Hello - I need help!

[luke.96]

Hello everyone,
I'm a young entrepreneur who is looking for information on a certain type of printer, I didn't know what forum to join, so hopefully you can help.
I am in the process of designing a product, but to manufacture i will need to print onto the product.
The product is similar to a 6cm X 8cm X 1cm plastic box. The plastic is ABS and will be about 2mm thick around the box.
How will i print onto this product with a good quality, long lasting, hard to chip away method?
What printers are used?
How much are they?
I really appreciate your time and help, it would be great if i could learn anything in this field as my knowledge is basically nothing.
Thanks!
Luke

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

What do you want to print onto the box ? And where - all sides - or top and bottom ? Can't you use preprinted labels instead and stick them onto the box ? What is the qty of that box and print job? There are specialized printers on the market for a production environment - to print onto about every type of surface, but labelling is probably one of the more flexible solutions .

 

[luke.96]

Thank you very much for your reply!
The printer would be printing on the top side, its flat.
I am too early on to know the quantity for the print job, but around 500 to begin with.
I have looked at stickers and have found them not fitting in right onto the product with the slick and good quality look i am going for.
If i can get a decent printer at a affordable price i would much prefer to do that instead of getting them done by a company.
Again, thanks for the help!

 

[RogerB]

Hello everyone,
I'm a young entrepreneur who is looking for information on a certain type of printer, I didn't know what forum to join, so hopefully you can help.
I am in the process of designing a product, but to manufacture i will need to print onto the product.
The product is similar to a 6cm X 8cm X 1cm plastic box. The plastic is ABS and will be about 2mm thick around the box.
How will i print onto this product with a good quality, long lasting, hard to chip away method?
What printers are used?
How much are they?
I really appreciate your time and help, it would be great if i could learn anything in this field as my knowledge is basically nothing.
Thanks!
Luke

I think the most commonly used method for this sort of application is pad printing. Just Google it.

 

[Smile]

I would suggest you a small A3 size UV printer, like Mimaki (Mimaki UJF-3042HG). But they are not cheap.

The DIY way is to use EPSON type printer like Epson Stylus Photo R2000 with UV light modification, Flatbed modification etc. etc.

www.ebay.com/itm/Epson-R2000-DTG-Direct-to-Garment-Digital-T-Shirt-Printer-A3-8-Colour-Flatbed-/201213943970?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_Printers_Printers_JN&hash=item2ed94920a2

 

[websnail]

The DIY way is to use EPSON type printer like Epson Stylus Photo R2000 with UV light modification, Flatbed modification etc. etc.

This is the same seller as the eBay link above but without the eBay fees tacked on and some interesting videos:
http://simbits.com/

 

[RogerB]

This is the same seller as the eBay link above but without the eBay fees tacked on and some interesting videos:
http://simbits.com/

Sorry, but this is a garment printer. The OP doesn't need an inkjet printer. Pad printing is the accepted way in industry to print on plastic components like the one he describes. Here's an example (not a recommendation!)
http://www.cheap-pad-printers.co.uk/manual-pad-printer.html
- ignore the terrible web page design.....
However, if it were me, I would sub-contract the job unless I had some real volume.

 

[websnail]

Sorry, but this is a garment printer. The OP doesn't need an inkjet printer.

You're right... I think in my head I was thinking about what @ThreeBearsPrints was doing and got mixed up.

I would tend to agree with you on the point about sub-contracting though... Possibly even go for a company that can silk-screen print the plastic or similar.

 

[luke.96]

Wow! All this information is excellent! Thank you very much! Sorry for the late reply, been seriously busy.
I have looked into sub contracting but I'm just trying to do as much research as possible to educate my self on this whole process, and see if it is economically viable to do it my self.
Would something like this do the job do you think?
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/330927103667?nav=SEARCH
Too over kill? Not enough?

How reliable is the whole pad printing process? What's the quality like? What's the running costs like? Is the ink expensive?
Again, thank you very much! I really appreciate it!
Luke

 

[Smile]

If you need just single color like the demo video shows them pad printer could be the answer, if multiple colors are used and you need to have gradations then sorry UV inkjet is the only way.