UV Inkjet Ink for Sports Bottles

 Key Takeaways

• Flexible ink is essential for sports bottles — rigid UV ink will crack or chip off as the bottle bends and squeezes.
• Sports bottles are typically HDPE or LDPE plastic, made through blow molding, which is why the ink needs to move with the material.
• Inkcups’ BB Ultra Flexible UV Ink is formulated to survive squeezing, stretching, and even submersion in ice water without cracking.

UV inkjet ink for sports bottles has to be flexible enough to bend and stretch with the movement of the bottle. If the UV ink is too rigid, the artwork will crack and easily c off the bottle. An ultra flexible ink is most needed in this situation.

What are Sports Bottles Made of?

A squeezable sports bottle can be made from flexible plastics such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) which are the two most popular squeeze materials. These BPA-free plastics enable on-the-go usability especially for athletes. This plastic is easily squeezed to eject water on the go.

How are Sports Bottles Made?

Plastic bottles can either be made by injection molding or blow molding. For sports bottles, blow molding is the process of choice due to its ability to produce a larger amount of product at a time. Think of this process like glass blowing. You have your melted plastic that is filled with air in a mold to produce the proper size and shape.

Best UV Ink for Printing on Sports Bottles

After the product is produced, it is ready to be decorated. UV inkjet ink for sports bottles is the only way to produce full-color images on this flexible material. While screen printing and pad printing may achieve a few colors, they cannot achieve photo reproduction quite like UV printers can. Inkcups has a special formulated UV inkjet ink for sports bottles the BB ultra flexible UV ink for digital printers. This UV ink is flexible enough to be squeezed, stretched, and even submerged in ice water without cracking. In addition to LDPE and HDPE, the BB ink series has shown success printing on PP and PE as well.

See the BB ultra flexible ink pass multiple adhesion tests before your eyes: Ultra Flexible Ink for Plastic – BB Ink Series

Contact us to get more information about the BB Ultra Flexible UV Inkjet Ink

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does UV ink for sports bottles need to be flexible?

A: Because sports bottles flex and squeeze during use, a rigid UV ink will crack, chip, or peel off. A flexible ink like BB Ultra Flexible UV Ink is formulated to move with the bottle instead of breaking down.

Q: What plastics are sports bottles usually made from?

A: Most squeezable sports bottles are made from BPA-free HDPE or LDPE plastic, produced through blow molding. BB Ultra Flexible ink also adheres well to PP and PE substrates.

Q: Can UV ink survive freezing temperatures or ice water?

A: Yes. BB Ultra Flexible UV Ink has been tested to withstand submersion in ice water, along with stretching and squeezing, without cracking or distorting the printed image.