What is the Difference Between Corrugated Carton Printer and UV Flatbed

Overview
Both corrugated carton printers and UV flatbed printers belong to digital printing technology, but there are obvious differences between the two in terms of principle, scope of application, advantages and disadvantages. Corrugated carton printers are mainly used for digital printing of three-dimensional objects such as corrugated carton, while UV flatbed printers are suitable for direct printing of various flat materials. Understanding the characteristics of the two will help companies choose suitable digital printing equipment according to their own needs.

Corrugated carton printer

Corrugated carton printers use inkjet printing technology to directly spray ink on the surface of the carton to form a pattern through the nozzle. Its main features are as follows:

Applicable objects: three-dimensional objects such as corrugated carton, paper tube, packaging box. Digital printing can be performed directly on the formed carton without prior flattening or cutting.
Printing process: The corrugated carton printer is equipped with a special nozzle that can adapt to uneven surfaces such as carton. During the printing process, the nozzle will automatically adjust with the ups and downs of the carton to ensure that the ink is evenly sprayed.
Printing materials: Use water-based or environmentally friendly ink, which dries quickly and does not require an additional spray protective layer. The printed pattern has good waterproof and wear resistance.
Printing effect: It can achieve a resolution of up to 1200dpi, and the image is clear and delicate. However, due to the limitations of the surface characteristics of the carton, it is difficult to achieve the gloss, scratch resistance and other effects like UV flatbed printers.
Scope of application: Suitable for small and medium-sized batch carton printing, especially suitable for personalized customization, small batch production and other scenarios. The production efficiency is high and can meet the needs of fast printing.
Equipment cost: Due to the use of simpler inkjet technology, the equipment cost of corrugated carton printers is generally lower than that of UV flatbed printers.

UV flatbed printer

The UV flatbed printer uses UV inkjet printing technology and can be directly digitally printed on various flat materials. Its main features are as follows:

Applicable objects: Flat materials, such as acrylic plates, metal plates, glass, wood boards, tiles, etc. No pre-cutting or processing is required when printing.
Printing process: The UV flatbed printer is equipped with a special UV nozzle that can cure the ink immediately during the printing process. This makes it unnecessary to go through drying and other processes after printing, which improves production efficiency.
Printing materials: Using UV ink, it has the characteristics of fast curing, wear resistance, and waterproofness. The printed pattern can also add matte, sub-gloss or high-gloss effects.
Printing effect: UV flatbed printers can achieve a high resolution of 720-1440dpi, with richer image details. At the same time, a protective layer can be sprayed during the printing process to give the pattern a more durable surface texture.
Scope of application: Suitable for medium and large-volume printing of flat items, such as billboards, POP displays, home decoration, etc. Personalized needs can also be met, and it has a wide range of applicability.
Equipment cost: Due to the use of more advanced UV inkjet technology, the equipment cost of UV flatbed printers is generally higher than that of corrugated box printers.
Application scenario comparison
From the perspective of scope of application, corrugated box printers are more suitable for personalized printing of three-dimensional objects such as cartons and packaging boxes, especially for packaging customization needs in industries such as e-commerce and express delivery. UV flatbed printers are good at high-quality image printing of flat items, such as advertising displays, home decoration, etc.

From the perspective of production efficiency, corrugated box printers usually have a higher printing speed, which is suitable for meeting the needs of small and medium-sized batches and fast delivery. Although the printing speed of UV flatbed printers is slightly slower, they can provide more refined printing effects and are suitable for medium and large-volume, high-quality printing tasks.

From the perspective of equipment cost, corrugated carton printers are usually cheaper and suitable for the budget of small and medium-sized enterprises or individual users. However, UV flatbed printers have higher equipment costs due to the use of more advanced technology, which is suitable for investment by large commercial users.

Development trend
With the continuous advancement of technology, corrugated carton printers and UV flatbed printers are moving towards a more intelligent and high-performance direction.

Corrugated carton printers are upgrading towards higher printing accuracy and better color reproduction. In the future, corrugated carton printers using UV ink may appear to achieve printing effects comparable to UV flatbed printers. At the same time, intelligent control systems will also greatly improve production efficiency and operational convenience.

UV flatbed printers are moving towards larger printing sizes and faster printing speeds. In addition, functions such as compatibility with more materials and support for 3D printing will also appear one after another. At the same time, the decline in equipment costs will also make UV flatbed printers more popular.

In general, corrugated carton printers and UV flatbed printers have their own characteristics and are suitable for different application scenarios. When choosing digital printing equipment, enterprises should comprehensively consider factors such as their own production needs, product characteristics and budget, and choose the most appropriate solution. With the continuous advancement of technology, the two types of printing equipment will surely present a richer development prospect in the future.