With UV printing delivering faster throughput and contributing to margin increases on full-color items, efficiency demands, and rising color personalization are reshaping shop operations. Lon Riley, founder of DPI Laboratory, explains why engravers are embracing hybrid workflows and how UV printing is reshaping production speed and margins.
As the industry faces demand for faster turnaround and full-color customization, Riley walks through how engravers are using hybrid laser and UV setups to unlock those margin gains in 2026. Below, he breaks down the key trends, misconceptions, and margin opportunities he’s seeing firsthand in shops nationwide.
Q: What’s driving engravers to add UV printing right now?
A: Speed and demand, first and foremost. Customers want full color, texture, and quick turnaround, and UV can use many of the same blanks they use currently and similar workflows, so shops can fit more jobs into the same day. The other big driver is margin and mix. UV lets them offer a higher-priced, full-color version of the same product, keep more of the work in-house instead of sending color jobs out, and free up the laser for cutting and deep engraving. For a lot of engravers, it’s simply a way to say “yes” to more projects without adding people.
Q: Which items create the strongest ‘wow factor’ with UV?
A: For most shops, the biggest reactions come from acrylic awards, plaques, and drinkware they already sell. Full color and texture on awards, plaques, tumblers, and bottles immediately feel more premium. Even simple items like badges and small signs stand out with UV color. You can upgrade the products you already offer, make them look more custom, and charge more for the added value.
Q: What’s the biggest misconception engravers have about UV printing?
A: That UV printers require heavy maintenance. Modern systems are straightforward, sit next to a laser, and help push more jobs out the door in the same day. The other is that UV is only for big shops. It works great on short runs and one-off pieces, and lets engravers charge more for products they already sell.
Q: How do laser engraving & UV printing work together?
A: The laser gives you precision and depth. UV adds full color and speed. When shops use both on the same piece, they can turn a basic blank into a higher value product, add new price tiers on items they already sell, and move more jobs through the shop without adding people.
Q: What are the most profitable UV categories shops are producing today?
A: For most shops we work with, tumblers, acrylic awards, plaques, corporate gifts, and short-run promotional items rise to the top. The blanks are affordable, the artwork can be reused, and UV keeps setup time short, so more of the selling price turns into profit. Customers also really respond to full color in these categories, which makes it easier to offer a premium version and charge more per piece.
Q: What trend should engraving shops be preparing for in 2026?
A: The big shift is toward hybrid work, where laser and UV run together on the same products. Shops that can offer clean engraving plus full color on their core items are already seeing stronger pricing and better margins. In many cases, they are finding 15% to 25% margin gains on products they were already selling, simply by adding a higher value version instead of staying laser-only.
