Material Prep Cheat Sheet for UV Printing | CMB Acrylic
CMBACRYLIC UV PRINTING
Material Prep · UV Printing
Material prep cheat sheet: what to do (and skip) before you print
Every material behaves differently under UV ink. Here's exactly what to prep — and what to leave alone — before your job hits the bed.
Alcohol wipe No prep needed Adhesion promoter Clear coat first
The biggest print-quality problems don't always start at the printer — they start on the bed, before the job even runs. Ink that won't cure, prints that peel at the edges, or a beautiful design that wipes right off a week later usually traces back to one thing: the material wasn't prepped for what it actually needs.
The good news is that most materials fall into one of four simple buckets. Once you know which bucket a material's in, prep takes thirty seconds — or nothing at all.
Bucket 1
Just needs a wipe-down
These materials print well straight out of the box — the only job is removing dust, oils, or fingerprints that could sit between the surface and the ink.
Acrylic
No adhesion promoter needed. Wipe down with isopropyl alcohol before printing.
Choroplast
Wipe down with alcohol before printing — that's the whole prep step.
Golf balls
An alcohol rinse handles the dimpled surface and any manufacturing residue.
Bucket 2
No prep at all
These take ink well on their own. Resist the urge to "help" them with alcohol or promoter — on some surfaces it can actually do more harm than good.
Leather & leatherette
No prep needed. On more supple leather, a light layer of primer can help ink grip if you notice adhesion issues.
Canvas
Print-ready as-is, no prep step required.
Slate coasters
Print-ready as-is, no prep step required.
Bucket 3
Needs an adhesion promoter
Non-porous, low-surface-energy materials like metal and glass need real help — ink has nothing to grip onto without it.
Metals
Apply an adhesion promoter (Red Hot or a similar product) before printing.
Glass
Needs the most prep of any material here: Red Hot, primer, and the PyroSil kit for lasting adhesion.
Bucket 4
Needs a clear coat underneath
Porous, textured materials print better — and hold detail better — with a clear layer laid down first to keep ink from soaking in unevenly.
Cork
Lay down clear underneath before printing your design.
Wood & MDF
Lay down clear underneath before printing your design.
When in doubt, test a scrap piece first
Material batches vary — a new box of wood or a different leatherette supplier can behave slightly differently than the last one, even with the same prep. A quick test swatch before a full production run costs you thirty seconds and saves you a wasted piece.
At a glance
Quick reference
| Material | Prep needed |
|---|---|
| Acrylic | Wipe with isopropyl alcohol |
| Leather & leatherette | None (primer optional on supple leather) |
| Golf balls | Alcohol rinse |
| Metals | Adhesion promoter (Red Hot) |
| Glass | Red Hot + primer + PyroSil kit |
| Canvas | None |
| Choroplast | Wipe with alcohol |
| Slate coasters | None |
| Cork | Clear coat underneath |
| Wood / MDF | Clear coat underneath |
Getting prep right isn't glamorous, but it's the cheapest insurance you've got against a failed print — a few seconds of alcohol or a layer of clear coat is a lot less expensive than reprinting a job that peeled off the material it was never going to stick to.
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