By Cassandra Balentine
Part 4 of 4
Direct to object (DTO) systems utilize inkjet technology to print directly to a variety of objects, including those that may be curved, contoured, uneven, textured, and tiered products.
The October issue of Industrial Print magazine discusses advancements in DTO printing to complex surfaces, and here we highlight specific printing systems that serve this market.
Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc.
Boston Industrial Solutions offers DTO printing solutions designed for fast, flexible, and reliable printing with robotic loading and unloading.
The Volta Gyra UV Printer can be configured for curved, contoured, uneven, textured, and multi-level or tiered components, depending on the geometry and application requirements.
“What sets our approach apart is that we view DTO as an integrated application. The printer, printheads, motion system, inks, software, fixturing, and surface preparation all need to work together to deliver consistent image quality, adhesion, and durability on complex parts,” says Mosiah.
DPI Lab, LLC
DPI’s primary DTO technologies are UV flatbed printers. “Inherently a linear technology designed to print the highest quality on flat surfaces, UV printing is more forgiving on curves or irregular surfaces due to the near-immediate curing. As the ink jets and the dots land, the UV light curves the ink immediately allowing one to ‘pin the dot’ to the exact location,” explains Lon Riley, founder, DPI Laboratory.
When it comes to irregularly shaped, but flat, objects DPI’s Catalyst VisionAI system allow companies to print accurately to objects based on the scanned shape. Riley says this saves a tremendous amount of time in setup and job run, improved accuracy, and eliminates the need for expensive custom jigs and fixtures that require independent alignments.
Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS)
EPS supports printing on curved, contoured, uneven, textured, and tiered products through its single-pass, DTO inkjet systems; multi-pass DTO inkjet systems; cylindrical inkjet systems; and custom robotic inkjet production cells. These platforms are designed for applications where a standard flatbed, label-based or fixed-format decoration process is not sufficient.
Boris Liberman, senior engineering manager, EPS, says depending on the product, EPS can engineer systems for curved surfaces, tapered parts, molded features, textured finishes, tiered geometries, cylindrical objects, and large three-dimensional components.
“What sets EPS apart is that we do not treat the printer as the entire solution. For complex DTO applications, the print engine is only one part of the production process. The system must also load and orient the part, prepare the surface, hold the object consistently, manage geometry, maintain registration, cure the ink, inspect quality and offload finished goods without creating bottlenecks. EPS engineers those steps together as a complete decoration cell,” notes Liberman.
For larger or highly irregular products, EPS can also integrate robotic inkjet end-of-arm tooling, which allows the print system to move around the object rather than forcing the object through a fixed machine envelope. This approach expands the range of products that can be printed digitally, including large injection-molded components such as waste containers, safety equipment housings, and industrial panels.
“The key differentiator is EPS’s application-led engineering approach. We evaluate the substrate, surface energy, pretreatment method, ink, cure strategy, part geometry, fixturing, motion control, automation, and vision inspection together. That is particularly important for irregular objects because image quality, adhesion and registration have to remain consistent across changing heights, angles, curves, textures, and surface conditions,” offers Liberman.
Epson
Epson’s drect-to-shape solution, CONTOURJET, is an inkjet system that prints full-color graphics directly onto 3D objects from digital files, eliminating the need for plates or molds.
The technology is designed to print on a range of products, from curved surfaces to complex shapes and larger objects, depending on the shape and size of the piece.
“What sets CONTOURJET apart is its ability to provide a unified solution that integrates the printhead, ink ejection control, motion control, image processing, and ink, enabling stable image quality and reliability even on curved surfaces,” comments Dan Valles, business development manager, OEM printheads, Epson.
Innovative Digital Systems (IDS)
High-gap UV printers like the IDS Prisma Z-Max Pro flatbed printer and the RevPro 360 rotary printer, redefine what’s possible in DTO printing.
These systems allow decorators to print large graphics top to bottom on curved, contoured, uneven, textured, tiered, and cylindrical products, while maintaining exceptional image quality and registration.
“Our machine models paired with our cutting edge innovation and engineering push the envelope on what decorators can print and are among the most industrial solutions available on the market today. This is made possible by the perfect harmony of ink development, print driver technology, and printhead optimization,” states Michael Perrelli, sales director, IDS.
Inkcups
According to Gregory Harwood, director of digital product management and global service, Inkcups, Inkcups is a pioneer of DTO printing and continuously drives innovation in the field. From helical printing with the Helix range of cylindrical printers through to the development of its High Throw technology, many of the capabilities of the machines in its DTO range were developed in response to customer demand to solve the problem of decorating items that would otherwise be impossible to print digitally.
In 2025 the X5-T High Throw launched to enable customers to expand the range of items they can decorate by extending the ink throw distance to allow for printing around curves and contours, in recesses, over latches and hinges, and inside concave shapes on items such as mugs with handles, tiered drinkware, coolers, rackets with stepped handles, Christmas ornaments, and sports balls.
In 2026 Inkcups expanded High Throw capability to cylindrical printing with the launch of the Helix High Throw, removing many of the previous limitations of cylindrical DTO by making it possible to print 360 degrees around items with aggressive tapers, stepped profiles, or posts for attaching handles.
INX International Ink Co.
The INX CP800 is a versatile DTO inkjet proofing system. Powered by JetINX, it was developed to print on two-piece cans, bottles, or other curved cylindrical objects using eight color channels.
“The CP800 makes it possible for graphic designers, printing professionals, and industrial businesses to easily produce a single digital proof or more for promotional events and marketing opportunities. It has an extended gamut UV ink set and advanced color management software so you can print and test design concepts in-house. For quick turnaround and low cost proofing, you won’t find anything better,” says Paul Edwards, VP, digital division, INX International.
Koenig & Bauer Kammann (US) Inc.
The K4DP, K15, and K15DP platforms are purpose-built for exactly printing on complex shapes. What sets them apart is that the digital module isn’t bolted onto a generic machine. It’s integrated into a platform designed from the ground up for three-dimensional container decoration.
Servo-controlled positioning manages every axis precisely, so the printhead maintains its relationship to the container surface regardless of what that surface does. Robotic handling extends that capability to shapes that would be impossible to present consistently any other way. Throw distance is engineered into the system rather than worked around. And because the machine controls everything: motion, ink temperature, circulation, and timing, the output is consistent at production speed, not just during a sample run.
Mutoh America, Inc.
The XpertJet 461UF, XpertJet 661UF, and XperJet 1462UF all offer the same capabilities to print on complex objects. “We have created presets for our RIP software VerteLith to apply settings that allow for high distance printing. This reduces the setup time for operators, increasing turnaround time for large runs,” offers Emilio Rangel, product manager, Mutoh.
Roland DGA Corp.
Roland’s VersaObject RC-300 Series features benchtop helical printers that print directly onto cylindrical objects. These specialized printers can also print onto tapered, convex, and concave objects.
This series, which includes the RC-300 and the RC-300c—for printing on clear and translucent bottles without filling, offers solutions that are ideal for short runs, premium customization, and fast set-up for applications such as bottles, containers, promotional items, and limited-edition packaging.
Oct2026, DPS Magazine
