UV Printing on 3D-Printed Parts: Custom Camera Gear
UV printing and laser marking let you put permanent, full-colour custom graphics straight onto 3D-printed camera parts like lens caps, body caps and cart accessories. Unlike stickers or gaff tape, the graphic is cured or burned into the part itself, so it will not peel, smudge, curl in the heat or leave a gummy mess behind. It is the first properly durable way to organise and brand your kit, and below we explain exactly how it works, what it survives, and how to get your own logo on your gear.
In this article
- What is UV printing on 3D-printed parts?
- Why stickers and gaff tape never lasted
- How we UV-print and laser-mark custom caps
- What can you put a custom graphic on?
- How to get your own gear printed
- FAQ
What is UV printing on 3D-printed parts?
UV printing is a digital process where the design is jetted onto the surface as a liquid ink and then cured instantly by ultraviolet LED light. The ink does not soak in and dry slowly like a normal print; it hardens on contact, bonding to the plastic in a fraction of a second. Because it prints in full CMYK plus white, you get real colour: gradients, photo detail, tiny type and brand-accurate logos, all on a single part.
Laser marking is the other half of the toolkit. Instead of adding ink, a focused laser permanently changes the surface of the part to create a crisp, single-tone mark. It is ideal for clean text, serial numbers and subtle monochrome logos where you want the mark to be part of the material rather than sitting on top of it.
Put either of these on a 3D-printed part and you get something that has never really existed for camera crews before: a custom, permanent, good-looking finish on gear that is built to your exact spec.
Why stickers and gaff tape never lasted
Every photographer and filmmaker has the same problem: on a busy set, gear gets mixed up, borrowed, dropped in a shared case and walked off with. So we label everything. The trouble is the tools we have always had for it are terrible.
Stickers peel at the edges, fade in the sun and leave a sticky ghost when you finally pick them off. Gaff tape and a Sharpie look exactly as rushed as they are, and the ink rubs off by the second day. Label-maker strips fall off in the cold. None of it survives a real shoot, and none of it looks like something you would want a client to see on your kit.
UV printing and laser marking fix the root cause. The identifier is not stuck to the part, it is the part. That means it holds up to handling, cleaning, weather and time, and it looks intentional instead of improvised.
How we UV-print and laser-mark custom caps
The process is simpler than it looks, and it is why we can turn your logo into finished gear quickly.
Step 1: Design the part. We start with a 3D-printed cap or accessory engineered for a specific mount or piece of kit, so the fit is exact. The printed texture you can see on our caps is deliberate: it gives grip and a premium feel, and the print sits happily on top of it.
Step 2: Prep the surface. The part is cleaned so the ink or laser has a consistent surface to work with. Good adhesion starts with a clean, correctly prepared part.
Step 3: Lay down the graphic. For colour work, the UV printer jets your artwork onto the cap and cures it under UV-LED light in a single pass. A white base layer lets bright colours pop even on a black part, which is how a hot pink and orange logo stays vivid on a matte black cap. For single-tone marks, the laser burns the design in instead.
Step 4: Check and cure. Every part is checked for registration and finish before it goes out. The cured print is dry and handling-ready immediately, no drying rack required.
Put your logo, name or lens ID on a rear cap that will still look sharp in five years.
What can you put a custom graphic on?
Almost any hard-surfaced part in your kit is fair game. The most popular starting points for crews are the parts that go missing or need identifying fastest.
| Part | Best for | From |
|---|---|---|
| EF rear lens cap | Identifying lenses, branding rental glass | $39 |
| PL mount body cap (pair) | Cine bodies, production-house branding | $49 |
| Ronin 4D E-mount body cap | Protecting and personalising the Ronin 4D | $15 |
Rental houses print their name on every cap so kit comes home. Owner-operators put their own logo on to look sharp on set. Camera assistants colour-code caps and cart parts so the right lens is found in a second. The same idea works across your cart accessories, monitor hoods and mounts.
Front and rear caps with your artwork, sized for PL cine bodies.
How do you get your own gear printed?
It takes three steps. First, pick the part that fits your camera, lens or cart. Second, send us your logo or artwork as a vector file or high-resolution image. Third, approve the proof and we print, cure and ship. If you are a rental house or production company doing a whole kit, our custom and branded gear range handles runs of matching caps and accessories so everything looks like one system.
Your logo across a full kit of caps and accessories, made to match.
Frequently asked questions
Does UV printing on 3D-printed parts last?
Yes. Because the ink is cured hard onto the surface rather than stuck on like a sticker, it resists scratching, water and fading through normal handling, cleaning and weather. It is built to still look sharp long after a taped label would have fallen off.
Can you print full colour, or just one colour?
Full colour. UV printing runs CMYK plus white, so gradients, multiple colours and fine detail all reproduce, even on a black part. If you prefer a subtle single-tone finish, laser marking is the alternative.
What is the difference between UV printing and laser marking?
UV printing adds cured ink for full-colour graphics. Laser marking removes or changes the surface for a permanent single-tone mark with no ink at all. We choose whichever suits your artwork and the part.
What file do I need to send for my logo?
A vector file (such as SVG, AI or PDF) gives the cleanest result at any size. A high-resolution PNG with a transparent background also works well for most logos.
Can I get my whole camera kit matched?
Yes. Rental houses and production companies regularly order matching caps and accessories so an entire kit carries the same branding. Our custom cap range is built for exactly that.
More on custom caps: printed caps vs stickers and gaff tape, and does UV printing actually last on set?
Stop labelling your kit with tape
Get permanent, full-colour custom caps and accessories that look as good as your work.
Customise your first cap →Designed on set in Australia. 5% off orders over $100, 10% over $200.