using mirror print, Lustre Effect, tone-on-tone, photorealistic, and more.

Helix®+

Considered the steppingstone between the Helix® and the Double Helix®, the Helix®+ is unique in design. This cylindrical inkjet printer can grow with your business. It begins as a single tunnel machine, with the ability to be field upgraded to a double tunnel machine when demand grows. Print full-color CMYKWW+V graphics on a wide variety of substrates and enjoy standard feature ColorBoost, ensuring the best quality images at faster speeds, forging the previous trade up.

To discover which UV printer for tumblers best suits your needs, get in touch with your local sales representative today by contacting us.

UV Printing for Tumblers Summary