A printed floor job runs in six steps: check the site, confirm power at the surface, prep the floor, lay out the image, print it, and hand it over. The Floor Series prints at 10 to 20 sq ft an hour, and the UV ink cures as it prints, so each pass is finished when the head reaches the end of it. Floors run on the Floor Series only. The Pro Series and Tech Series print vertical surfaces.
The Wall Printer® assembles, tests and supports direct-to-surface UV printer packages for walls, floors, glass, metal, wood and panels in Wilmington, NC. The Floor Series is the horizontal one: $39,995, an Epson DX7 print head with 6 color channels, white ink standard, four belt-driven wheel housings and no track, a 12 inch onboard touchscreen, and three hard-shell cases for the van.
Before the job: site check, power and prep
1. Check the site
Most of a good floor job is decided before the van leaves. Get these answers, and a few photos, first:
The floor. Sealed concrete, coated concrete, tile, a hard floor, a court, an aisle. What’s on it now, and is it sound?
The area. Measured square footage and the shape of the graphic.
Access. Doors, stairs, a loading dock, and somewhere to open three cases.
Downtime. How long the area can be closed, and when.
Power. Where the nearest outlet is (more on that below).
Traffic. What will cross this floor once it’s finished: feet, athletic play, carts, forklifts.
That last one matters because every floor sees different traffic. More on that at the end. If the job depends on it, call before you quote.
2. Confirm power at the surface
The Floor Series has no battery. It needs power at the surface for the whole job. Find the outlet, plan the cord run so the machine and the cord never cross wet prep, and confirm the power will stay on for the hours you need.
3. Prep the floor
The floor has to be clean, dry and sound. Prep decides the result more than the machine does. Loose coatings, dust, oil and moisture all show up in the finished print.
The right prep and primer depend on the floor type and what’s already on it. Surface prep is covered in training, start to finish, with your hands on it. If you’re unsure about a floor, text a photo to the support team before the job.
On the day: layout and printing
4. Lay out the image
Build the file to the measured area. Load it into the RIP and layout software, which comes with the machine and has no annual fee. Mark the start point and the edges of the print area on the floor. The Floor Series rolls on its own wheels, so the floor is the track.
On a dark or colored floor, plan a white layer under the color. White ink is standard.
5. Print
The Floor Series prints 10 to 20 sq ft an hour. The range moves with resolution and color mode. At those speeds, a 100 square foot logo is between about five and ten hours of printing, and a 300 square foot center court graphic is about fifteen to thirty hours, across more than one day. Plan the schedule from the low end until you know your mode.
Ink runs about fifty cents a square foot, so the 100 square foot logo is about $50 in ink, more with a full white layer.
The UV light cures the ink as the head moves, so there’s no drying time between passes. Each pass is finished when the head reaches the end of it.
Handover and care
6. Hand it over
Walk the floor with the client. Take your photos. Pack the three cases. Back at the shop, the routine is about twenty minutes every other day the machine runs, and the pump box circulates the ink every twelve hours on its own.
Planning for traffic
Every floor is different. These are the things to plan with us before you quote:
Abrasion and wear under foot traffic, athletic play, carts, forklifts and pallet jacks.
Slip resistance of the printed surface.
Clear coat. Whether a printed floor needs one, which product, and what it adds to the job.
We don’t make claims about any of them. If your job depends on one, call the team before you quote or specify it, and we’ll get the question to the support team in Wilmington. The full list is in what is documented and what is not.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to print a floor?
The Floor Series prints 10 to 20 sq ft an hour. A 100 square foot logo is between about five and ten hours of printing.
Can the Pro or Tech Series print floors?
No. Floors run on the Floor Series only. The Pro and Tech print vertical surfaces.
Does a printed floor need a clear coat?
Every floor is different, so plan wear, slip resistance and any clear coat with us. If your job depends on it, call or text 910-632-0320 before you quote it.
Have a floor in mind?
Call the team at 910-632-0320. Send a photo of the floor and the square footage. The full spec is on the Floor Series page.
Want a recommendation for your space? Every space is different. Tell the team in Wilmington the surface, the space and what you want on it, and we’ll tell you how we’d print it.