Home UV Printer

Using a UV printer safely at home

Home UV printers are made to be used indoors, but the ink is a chemical product until it is cured. Three things need managing: liquid ink on skin, the smell and fumes while it cures, and the UV light itself.

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Still from the video: Is a home UV printer safe? Ink, fumes and UV light
Is a home UV printer safe? Ink, fumes and UV light

Drawn from makers' pages and a UV ink safety data sheet. Your own ink's safety data sheet and manual come first.

Liquid ink on skin and in eyes

Uncured ink is the main hazard. UV inks are built on acrylates, and a typical UV ink safety data sheet (for example Xerox's UV cyan ink) classes the ingredients as causing skin irritation (H315), serious eye irritation (H319), possible allergic skin reactions (H317) and possible respiratory irritation (H335). The simplest habit is to keep liquid ink off your skin altogether.

  • Wear gloves to change ink, clean the printer or handle wet prints. xTool says uncured ink shouldn't touch skin, and if it does, to rinse with plenty of clean water (xTool FAQ). Disposable gloves (Amazon US).
  • Wear safety glasses when refilling or cleaning.
  • Keep ink, cleaning fluid and waste away from children and pets.

Fumes, smell and ventilation

Curing releases volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), which is the smell during and after a print (eufyMake). The makers deal with it differently.

  • The xTool O1 Omni has HEPA and activated carbon filters built in. xTool says they remove up to 96.4% of TVOCs with the lid closed, and that its ink is GREENGUARD Gold certified and TPO-free (xTool).
  • The eufyMake E1's built-in filter helps when printing with the lid closed on the mini bed. For more, eufyMake sells an exhaust fan kit that vents through a window ($199.99 list) and the Purifier P1 ($699.99 list) for rooms without one (eufyMake).
  • Procolored and OMTech use activated carbon or adsorption filters.

In practice: print with the lid closed, in a room you can air and not in a bedroom, and think about venting outside if you print often or the room is small.

UV light

The curing lamp gives off ultraviolet light. UV-A reaches deep into the skin and contributes to skin aging (WHO), and bright UV sources can hurt eyes. Home printers keep the lamp inside a lid, so keep it closed while printing and don't look at the lamp or work around it with the lid open.

Food and drink

UV-printed surfaces aren't meant to touch food. xTool says its ink isn't intended for food-contact surfaces unless its official safety documents say so (xTool), and OMTech gives the same warning (OMTech). Print the outside of mugs and tumblers, away from the rim.

Waste ink and cleaning

Every UV printer uses some ink for cleaning and priming, and it ends up in a waste tank or pad (xTool says to replace its ink pad about every three months). Treat waste ink, used wipes and gloves as chemical waste. Section 13 of your ink's safety data sheet says how to dispose of it, and your local council or waste site can tell you where household hazardous waste goes. Don't pour it down the drain.

Sources