UV printing on hard phone cases (polycarbonate and hard plastic)
Photo cases, logo cases, custom art on rigid plastic or acrylic-style cases. What the printer and primer makers publish about hard phone cases (polycarbonate and hard plastic): primer, white ink, flat or rotary, how long prints last and what goes wrong.
- Desktop UV
- Prints as is
- Primer
- Not stated
- White ink
- Not stated
- Shape
- Flat bed
Everyday objects. Things people make: photo cases, logo cases, custom art on rigid plastic or acrylic-style cases. From the sources at the end, checked October 11, 2026; we haven't tested it ourselves.
What it needs
- Desktop UV printers
- Prints as is Makers name rigid, hard plastic cases as the best fit and warn against very flexible ones. [1] [3] [4]
- Primer or adhesion promoter
- Not stated
- White ink
- Not stated. xTool says rigid white ink suits hard phone cases and flexible white ink suits flexible cases. [2]
- Flat or curved
- Flat bed. Printed on the flatbed; Procolored sells a phone case jig for its printers. Sources do not cover curved case edges. [5]
How long it lasts
What goes wrong
- Ink can crack on cases with high flexibility.
- Rigid white ink may crack or peel when a flexible material is bent.
- Untreated silicone cases can let designs peel.
Before you print
- Pick a case with some rigidity and a slightly porous surface; most hard plastic cases fit.
- Use rigid white ink on hard cases and flexible white ink on flexible ones.
Related materials
Every material in one table: what a UV printer can print on. Weighing up other machines? See UV against DTF, sublimation and a Cricut.
Has a maker published something different, or does your printer's manual disagree? Email hello@homeuvprinter.com and we'll check it against the source.
Sources
- eufyMake: How to print a photo on a phone case
- xTool Support: xTool O1 Omni Printer FAQs
- Mimaki: UJF-3042MkII EX features
- Roland DGA: VersaObject MO Series (flatbed UV printers)
- Procolored: Jigs for UV printer
Checked October 11, 2026.