UV DTF Sticker Printing in Dubai
Sun Studio makes and sells UV DTF stickers at our studio in Al Quoz, Dubai. A UV DTF sticker is artwork printed in UV ink on to a film, cured, and then transferred to the item with an adhesive, so it can be applied by hand almost anywhere, without the item ever coming to a press.
We also print directly onto items, so we will tell you plainly which of the two suits your job. A UV DTF sticker is held on by its adhesive and has an edge; a direct print bonds the ink into the surface and has no film to lift. Where that edge would be handled, washed, heated or bent, a direct print usually lasts better.
What UV DTF stickers are
UV DTF stands for UV direct to film. Both UV DTF and direct UV printing are UV inkjet; the difference is where the ink is printed and what holds it there. UV DTF prints the artwork on to a film, cures it, then transfers the cured stack with an adhesive, so the bond you rely on is the adhesive’s grip. Direct UV printing prints on to the product, so the bond forms between primer, ink and substrate while the ink is still liquid.
- Bond A sticker relies on adhesive grip; a direct print on a primed chemical bond formed while the ink is liquid.
- Edge A sticker ends in a film edge with adhesive under it; a direct print ends in cured ink at the surface.
- Shape A flat film has to be bent on to a curve, while a cylindrical press prints the curve as the item turns.
Where UV DTF stickers are the right choice
UV DTF solves problems a press cannot: there is no fixturing, the sticker is applied by hand anywhere, and the item never has to come to a machine. It is the right answer for:
- Flat, rigid, low-stress surfaces that are not washed, flexed or heated.
- Objects already installed, or too large, too fragile or too fixed to bring to a press.
- Shapes with no stable datum: soft, hollow or irregular forms a flatbed cannot hold and a cylindrical press cannot grip on its axis.
- Deep recesses and internal corners a printhead cannot reach at working distance.
- Quantities too small to justify any setup at all.
- Graphics meant to be temporary, such as seasonal retail and event dressing.
When direct UV printing is better
Where a sticker struggles is the mirror image of that list. On these, we would rather print direct:
- Dishwasher drinkware: bottles, tumblers and cups, printed on our bottle printing presses.
- Bottles and jars where a film would have to bend on to a curve.
- Anything meeting alcohol or fragrance, such as perfume bottles.
- Anything handled repeatedly, such as corporate gifts and phone cases.
- Textured surfaces, where the adhesive touches only the peaks.
- Untreated polypropylene and polyethylene.
Why a sticker edge fails, and what a direct print does instead, is set out in why UV DTF peels, and when to print direct.
How to order
The artwork, the size of each sticker, the quantity and a photo of what they will go on.
We tell you whether UV DTF suits that surface, or whether a direct print would last better.
UV DTF stickers are quoted per order, from your artwork, sizes and quantity.
We print the stickers at our studio in Al Quoz.
Common questions
How much do UV DTF stickers cost?
Are UV DTF stickers good for car stickers, and how long do they last?
What is the difference between UV DTF and UV printing?
Need UV DTF stickers?
Send us the artwork, the sizes, the quantity and a photo of what they will go on. We will tell you whether a UV DTF sticker suits it or whether a direct print would serve you better, and quote.