Why Inkcups Customers Are Adding an X5-T High Throw Next to Their X5-T

At first glance, the Inkcups X5-T and the X5-T High Throw appear nearly identical. Side by side, they look like twins. A closer look, however, quickly reveals that they are more like close cousins, built on the same trusted platform but designed for different production challenges.

The X5-T has been a cornerstone of Inkcups’ digital printing lineup since the early 2010s. For more than a decade, it has reliably decorated a wide range of promotional and industrial products around the world, including sporting goods, toys, drinkware, and many other applications. Its long-standing success is rooted in durability, repeatable print quality, and ease of use and maintenance.

As customer applications evolved, Inkcups began hearing a consistent request. Many customers needed the ability to print around protruding features or across stepped and varying surface heights without sacrificing image quality. Enter the X5-T High Throw, created from integrating high throw technology into a proven platform resulting in a new dedicated UV flatbed printer for printing on uneven surfaces.

What High Throw Technology Adds to the X5-T Platform

The Inkcups X5-T High Throw UV printer is capable of jetting ink from up to 15 mm away from the surface. This is two to three times farther than traditional inkjet printing distances. This extended ink drop distance allows customers to print on parts with height variation, recesses, or obstructions while maintaining excellent image quality and registration.

For many Inkcups customers, this capability is critical. A large percentage of our customers’ printed items are sourced from third-party suppliers, which often introduces unavoidable variability in part height, even within the same product run. The X5-T High Throw easily tolerates these variations without requiring constant adjustment, reprinting, or production slowdowns.

Why Customers Are Adding an X5-T High Throw next to their Existing X5-T

Rather than replacing their existing equipment, many customers are choosing to add a new X5-T High Throw alongside their standard X5-T. This approach allows them to continue using the original X5-T for flat or consistent surfaces while dedicating the High Throw system to more complex parts.

Cooler manufacturers are a strong example. Many already relied on the X5-T to decorate objects up to 19.7 inches in height. With High Throw technology, they can now expand printable areas to include recessed features such as buckles, hinges, cup holders, handles, and molded contours that were previously difficult or impossible to print digitally.

Inkcups X5-T High Throw Digital Printer Applications

Larger Logo on Stress Balls with High Throw X5-T UV Printer

The Inkcups X5-T High Throw is an industrial UV inkjet printer designed for parts with uneven surfaces or applications that require a longer ink drop distance. It is well suited for decorating items such as:

• Handled mugs
• Coolers and insulated containers
• Stress balls
• Stepped and contoured drinkware
• Promotional products with molded features

Key capabilities include:

• Printing on up to 25 percent curved or uneven surfaces
• 19.7 inch (500 mm) drop table for tall or bulky items
• High image quality despite part height variation

A Proven Platform, Expanded Capability

By adding High Throw technology to the trusted X5-T platform, Inkcups has given customers a way to expand their application range without compromising reliability. For manufacturers and decorators facing increasing product complexity, the Inkcups X5-T High Throw provides flexibility, consistency, and confidence in production.

Gregg Harwood at PRINTING United with X5-T High Throw

Learn more about the X5-T High Throw Flatbed printer from one of the driving forces behind this machines success, Gregory Harwood, Director of Digital Product Management & Global Service, in this video interview: Promo Impressions X5-T Interview at PRINTING United 2025