Signs and plaques
Interior signs, room identifiers, branded plaques and information panels.
Explore acrylic applications
AJ1206 Small UV Flatbed Printer
The AndresJet AJ1206 brings industrial-grade printing to small and medium-sized businesses. Get professional performance and exceptional speed in a compact, budget-friendly design perfect for scaling your production.
- Pinpoint Accuracy: Achieves an incredible 0.01mm positioning tolerance with dual Y-axis motors.
- Expanded Color Gamut: Supports up to 8 colors, including CMYK, White, Varnish, and light inks (Lc, Lm, Lk)
- High-Speed Throughput: Capable of printing up to 2,000 coins per hour, boosting your efficiency.
- Advanced Vision System: Features an optional wide-beam scanning camera (CCD) for enhanced precision
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Built for Acrylic Signs and Custom Products
Produce vibrant graphics directly on acrylic sheets for signs, plaques, displays, awards, nameplates, and personalized products. White ink supports clear or colored acrylic, while varnish can add selective gloss and raised visual effects.
The AJ1206’s compact flatbed format and optional CCD positioning support short runs, mixed designs, and customized production without relying on separate labels or transfer films.
Application overview
Acrylic UV Printing: Applications and Capabilities
Produce full-color graphics directly on compatible acrylic sheets and products. The AndresJet AJ1206 combines CMYK, white and varnish printing with a compact flatbed format for signs, displays, awards, nameplates and customized short runs.
Awards and nameplates
Recognition pieces, equipment labels, tags and personalized nameplates.
Review the AJ1206Retail displays
Counter displays, promotional panels, product stands and branded fixtures.
See printing possibilitiesCustom products
Photo panels, decorative pieces, prototypes and variable-design small batches.
Discuss your applicationNo separate labels or transfers
Print on tested acrylic without adding a separate label or transfer-film application step.
Opacity control on clear and colored acrylic
Use a full or selective white layer to manage opacity on clear, colored or dark acrylic.
Varnish and texture
Add selected gloss, highlighted details and layered effects after testing the actual material.
Flexible short runs
Change names, artwork and product variations digitally for customized and mixed-design orders.
Recommended compact flatbed printer
Where the AJ1206 Fits Acrylic Production
The AJ1206 is designed for compatible flat materials and objects that fit its print area and media limits. It is a practical choice for detailed acrylic signs, plaques, displays and batches of smaller personalized products.
Published specifications are configuration references. Confirm the actual acrylic, coating, artwork, viewing direction and production target through sample testing.
View AJ1206- Maximum print area
- 1200 × 600 mm
- Media clearance
- 0–35 mm
- Ink configuration
- CMYK + White + Varnish
- Resolution modes
- Up to 300 × 2400 dpi
- Positioning option
- Optional CCD system
- Curing
- UV LED
Before selecting a configuration
Start with the actual acrylic job
These four inputs help AndresJet evaluate printer fit, ink-layer strategy, positioning method and the sample-testing plan. They are also the most useful details to include with an inquiry.
- 1
Size and thickness
Maximum sheet or object dimensions, thickness, weight and required print area.
- 2
Acrylic type and finish
Cast, extruded, clear, colored, frosted, mirrored, coated or recycled material.
- 3
Artwork and viewing side
Front or reverse viewing, white coverage, varnish areas, opacity and fine-detail needs.
- 4
Acrylic order profile
Quantity, artwork variations, required output, durability expectations and deadline.
Acrylic UV printing FAQ
Can every type of acrylic be printed with UV ink?
No single setup guarantees the same result on every acrylic. Cast, extruded, coated, mirrored, recycled and specialty sheets can behave differently, so the production material should be printed and adhesion-tested before approval.
Is white ink required on clear acrylic?
Not always. Color without white can create transparent effects, while a selective or full white layer increases opacity and reduces background influence. The correct approach depends on the intended viewing direction and appearance.
Can artwork be printed on the reverse side of clear acrylic?
Yes, when the material and job are compatible. The file may need to be mirrored, and the order of color and white layers must be prepared for viewing through the acrylic.
How durable is UV printing on acrylic?
Durability depends on the acrylic formulation and coating, surface preparation, ink adhesion, exposure conditions and cleaning or abrasion requirements. A sample made from the actual production acrylic should pass the required adhesion and use-condition tests before a full run.
Does acrylic need primer or pretreatment before UV printing?
It depends on the acrylic formulation, surface coating and required durability. Some materials print well after consistent cleaning, while others may need a compatible primer or pretreatment. Test the actual production acrylic and approve adhesion before the full run.
View the Acrylic Printer Selection Guide Hide the Acrylic Printer Selection Guide
For production planning
Acrylic Job Setup and Printer Selection Guide
Good acrylic output depends on material type, surface preparation, viewing direction, white-ink strategy, artwork layers and a repeatable production workflow.
Direct UV printing compared with other decoration methods
Direct UV printing
Suitable for full-color artwork, personalization and short-to-medium runs. White ink and varnish can be prepared as separate digital layers.
Screen printing
Can be efficient for large quantities of simple spot-color artwork, but design and color changes may require additional screens and setup.
Vinyl, labels and transfers
Useful for some signs and displays, but they add a separate material and application step rather than printing directly on acrylic.
How an acrylic UV printing workflow is prepared
- 1
Confirm the acrylic. Record its type, thickness, color, finish, protective film and intended viewing side.
- 2
Prepare the surface. Remove protective film at the correct stage and clean without leaving residue.
- 3
Set the viewing direction. Decide whether the artwork is viewed from the printed face or through clear acrylic.
- 4
Build the ink layers. Separate CMYK, white and varnish data for the required opacity and finish.
- 5
Position the work. Use the vacuum bed, registration points or a suitable fixture for repeatable placement.
- 6
Print and inspect. Check color, white density, adhesion, detail, surface marks and varnish registration.
White-ink strategies
- Color without white for transparent or stained-glass effects
- Selective white for controlled opacity and highlighted areas
- Full white underbase for stronger color on clear or dark acrylic
- Mirrored artwork and correct layer order for reverse-side printing
- Physical sample approval under the final viewing conditions
What affects quality and speed?
- Acrylic dimensions, flatness, surface finish and static
- Artwork coverage, resolution and white-ink density
- Selective or full-area varnish requirements
- Loading, alignment and fixture changeover time
- Cleaning, adhesion testing and final inspection
Preparing acrylic and validating adhesion
Cast, extruded, coated, mirrored and recycled acrylic can react differently to the same UV ink. Surface contamination, static, prior treatment and storage conditions may affect adhesion and print quality. Test the actual production substrate; depending on the material and application, a primer or pretreatment may be required.
Approve a physical sample using the actual acrylic, artwork, ink layers and viewing conditions. Photos and generic material descriptions are not enough to confirm color, opacity, surface compatibility or durability.