Articles

Find the Best Direct-to-Object Printer for Your Business

Full-color prints that cure instantly? Yes please! If you're looking to expand your printing capabilities with full-color, high-durability results, UV-LED printing could be your perfect match. Whether you're a personalization pro, sign shop, or creative entrepreneur, choosing the right UV printer is essential to scaling your business. We’ve created this UV printer buyer’s guide to help you find the best model for your needs, budget, and space.

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is perfect for:

• Small businesses entering the world of direct-to-object UV printing
• Sign and personalization shops adding full-color capabilities
• Creators looking to print on unique items like acrylic, metal, glass, and more
• Makers who want to complement sublimation or laser engraving

What is UV-LED Printing?

UV-LED printing is a printing method that uses ultraviolet light to instantly cure specially formulated inks onto flat or slightly curved

Find the Best Rotary System for Precision Marking and Engraving

At Johnson Plastics Plus, we’ve spent decades helping sign shops, trophy and award shops, and manufacturers select the best rotary engraving systems and rotary engraving material. We took our decades of engraving experience and created this guide that breaks down key machines, tools, and accessories to help you make an informed, confident decision about the best rotary equipment for you, your shop, and your goals.

Who Should Consider Rotary Engraving?

• Industrial manufacturers marking equipment, tools, or control panels
• Sign shops producing or looking to produce ADA signage and architectural wayfinding signs
• Makers and engravers looking for precise, consistent deep engraving
• Makers and engravers looking for a way to create beveled edges and tactile designs

What is Rotary Engraving?

Rotary engraving refers to a type of engraving that uses rotating and sometimes non-rotating tools to mark and/or cut into compatible materials

How to Choose the Best Desktop Diode Laser for You

Diode laser engravers are a great option for starting or boosting your creative business journey. We’ve put together this guide to help you decide if diode lasers are the right fit for you and if so, how to pick the best diode laser engraver for your needs. Whether you’re an educator, maker, or business owner this guide will show you exactly how to get started with trusted, high-quality machines from Johnson Plastics Plus.

Why Choose a Diode Laser Engraver?

There are several types of laser engravers (check out our Laser Engravers Buyers Guide for a deeper dive) including diode lasers. Lasers that use diode technology are lightweight, portable, affordable, and simple to use. They’re a perfect entry point for:

• First-time users or crafters just starting with laser projects
• Home-based creators and online sellers
• Educators bringing STEM and STEAM projects into the classroom
• Hobbyists who want to create personalized gifts and crafts
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Find the Best Desktop Laser for Your Business

We’ve combined our years of industry experience and created a laser engraver buyer’s guide! This guide is to help you choose the best laser for your business, classroom, maker space, and beyond. Compare models, laser types, and discover which laser will help you cut, engrave, and create with confidence. Prepare to explore, create, or profit from our top picks for laser engraving equipment!

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is perfect for:

• First-time users and hobbyists getting into laser engraving
• Businesses looking to expand and diversify their product offerings
• Sign and personalization shops diversifying their technology or adding additional capabilities for small projects
• Creators already using printing technologies like sublimation or UV-LED that are ready to level-up by combining technologies
• Educators looking for ways to add hands-on learning to their classroom
• Anyone looking for plug-and-play desktop laser engravers

How to Choose the Best Vinyl/Print & Cut Machine

Choosing the right vinyl/print and cut machine is an exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, task. To help ease your shopping anxieties, we’ve gathered up our years of industry experience to create a go-to-guide for choosing the best print and cut equipment. Getting the right tools in your shop is a game changer, and we’re so happy you found us! Here are a few things to consider as you upgrade or add print and cut into your business or creative arsenal.

Budget: It may seem rude to discuss money, but when it comes to buying the right piece of equipment, it’s imperative to establish a clear budget before you start shopping. Machines range from affordable options for beginners to high-end models for professional use. Knowing what your price range is will help you narrow your choices.

Material Compatibility: Secondly, and we know this may seem obvious, but it’s crucial to consider the types of materials you plan to use. Choosing a core product

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing allows print shops and creative entrepreneurs to print full-color images, directly onto cotton garments and fabrics with the push of a button. DTG printing produces full color images with a soft hand feel without need for messy screen printing, tedious weeding, or a complex transfer process. This guide breaks down our favorite DTG equipment solutions to help you find the best fit for your production volume, garment types, and business goals.

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is ideal for:

• Garment decorators who want detailed, photo-quality prints on cotton and natural fabrics
• Print shops offering short-run (10-100) or on-demand t-shirt printing
• Entrepreneurs looking to start a custom apparel brand
• Businesses looking to complement their current heat transfer or sublimation technologies
• Creators needing quick-turn, full-color prints with a soft finish

What is DTG Printing?

Direct to Garment (DTG) printing applies ink directly onto a pre-treated

Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing allows print shops and creative to print full-color images, onto a variety of fabrics and garments. Unlike DTG that prints directly to your substrate, DTF prints your image to a transfer film first. Once you have your transfer film printed, you add a special powder that gets heated up/baked to create a glue like substance, then that transfer film is pressed to your fabric for your final transfer. DTF is a great choice for prints that require a bit more durability, or when you want to print on synthetic and/or performance fabrics. The payoff is you have flexibility to meet whatever request your customers have!

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is ideal for:

• Garment decorators who want detailed, photo-quality prints on a variety of fabrics
• Print shops offering short-run (10-100) or on-demand t-shirt printing
• Entrepreneurs looking to start a custom apparel brand
• Businesses looking to complement their current heat transfer or sublimation technologies

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, photographer, or sign-shop looking to start sublimating or upgrade your current sublimation offerings, finding the best sublimation printer is your key to success! We’ve used our fifty plus years of experience in the signage and personalization industry to create a comprehensive sublimation buyers guide.

Use this guide to break down the features and capabilities of specific printer models and discover the best sublimation printer for your goals, budget, and work space!

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is perfect for:

• New crafters just starting with sublimation.
• Business owners scaling up sublimation production.
• Sign and personalization shops expanding into sublimation.
• Creators looking to complement their laser engraving, UV-LED, toner heat transfer, or other print technologies with sublimation.

What is sublimation?

Before we dive into the details, let’s review what sublimation is and how it works. Put simply, sublimation is a scientific

Learn the difference between gloss, varnish, and primer in UV printing. Discover how each enhances adhesion, durability, and design with Johnson Plastics Plus.

As trusted brands like Roland and Epson introduce affordable, compact UV-LED printers, the technology is becoming more accessible than ever. Combined with the capability to print full-color designs instantly on a variety of surfaces such as wood, metal, leather and more, it’s no surprise UV-LED printing is growing in popularity. In addition to instant full-color prints, UV printers offer the option for various ink types including: primer and gloss/varnish. In this blog, we’ll break down what each ink type is, what they’re used for, and some application ideas for getting the most out of your UV printer.

What is Gloss in UV Printing?

Gloss ink in UV printing adds a shiny, polished finish to your printed design. Gloss ink, also referred to as varnish, is a clear layer of ink added to your design to add extra dimension and shine.

Key

White toner heat transfer is another excellent option for printers looking for options to print full-color images on a variety of surfaces. It’s an extremely versatile technology that the flexibility to work on both light and dark and hard and soft substrates. We recommend this print method for those who want to explore diverse product offerings without the need for multiple, specialized printers.

Advantages of White Toner Heat Transfer:

• Vibrant Colors on Dark Surfaces: The white toner acts as a base layer, ensuring that colors pop even on dark materials.
• Intricate Designs: Perfect for detailed artwork, as it allows for crisp, high-resolution prints.
• No Weeding Required: Unlike other transfer methods, there’s no need to weed out excess material, saving time and effort.
• Versatility in Substrates: Suitable for a variety of materials, including textiles, ceramics, wood, and more.
• Low Setup Costs: Ideal for small businesses or startups, as it doesn’t require significant upfront investment.