Quick Tips to Get Started with the eufyMake E1 UV Printer

Photo: Jacob Bobo

The eufyMake E1 just recently released (the in-house team got to take a short hands-on with it a few weeks ago) and, the first time I used it, I was immediately taken with it. It’s not exactly a 3D printer in the traditional sense, but it can print three-dimensional designs, both by printing multiple layers of ink to give depth to designs, as well as printing directly onto a wide array of physical objects. It might be one of my new favorite maker fixations, but there are a few things I wish I’d known before I first jumped in.

How it works

The E1 is a printer that uses a combination of ultraviolet lights and UV-curable ink to create rapidly drying designs directly on a variety of objects, including flat surfaces, bottles, and more. Since the ink cures -- essentially dries, in traditional printer terms -- almost instantly, it’s possible to print multiple layers one on top of another, creating depth and giving texture to your prints. It’s a clever design that splits the difference between typical 3D printing and full-color traditional image printing.

In order to do this, however, the printer needs more than just a typical color image to print; it needs a depth map. A depth map is a black and white version of an image that corresponds to height. Black parts of an image mark the lowest point, white marks the highest. This not only tells the printer what height to make different parts of the image, but lets the printer conserve colored ink by using white or dark ink as a base or on intermediary layers.

This is especially important to understand when using a device like the E1 and the wide variety of materials it can print on. You’ll need to understand the particulars of how the ink being used contracts as it cures, how flexible the materials are, and how the colors in a design interact with the color of the surface being printed on.

Now, for how I learned all that:

My mistakes

Sometimes, the only way to learn is by making a lot of mistakes first. And when I first started printing with my E1, make mistakes I did. I started with test prints on UV DTF A/B film, which pairs with the separate eufyMake laminating machine to make simple decals. It’s a handy and cheap way to prototype designs that can be applied to other objects later.

The only trouble is that some designs can look a lot different once you apply the designs directly on another object. One of my first designs looked great when printed on the white sticker sheets, but as soon as I tried to transfer it to a black water bottle, it looked dim and faded. To fix this, I had to create a new version of the design with a white base layer of ink to get the proper look when the decal was applied.

The printer is also capable of printing directly onto a water bottle–or any other physical object–which creates its own challenges. The E1 can scan the height of objects on its print bed, and the included software can be used to line up designs carefully, but it still takes some finesse to get right. Be sure to give yourself margins on the edges of any designs and avoid bumping the print bed to make sure that the print ends up in the right spot. The software also has settings for a wide variety of materials, so make sure you know what your objects are made of. If, for example, you want to print directly on a laptop, it’s important to know whether its case is made of plastic, aluminum, or some other material. 

The separate rotary attachment even makes it possible to print onto round objects, but it works best when the surface is level. An angled surface such as on a water bottle can cause issues if it’s not properly leveled with the side of the bottle facing the print head. Depending on the object, it can also be helpful to make a shim to balance an object. 

When you’re printing directly onto objects, it can be a pain to undo a mistake. It’s possible to scrape ink off of most surfaces, but depending on the material, you can risk damage to the object. Personally, where possible, I prefer using decals and applying them once I’m sure the design looks right on its own, but your preferences may vary.

Tips to make your first prints easier

There’s going to be a lot of specifics to learn with your E1 that depend heavily on what you want to make with it, but generally there are some tips that are helpful for everyone. Take the benefit of my experience and keep the following in mind:

Add  a white layer (and possibly white choke) to designs. As mentioned above, the look of designs can change based on what material is being printed on, but a white base layer can help give more consistent results. This can occasionally lead to some white ink bleed around the edges of the design, though, so the eufyMake software includes a setting called “White Underbase Choke”. This adds a small white outline to the edges of the design that not only provides contrast against the object the design will be put on, but disguises any ink bleed.

Print lengthwise to save time. Just like on typical printers, the print head on the E1 moves horizontally along the length of the device when printing. It might not seem intuitive when using the larger print bed, but this means that printing designs lengthwise will save a ton of time. Rather than printing many short lines, fewer, longer ones will finish prints faster. This is especially important on designs where you plan to print many layers of height, requiring a lot of retreading.

Be mindful of thin materials. Some materials, like canvas notebook covers, can be particularly thin and subject to curling or warping as ink cures. If a material curls too much, it can even raise up and touch the print head, potentially damaging the printer. To avoid this problem, either secure any objects to make sure they stay flat, or use decals to transfer a design after the ink has already cured. 

Change your resolution defaults (if you’re a digital artist). If you’re used to making designs to share online, you might be used to using defaults that work fine for the web, but don’t look great when printed. EufyMake recommends at least a 300+ DPI for most designs, and even higher for detailed designs with lots of intricate text or vector graphics.

Know when (or if) to turn off your printer. The E1 is particularly sensitive to being powered off. The device needs to regularly perform self-maintenance to keep the print head from getting damaged. For this reason, the company recommends leaving the printer on at all times, unless you’re certain that it won’t be used for an extended period of time.

Even if it won’t be used for a while, it needs to be powered down properly, so the printer can clear the print head and ink tubes correctly. eufyMake also recommends running a print at least once per month, even when it’s not in active use, to ensure the print head doesn’t get damaged.

The eufyMake E1 UV printer is available now at your local Micro Center. If you’re looking for more maker accessories, be sure to speak with one of our knowledgeable associates. They’ll be more than happy to help you find the perfect part for your project.