As the market for ultraviolet-curing (UV-curing) flatbed printers has expanded, many new opportunities have arisen with the introduction of energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to these machines. Using LEDs for the graphic curing process, rather than mercury vapour lamps, limits the reactivity of the inks and is better-suited to low-productivity systems than to high-productivity grand-format inkjet printers, but it also expands the range of applications these already versatile systems can accomplish.
随着UV平板打印机的市场在不断扩大，为整个标识行业赢来了很多新的机会，标识制作商为了在行业中取得优势，在技术和设备上进行不断地创新，针对UV平板打印机的市场，他们将节能LED引入到设备中。使用LED进行图形固化，这种新技术应用的范围很广泛，但只适合生产率较低的设备，而不是生产率高的大幅面喷墨打印机。
Raising the bar
提高使用标准
Moving beyond the printing of flat sign graphics on rigid substrates like acrylic, UV-LED curing and compatible inks are enabling direct-to-substrate graphics on everything from T-shirts to smartphone cases to golf balls to bottles and tubes. And within the sign industry, they can add texture to created raised elements, such as braille dots on accessibility signage.
当UV平板打印机引入了节能LED后，不仅能实现在硬质基材上打印平面图形，还可以实现从T恤、智能手机壳、高尔夫球，甚至到瓶子上的打印。此外，在打印时可以添加纹理来创建凸起的元素，例如可访问性标牌上的盲文点。
Textured and ‘raised-object’ printing has been achievable with direct-to-substrate UV-LED printing for quite some time, but it has been a challenge to make sure the results are durable enough for long-term accessibility signs and comparable applications. It is also important to have all of the proper components in place to make raised printing efficient within a busy production environment.
虽然这种新技术已经实现纹理打印，但要增强可访问性标识的耐用性仍然具有挑战。将所有的组件放在适当的位置，以便在繁忙的生产环境中提高打印效率也是至关重要的。
Curing in place
固化到位
Advanced software and hardware are needed to work simultaneously to operate the inkjet printheads for a UV-LED printer. Specially formulated inks are jetted in the areas designated by the raster image processor (RIP) software, followed closely by the UV light that cures the inks in place, producing a dry and durable image.
节能LED应用在UV平板打印机中能实现固化到位：高级软件和硬件同时工作来操作UV平板打印机的喷墨打印头；专门配制的油墨能在光栅图像处理器指定的区域中喷射；固化油墨的UV光能产生干燥耐用的图像。
This process works on many types of surfaces. The fact the image can be cured in place allows for the jetting of the large volumes of ink that are necessary to build up the texture on the substrate. Indeed, multiple layers can be added simultaneously, creating a thick buildup of ink that is similar to plastic after it has been cured, in any colour or shape that may be desired.
实现固化到位以后，能适用于许多类型表面的打印，设备可以喷射大量的油墨在基板上建立纹理。除此之外，还可以同时添加多个层，从而在选定的颜色或形状上，产生类似于塑料稠密的油墨。
There is also almost no setup time required. Any of a multitude of substrates of varying shapes and sizes can be placed on the flatbed table in the proper position, which is usually predetermined by the combination of (a) a fixture and (b) a template within the software. Then it is simply a matter of hitting ‘print’ and watching as the artwork is printed directly onto the product. At the end, the product comes off the machine ready for sale to the end user.
不同形状和尺寸的多种基材，可以放置在平台适当的位置上，通常由（a）夹具和（b）软件中的模板组合预先确定，将图像直接打印到产品上。最后，产品从机器上下架，准备出售给最终用户。
Ink improvements
墨水改进
Bulk ink systems, originally developed with high-production facilities in mind, have now also reached lower-production UV-LED printers. Unlike single-use ink cartridges, these systems are refillable and allow for 100 per cent use of the available ink. They are available as industrial-strength stainless steel tanks to help minimize the need for maintenance.
最初开发用于高产量设备的散装油墨系统已经达到了低成本，与一次性墨盒不同的是，这些系统可再填充，达到100％后可继续使用。
White ink circulation systems have also been added to complement the bulk ink tanks. These automatically stimulate the entire white ink vessel to help provide optimal opacity, so there is no need for users to manually shake it.
此外，这种新技术还添加了白色油墨循环系统以补充大量油墨罐。系统会自动刺激整个白色墨水容器，以帮助提供最佳的不透明度，无需手动操作。
A layered approach
分层方法
For accessibility signage, the first step is to create or import a braille design that is fully compliant with the applicable regulations. This file is sent to the RIP software, which in turn manages how it is printed onto a non-coated substrate.
对于制作无障碍标牌，第一步是创建或导入完全符合适用法规的盲文设计，该文件被发送到RIP软件，再通过该软件打印到未涂覆的基底上。
All of the components of an accessibility sign can be printed this way, including not only the braille dots themselves, but also raised text and pictograms, at the click of a mouse. A colour-matched background can be printed, too.
这种打印方式不仅能很好地突出盲文点、匹配好背景颜色，还可以提高文本和图象的质量。
Some UV-LED machines print multiple passes or offer a clear overprint, but for a true textured graphic with fully dimensional characteristics, the best approach is to layer in the ink in a precise pattern, based on the tonal qualities of the original artwork. Today’s advanced software can determine the peaks and valleys for the output.
一些引入了节能LED的UV平板打印机在打印具有一些特殊尺寸的纹理图形时，需要将原始图稿的色调层叠在墨水中，并通过高级软件输出的峰谷值，来精确的进行打印。
By reducing the number of production steps, printing braille signs in this way can be anywhere from 30 to 115 per cent faster than well-established raster method (where a router drills holes in a substrate, into which a special tool inserts durable spheres) and photopolymer process (where resins are UV-cured and washed out to leave only the raised elements behind).
这种应用能减少生产步骤，比成熟的光栅方法（雕刻系统在基板上钻孔，特殊工具插入球体）和光聚合物工艺（树脂被紫外线固化和洗涤，留下凸起的元素）的生产效率快30至115％。
The same technology, of course, can also add value to practically any other short-run products, from awards to promotional items to other specialty signs.
这种新技术的应用有效地为产品增添了新的价值，创造出了更多的标识内涵。 |
