Personal UV Printer

November 30, 2025

The Longer ePrint is a new dual-head personal UV printer currently funding on Kickstarter. Unlike a traditional paper printer or a 3D printer that builds objects from plastic, this machine is designed to print high-resolution color graphics directly onto existing physical objects. It uses ultraviolet (UV) light to instantly cure special inks, allowing it to print on materials that standard ink would smear off, such as glass, metal, wood, and acrylic.

Most personal UV printers use a single printhead to handle all colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, White, and Varnish). The Longer ePrint splits this workload across two separate heads with 12 ink channels. This separation allows the printer to lay down a white base layer and a color layer simultaneously without slowing down, or to build up thick layers of ink to create 3D textures.

By stacking multiple layers of UV-cured ink on top of each other, the printer can create raised, embossed effects up to 60mm in perceived depth (though the physical relief is typically a few millimeters, the visual and tactile effect is significant). This allows users to create Braille signage, textured oil-painting reproductions, or phone cases with physical grip patterns. The UV curing process means these layers dry instantly, so there is no waiting time between passes.

Technically, the machine offers a workspace of roughly 310mm by 420mm (standard A3 size) and can accommodate objects up to 60mm tall. It features a built-in high-gap printing mode, which sprays ink accurately over a 10mm distance. This is crucial for printing on curved or uneven surfaces, such as thermoses or rocks, without the printhead crashing into the object. To further assist with alignment, it includes a 16-megapixel camera and AI software that automatically detects the object's position on the bed and aligns your digital design to it.

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