What are the differences between UV printers, photo printers, and inkjet printers?
Release time:
2025-03-20
What are the differences between UV printers, photo printers, and inkjet printers?
Many people are confused about the differences between UV printers, photo printers, and inkjet printers, often referring to them all as inkjet printers or large format printers. So, what exactly is a photo printer?
Photo printers and inkjet printers look almost identical.
Let's first discuss the differences between photo printers and inkjet printers:
Both photo printers and inkjet printers are used in the advertising printing industry, so many people ask, what's the difference between them?
Although both are inkjet printers, they have many differences in performance and usage.
1. Photo printers and inkjet printers have different print sizes.
Photo printers have a smaller print size, generally around 1.52 meters; photo printers are smaller in size;
Inkjet printers have a larger print size, usually around 3.2 meters; inkjet printers are larger in size;
2. Photo printers and inkjet printers have different working environments.
Photo printers are mainly used for indoor applications such as stickers, display boards, promotional materials, posters, and regulations; they produce relatively higher quality prints;
Inkjet printers are mainly used for large outdoor wall advertisements and signs; their advantage is their strong weather resistance, meaning they are waterproof and sunproof, and won't fade or discolor even after prolonged outdoor exposure. The disadvantage is that the print quality is lower;
3. Photo printers and inkjet printers use different inks.
Photo printers use water-based inks. They are odorless, not waterproof, and require lamination. Due to the different placement environments of the prints, inkjet printers use solvent-based inks, which have a strong pungent odor, are waterproof and lightfast, and do not change color over time.
4. Photo printers and inkjet printers use different output media.
The output media for photo printers include photo paper, adhesive-backed PP, etc. The output media for inkjet printers are usually inkjet cloth, car stickers, and other media with PVC surfaces.
5. Photo printers and inkjet printers have different resolutions.
Since photo printers are used indoors, they must have high and clear resolution, generally using Epson printheads. Inkjet printers, because they are hung high, don't need very high resolution, and often use industrial printheads.
6. Photo printers and inkjet printers have different output speeds.
Factors affecting the actual printing speed include: photo printers are slower, while inkjet printers are generally faster.
A. Pure printing speed of the equipment,
B. Software RIP speed,
C. Data transfer speed, drying time, etc.
7. Photo printers and inkjet printers have different colors.
The quality of color should be analyzed and evaluated in terms of indoor and outdoor situations. Generally speaking, indoor inks have a wider color gamut and more vibrant printing effects, while outdoor inks are darker and more gray. It's not always better to have brighter colors; the quality of color depends on the size of the color gamut and the consistency of reproduction (uniformity within the color gamut).
8. Photo printers and inkjet printers have different outdoor UV resistance performance.
The original inks from different manufacturers are generally not interchangeable, so the UV resistance performance of the printing effects of different inks on different machines varies; therefore, the ink is a direct influence factor.
Commonalities of photo printers and inkjet printers:
Only suitable for soft materials: leather, non-woven fabrics, textiles, soft PVC, etc.
Next, let's talk about the differences between UV printers and photo/inkjet printers:
First, let's look at UV printers:
In terms of appearance,
UV printers have a platform for placing materials, while photo printers and inkjet printers do not;
2. In terms of industry applications,
Photo printers and inkjet printers are mainly used in the advertising industry by advertising companies, such as outdoor advertising and indoor photo printing.
UV printers are mainly used for rigid materials such as acrylic, glass, tiles, stone, wood, plastic, etc. In home decoration, advertising signs, and display boards, etc., for printing on rigid materials.
3. In terms of printing width,
Photo printers have a limited width but unlimited length; suitable for printing roll materials;
UV printers have a limited printing area each time, suitable for printing piece-by-piece products and cut pieces, and cannot print roll materials.
Currently, many advertising companies have both inkjet printers and UV printers. This is because large-format outdoor soft material advertising is the specialty of inkjet printers; while UV flatbed printers have an absolute advantage in printing rigid materials such as outdoor display boards and advertising signs.
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