UV Inkjet vs. Water-Based Addressing: What the Upgrade Actually Buys You
Water-based HP inkjet caps a line at 10–12,000 pieces an hour and burns thousands a month in $40 cartridges. A UV inkjet upgrade gives you up to 4 times the speed and cuts ink costs about 95% — with the same crew, on the line you own.
If you run a water-based HP inkjet line, you know the two problems: the cartridges and the speed. Cartridges cost about $40 each. Most lines run four at a time. Replacing them adds up to thousands of dollars a month. And water-based ink dries slowly, so the line tops out around 10,000 to 12,000 pieces an hour. Your feeder and base could go faster. The ink can't.
A UV inkjet fixes both at once.
The speed
UV ink dries the instant it passes under the lamp. Dry time stops being your speed limit. Shops that move to a UV system like the Hawk often see up to 4 times the speed — with the same crew. Four times the mail through the same room. No extra people. No second shift.
Your real number depends on what you run — stock, coverage, piece size. That's why we quote against your real product, not a brochure.
The ink
Moving off cartridges cuts ink costs by about 95%. If you spend thousands a month on cartridges now, that bill almost goes away. For many shops, the ink savings alone pay for the upgrade.
Who this fits
The shop that calls us about this has a working line — feeder, base, water-based heads. Nothing is broken. It's just slow and expensive to feed. You don't need a new line. You need new print technology on the line you own. That's a much smaller job than most people think.
Talk to us
Mailtech has installed and serviced high-speed addressing lines in the Northeast for over 35 years. Tell us what you run and what cartridges cost you — call the office at 631-586-2174.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a UV inkjet head on my existing base and feeder?
Usually, yes. The base and feeder don't care what's printing above them. We do this upgrade all the time — send us what's on your floor.
What speeds can I actually expect from UV inkjet?
Shops stuck at 10–12,000 an hour on water-based ink often run several times that on UV. We'll quote against your real pieces.
What happens to my supply costs?
The cartridge bill mostly goes away. UV ink comes in bulk, not $40 cartridges, and each piece uses less. About 95% savings is what we see.
Does UV ink work on my stock?
UV prints and dries on a wide range of stocks — even coated pieces that water-based ink struggles with. Bring us your worst piece. That's the real test.