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Testing print durability

A project log for UV projection printer for PCBs and item marking

This tool can project UV mask and cure paint on various objects, including PCB prototypes, 3D prints, panels and household items

wojciech-adalbert-jWojciech "adalbert" J 10/08/2023 at 22:090 Comments

I tested the print durability by scrubbing a ceramic cup with a set of 3 brushes: nylon, brass and steel.

The nylon brush left the print intact.

Nylon brush

The print started to come off when I was using the brass brush, however the process was gradual. The print was not flaking off. First some scratches were created on the surface, turning pieces of the paint to the dust, then the surface of the mug was slowly being revealed.

Brass brush


Steel brush worked similairly to the brass brush.

Steel brush
Effects of using a steel brush (around 30 seconds of scrubbing)

The test shows that the print remains fine when it comes into contact with plastic surfaces, but it can be scratched with metal tools. That was to be expected, and it should be kept in mind that if the print was on a plastic surface, the plastic surface would also get damaged by metal tools. So the durability of the print seems to be fine for normal use cases.

Also, because ceramic materials are hard, it is actually possible to remove the print without damaging the original material, and replace the artwork with another one.


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