UV printers open up a huge range of possibilities for makers. Unlike traditional printers, they can print directly onto a wide variety of materials, making them useful for everything from personalized products and artwork to signs, promotional items, and unique one-off projects.
In this review, I put the Morpho UV printer through a series of real-world tests to see what it can actually do. Instead of simply printing a few samples, I wanted to try several very different materials and projects, including coated cardboard, canvas, flexible faux leather, acrylic, slate, brass, and plywood.
The goal was simple: see how well the Morpho handles different materials and how easy it is to create these projects.
What Comes With the Morpho UV Printer
The Morpho arrived with a fairly comprehensive collection of accessories and supplies.
My package included the printer, waste ink tank, wiper unit, air filter, power supply, a full set of inks including white and varnish, test materials, setup tools, UV-protection safety glasses, and a maintenance kit.
The printer also comes with a removable A4 print bed equipped with magnetic clamps. I also received the optional A3 bed, which allows longer items to be printed.
One thing worth noting is that what comes in the box may vary depending on the package purchased.
Morpho UV Printer Features
The Morpho has a print area of 330 × 220 × 168 mm, with the optional A3 bed extending the printable length to 420 mm.
The A4 bed can be removed easily, and magnets can be used to hold materials in place. I was also told that future versions would offer an electrostatic bed designed to make it easier to hold lightweight materials such as paper.
The printer includes a wiper unit for the print head and an air-filter intake, while the ink cartridges are accessible from the side of the machine and can be removed by pressing a button.
There are also Ethernet, USB-C, and power connections, along with a removable waste-ink tank and an accessible air filter.
Another feature I particularly liked is the touchscreen. From the printer itself, you can view printer information, perform maintenance and calibration, update firmware, change printer settings, and even perform reprints without connecting to a computer.
Morpho Studio Software
The Morpho uses Morpho Studio for preparing prints.
The software includes access to previous uploads, templates, assets, text tools, and effects. Images can also be edited directly within the software.
One of the most useful features for my testing was the alignment system.
Snapshot Alignment
The snapshot alignment feature uses two cameras to capture an image of the print bed. You can then position and resize your design directly over the captured image.
This makes it much easier to accurately position a design on an existing object rather than having to guess where the print will land.
The software also provides several ink modes. For my testing, I frequently used white-to-CMYK, which places a white base layer underneath the color.
You can also add varnish to prints when desired.
Before printing, Morpho Studio provides a soft-proofing window with different rendering options. The printing window also provides estimated print time and ink usage, while the job information window shows the progress of the print and provides a live camera preview.
Testing the Morpho UV Printer
With the machine set up, it was time to start testing different materials.
UV Printing a Custom Puzzle
For the first project, I used one of the blank puzzles supplied with the Morpho.
The puzzles are made from thin coated cardboard, so they provided a good test of how well the printer could handle a relatively thin material.
I wanted the image to print right to the edge of the puzzle, so I placed card stock underneath it to catch any ink that went beyond the edge.
For this project, I used a mushroom identification poster and printed it across the puzzle.
I selected the white-to-CMYK ink mode and used the highest available print-resolution setting. I also added a layer of varnish because the finished puzzle would be handled, and I wanted that additional protective layer.
The finished puzzle turned out very well.
The colors looked great, the text was crisp, and the printer had no problem getting into the small grooves and depressions around the individual puzzle pieces.
This was a good first indication that the Morpho could produce detailed prints on relatively thin materials.
Creating an Oil Painting Effect on Canvas
Next, I wanted to try something a little more interesting: printing a textured image onto canvas.
For this test, I used a standard art canvas purchased from a local dollar store rather than a specialized canvas intended specifically for UV printing.
I processed the image using the oil painting effect in Morpho Studio. This adds a 3D texture to the image to simulate the appearance of a traditional oil painting.
You can adjust the relief height with a slider, giving you control over how pronounced the texture becomes.
The textured canvas print turned out excellent.
The Morpho had no problems printing onto the canvas, and the resulting texture gave the image an interesting raised, oil-painting-like appearance.
One thing to keep in mind is that adding multiple layers of textured white increases the printing time.
UV Printing on Flexible Faux Leather
I also wanted to see how the UV ink would perform on a flexible surface, so I tested the printer on faux-leather drink sleeves, commonly called koozies.
Because the material is flexible, I made an insert to hold the sleeve flat during printing. I also created a backer to support the sleeve because magnets on the back of the material prevented it from sitting completely level on its own.
The design was aligned using the Morpho's snapshot system and printed using the white-to-CMYK ink mode.
For this project, I turned off the top varnish because these particular sleeves were being made for display purposes rather than regular use.
The print turned out very nicely, and importantly, it showed no problems when the drink sleeve was flexed.
This test demonstrated that the Morpho can be used to print on flexible materials, provided the material can be properly supported during printing.
UV Printing on Acrylic
Next, I tested the Morpho on acrylic.
For this project, I used acrylic inserts designed to fit into illuminated stands. When installed, light shines through the acrylic, creating an effect similar to a nightlight.
Before printing, I made sure the acrylic was thoroughly cleaned. My process was to first wipe it down with Windex and then give it a second cleaning with 99% rubbing alcohol.
I then used Morpho Studio's stained glass effect to add a raised texture to the design.
The stained-glass effect requires multiple passes, so it takes longer than a basic print.
The finished acrylic print did a good job simulating stained glass.
Once the acrylic was placed into the LED base, there was enough translucency for the light to pass through the printed colors.
I think this effect has a lot of potential for larger projects such as illuminated signs and lantern-style projects.
UV Printing on Slate
For the next test, I moved on to a slate coaster.
Because the UV ink has a glossy appearance, I decided to apply a coat of lacquer to the slate before printing so that the finished surface would better match the appearance of the ink.
For the design, I used a Velociraptor skeleton and added the relief texture effect in Morpho Studio.
Instead of using the default simple relief effect, I selected the detailed effect and reduced the relief height from 3 mm to 1.5 mm.
The software estimated approximately 18 minutes for the print because the relief design requires multiple passes.
The finished coaster was one of my favorite prints from the entire test.
The relief effect added another level of realism to the Velociraptor skeleton, and the Morpho had no apparent problems printing onto the lacquer-coated slate.
The combination of the detailed artwork and raised texture made this project particularly impressive.
UV Printing on Brass Coins
Next, I wanted to see how the Morpho handled metal.
For this test, I used brass coins with a slightly textured surface. The texture helps provide a surface for the UV ink to adhere to.
As a general rule, when printing onto a smooth metal surface, I would recommend lightly sanding the surface to help prevent the ink from peeling after it has dried.
I printed a custom lucky fishing design onto the coins, with one side receiving a standard print and the other receiving a relief-textured version.
I also tested the Morpho's ability to print on multiple objects during the same job by printing three coins together.
The Morpho performed well on the brass coins.
Both the standard and relief-textured sides turned out nicely, and I didn't encounter problems with the ink adhering to the metal during this test.
UV Printing on a Mini Skateboard Deck
For the final test, I wanted to try something larger: a miniature plywood skateboard deck.
Because the ends of the skateboard decks are rounded, I used blocks covered with non-slip material to keep the deck from rolling during printing.
For this project, I switched to the optional A3 print bed.
Installing the larger bed is straightforward. The A4 bed is removed, the A3 bed is dropped into position, and a lever underneath is moved into the locking position. The printer then recognizes the A3 bed, after which the setup procedure can be completed using the touchscreen.
The alignment process is essentially the same as with the A4 bed, although creating the snapshot takes longer because of the larger print area.
Before printing, I lightly sanded the skateboard deck and then applied a coat of lacquer for the appearance it would give the finished piece.
For the print, I used white underneath the CMYK colors and selected the highest DPI setting.
The skateboard deck turned out excellent.
The color and detail really stood out, and once again the Morpho had no apparent problems printing onto the lacquered wood.
This was a great final test because it combined a larger object, wood, a coated surface, and the optional A3 bed.
Final Thoughts on the Morpho UV Printer
After testing the Morpho UV printer on all of these different materials, I was impressed with how well it handled the variety of projects.
During my testing, I had no problems printing on the different materials I tried, including coated cardboard, canvas, flexible faux leather, acrylic, lacquered slate, brass, and lacquered plywood.
The software was also relatively easy to use. Since this was my first UV printer, I expected there might be a significant learning curve, but I found Morpho Studio straightforward to work with.
The combination of the snapshot alignment system, multiple ink modes, white ink, varnish, and built-in texture effects opens up a lot of possibilities for creative projects.
The relief and texture features were particularly interesting because they allow a conventional 2D image to become a much more tactile print.
Overall, I had a lot of fun testing the Morpho and exploring what it could do. There are clearly a lot of potential applications for this type of printer, and the projects in this test only scratch the surface of what could be created.
Find out more about the Morpho UV Printer:
If you have questions about the Morpho UV printer or any of the projects shown in the video, leave them in the comments.