PRINTING ON ACRYLIC

PRINTING ON ACRYLIC

Acrylic is a very commonly used material in construction, signage, manufacturing and décor applications. Acrylic printing machines open your business up to so many opportunities in sign and graphics customization. From printing onto acrylic products, to printing onto full acrylic sheets, sign and graphics suppliers need to understand this versatile material and the specific machines that are designed for printing onto acrylic.

A Guide to Acrylic Printing

Acrylic is also known for its popular brand names like, Plexiglas, Lucite, Acrylite and Perspex. The major benefit of printing onto acrylic is that it’s lightweight, impact resistant, and durable. It’s also more adaptable to direct print methods like UV printing when compared to glass that has more of a moisture-repellent silicate surface that’s more challenging to print on.

It’s also more adaptable to direct-print methods (like UV printing) when compared to glass, which has more of moisture-repellent silicate surface that’s more challenging to print on.

Clear Acrylic Sheeting (cast acrylic) is the most common form of acrylic— supplied in all thicknesses from 4 inch to 0.003 inch, from widths of 3 ft to 10 ft, and lengths from 4 ft to 12½ ft. Impact resistant and less likely to crack, it’s often used as an alternative to glass.

It’s used in manufacturing, construction, décor and indoor sign applications.

White and Colored Acrylic (cast acrylic) is a variation of clear acrylic that’s supplied in transparent colors that range from subtle gray tints to vivid fluorescent shades. It’s also available in opaque (flat) colors that span the color spectrum.

It’s used in manufacturing, construction,
art, décor and indoor sign applications.

Extruded and Sign Grade Acrylic is made for tough environments. It’s durable with very high impact-resistance and is less likely to crack when cut or drilled than cast acrylic. It has high scratch-resistance and is resistant to bending and snapping.

It’s used in manufacturing, construction, and outdoor sign applications.

Polycarbonate is a close material relative of acrylic. It’s an extremely durable material with very high impact-resistance and is less likely to crack when cut or drilled than acrylic. It has low scratch-resistance and is flame resistant — more difficult to heat and bend. Unlike acrylic, it can be thermoformed into products like roofing sheets.

It’s used in manufacturing, construction, packaging, and sign applications.

Printing on Acrylic Products

Acrylic is a great substitute for glass, especially when it comes to shields, trophies, and award products. It doesn’t smash like glass or represent a safety risk if it cracks or breaks. Because of its glass-like luminescence, it’s also used for home décor applications items like candle holders, wall plates, lamps, and even larger items like end tables and chairs. Use VersaOBJECT or VersaUV flatbed technology to print directly onto these items, or engrave them with a Roland DG rotary engraving machine.

Printing on Acrylic Stands, Signs, and Displays

Acrylic is used to create signs, stands and displays for restaurants, museums, tradeshows, and many other applications. Easy to bend, it lends itself to making products like end caps for store displays or brochure holders for car dealerships. Acrylic is also used extensively in schools, hospitals, and stores. Because it’s durable and see-through, it’s also often used for stylish and sophisticated office signs and door plaques.

Printing onto Acrylic for Prototypes and Packaging

Acrylic material is often used in product prototyping and specialty packaging. Polycarbonate is used extensively in thermoforming packaging items for products and merchandise. For those graphics customization experts who want to produce specialty packaging and prototypes, VersaOBJECT and VersaUV technology offers clear Gloss ink finishes, which not only allow you to add colorful graphics to acrylic and polycarbonate items, but can also be used to create raised text, special textures, and other high-end finishes.

Printing onto Full Sheets of Acrylic for
Sign, Construction, and Promotion

There are multiple ways to create standout panels, sliding doorways, standing graphics and more for tradeshow booths, restaurant interiors, offices, hotels, and other applications. Add graphics by mounting vinyl graphics directly to acrylic media. Or, print directly onto full sheets of acrylic with an EU-1000MF or IU-1000F high-volume UV flatbed printer to create signs and graphics for home businesses and interiors quickly and cost-effectively.

Print Directly on Acrylic with Roland DG UV Technology

Roland DG offers a broad range of desktop, benchtop, and large-format UV printers that can print directly onto acrylic surfaces. Print brilliant graphics onto full sheets of acrylic with a high-productivity large-format UV flatbed like the EU-1000MF or the IU-1000F. You can also customize acrylic media and products with a VersaUV LEF2-200 benchtop flatbed printer.

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Print Vinyl Wrap Graphics for Acrylic with Roland DG Inkjet Printers

Create vinyl graphics for windows, panels, and other large-format acrylic applications. There are multiple Roland DG eco-solvent inkjet solutions for creating colorful, high-resolution printed acrylic graphics for signs and displays. Our latest generation TrueVIS printers use wide-gamut TR2 inks, including Green and Orange options, for achieving specific brand colors and ultra-vivid output.

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Etch and Engrave on Acrylic with Roland DG Engraving Machines

The Roland DG lineup several machines capable of adding monograms, text, images, and logos onto acrylic media, including our advanced DGSHAPE DE-3 desktop rotary engraver, MPX-90S photo impact printer, and SRM-20 milling and engraving solution (when paired with the optional engraving kit). If you want to create customized acrylic trophies, awards, plaques, and products, there’s a Roland DG device that perfectly suits your business and budget.

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