Printing on Glass Bottoms with the X5-T

Custom-printed drinkware has become a staple for breweries, bars and restaurants. While printing on the sides of a glass may be more common, the latest innovation is focusing on a different canvas: the thick, flat bottom of glass drinkware. This is where modern digital UV printing on glass offers a stunning and durable solution.

Perhaps one of the most iconic glasses has to be the rocks glass (also known as a whiskey glass, lowball glass, or even just “old-fashioned” glass). These glasses are identifiable by stout height, a wide, thin brim and a thick, flat base. Stemming back from England in the late 18^th century, the glasses bottoms remain flat to allow non-liquid ingredients in a cocktail to be mashed, prior to the alcohol being added.  For example, an “old fashioned” is a whiskey-based drink, made by muddling sugar on that flat base with bitters and water and topped with an orange slice.

H2: Printing on Pint Glasses: Flat-Bottom Techniques

Pint glasses are another great example of glass drinkware with printable, sturdy, flat bottoms. Pint glasses typically hold 16 ounces of liquid and have tapered, straight sides. Primarily used for beer and hard cider, pint glasses are generally made of glass, though plastic variants do exist. “Shaker glasses” are another common name for pint glasses. Generally speaking, the available printing techniques are the same for both rocks glasses as they are for pint glasses.

Below we’ve outlined some specific glass printing techniques that are used to decorate the bottom of clear drinkware, discussed the benefits of flat-bottom designs, and show how the Inkcups X5-T UV flatbed printer excels as the ultimate pint glass printer

Reverse Mirror Printing on Glass Bottoms

These flat bottom glasses create a perfect opportunity for digitally decorating with a UV flatbed printer. To ensure the artwork is viewed correctly when looking into the glass, the X5-T printer can employ a sophisticated digital glass printing technique called Reverse Mirror Printing. During reverse mirror printing, a flipped image is printed directly onto the flat bottom of the glass so that as the customer drinks, the image appears “right side up” and creates a “reveal” effect.

Print Innovation Mirror Printing on Glass Sides

Traditional Mirror Printing, on the other hand, is a print technique used to decorate cylindrical drinkware in which artwork is showcased from all angles. In a mirror print the artwork is first printed in reverse, next a layer of white is printed over the design, and finally the artwork is printed over the white. For this to work properly the outlines must be the same, but, the inward-facing artwork does not need to match the outward-facing artwork. Typically, mirror prints decorate the walls of drinkware.

Adhesion for Dishwasher-Safe Printing on Glass

A beautiful print means nothing if it washes off after a few cycles. Successfully printing on glass requires addressing ink adhesion, which is a common problem across products.

The solution here involves pairing the X5-T with specialized materials:

• UV Ink: High-performance UV inks, such as the Inkcups DL Series, are specially formulated for superior adhesion to glass surfaces.
• Primer: A bonding agent like MagiCoat primer is used to chemically treat the glass before printing. This pretreatment works with the UV ink to create an extremely durable, long-lasting bond, ensuring the decorated glassware can withstand commercial dishwashers.

By combining the X5-T’s speed with proven adhesion technology, companies can offer stunning, full-color digital printing on glass that elevates branding and withstands frequent use.

Production Capabilities of UV Flatbed Printers

Much like the rocks glass is characterized by a flat bottom, flatbed printers are characterized by large flatbed printing areas. In under two minutes, the X5-T can efficiently decorate an entire 43.3″ x 24″ area, whether that job consists of one product or a collection of items. Printing with an X5-T allows for short, full-color runs, quick customization, and lower production costs.

The X5-T can handle near-constant use and features a large vacuum table. Printing on the bottom of glasses requires traveling tooling; numerous parts are loaded onto the fixture at once and both travel into the machine for printing. Inkcups offers custom inkjet tooling for those in need.

Elevate your offerings and digitally print on the flat bottom of rocks glasses and pint glasses. Any clear drinkware vessel with a flat bottom makes for a perfect surface to decorate or brand. Contact Inkcups today to get started.