- Anyone curious about what small text print quality actually tells you about a UV printer
- Anyone trying to understand why print quality differs between printers using the same head
- Anyone evaluating UV printers and want to know what to look for in promotional samples
- Print resolution alone does not determine print quality — ink droplet size (pico liter) is the key factor
- Offset alignment across all 6 color channels (C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm) must also be correct to achieve clean small text
- Results shown are based on ARTJET equipment and may vary depending on the printer and head used
- Small text print reveals two things: the pico liter capacity of the head, and how well the color channel offsets are aligned
- 2pl head → clean 1 font / 4.5pl head → clean 2 font / 7pl head → 3 font level is acceptable
- If small text is unclear, overall color accuracy across the entire image will also be affected
I. Ink Dot Size and Print Resolution – UV Printer Small Text Meaning ARTJET 2025
Having worked at an inkjet development company for a long time, I naturally came to understand print resolution. Since everyone talks about resolution differently, it tends to be confusing for end consumers.
For example, if the print quality seems poor compared to other UV printers:
“Team leader, what is the print resolution of the ARTJET?”
“It is 720×1080.”
“Can I print with a higher resolution?”
“The print quality does not improve even if the resolution is increased.”
“Yes?”
“I tested up to 1440×1440 dpi with the ARTJET, but based on the jetting ink capacity of 4.5 pico liters, the maximum resolution is 720 x 1080 dpi.”
Durst’s Inkjet Label Printer uses single pass printing, with an equipment price of approximately 1.4 billion KRW. The print head is also more expensive than you might imagine.
The ink capacity jetted from the print head is 2 pico liters, and the print quality is as follows.
The most important factor in achieving high resolution is the capacity of the ink droplets that can be jetted from the print head.
To be more precise — the smaller the ink droplet capacity, the smaller the diameter of the ink dot formed when it lands on the material. This allows for higher actual resolution, and naturally, the printout looks more refined.
When UV printer manufacturers develop a product, they determine the maximum achievable resolution for that equipment and head through multiple test processes. That is why the answer is always:
More detailed explanation of print resolution — you might also find this useful.
The photo below was taken with a 10x magnifying glass, printed at actual font sizes.
- Text is well expressed from 6 font down to 2 font
- 1 font text may or may not be displayed
- 2pl head → see Durst 1 font level in the photo above
- 4.5pl head → see ARTJET 2 font level in the photo below
- 7pl head → 2 font is possible but not clean; 3 font level is acceptable
II. Offset Precision – UV Printer Small Text Meaning ARTJET 2025
As explained above, ink dot size is a critical factor in determining resolution. However, no matter how good the ink dot is, if C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm are not jetted in the correct positions, you cannot achieve clean 2-font text like the photo above.
The text in the photo above is 2-font text implemented by mixing all of CMYK Lc Lm.
If 2-font text is not clean, it means the CMYK Lc Lm offset is not properly matched. The detail suffers, but the bigger problem is that the entire color cannot be properly reproduced.
If one color — magenta or cyan — is slightly off to the left, right, up, or down, the entire image shifts to a slightly incorrect color.
Some manufacturers’ printers deliver better print quality than others — even when using the same head. Whether or not the maximum specifications of the adopted head can be realized depends entirely on the printer manufacturer’s technical capability. Mechanism, electronics, software, and ink — all areas must be right to realize the maximum specifications of the print head.
In particular, Epson series heads that jet multiple colors through one head require an additional offset function.
If you are currently using a third-party UV printer:
- You will likely set the color offset by adjusting the left/right direction values for each CMYK Lc Lm channel
- Some equipment matches the offset per channel for white — if not, all 6 white channels move together as a single value
- Varnish works the same way as white
The front-to-back offset direction is something most users encounter for the first time — in other words, whether the starting nozzle point for each channel is aligned. An Epson head that jets multiple colors through one head must have an offset function to correct this difference.
A detailed explanation of the up and down offset functions can be found here.
This is why small print is often used in promotional materials:
- How small is the pico liter, as shown through small text print?
- How well is the offset adjusted, as shown through text alignment?
- Can color be reproduced reliably, as shown through offset accuracy?
III. ARTJET UV Printer – UV Printer Small Text Meaning ARTJET 2025
