London studio · UK & international projects
Full-colour UV printing straight onto acrylic, wood, metal, glass, leather, slate and plastic, flat or round, with white ink, gloss and raised texture. From a single proof to branded runs in the thousands for companies, events and agencies.
Printed straight onto the object
Printed onto the thing itself
Stranger Hands prints logos, artwork, photographs and lettering straight onto objects in our London studio. UV printing places fine droplets of ink on the surface and cures them with ultraviolet light as they land, so the print is sharp, dry and hard the moment it is made, with no transfers, screens or plates to pay for. We print at up to 1440 dpi on flat pieces up to 330 × 420 mm and about 15 cm tall, and all the way round tumblers, bottles, cups and candles from 47 to 100 mm across. White ink keeps colours bright on dark, clear and metal surfaces, a gloss varnish picks out a logo or a pattern, and ink built up in layers makes raised lettering and texture you can feel. We print on items you send us or ones we source for you, and on parts we 3D print or machine ourselves. Most of our printing is for companies: branded drinkware and desk gifts, awards, name badges, signs, packaging and product labels. Every order starts with a mock-up and a printed proof on the real item. The run is then printed on jigs made for that item, so every logo lands in the same place, and checked against the approved proof before it is packed for one address or many. A name, number or QR code can change on every piece. We quote before any work starts, invoice businesses, and deliver across the UK and abroad.
One logo, four materialsWhat we can help with
Logos, photographs, gradients and fine lettering printed at up to 1440 dpi, straight onto the object. UV light cures the ink as it lands, so it sits crisp on the surface instead of soaking in, and each piece can be handled, packed and posted straight away.
Flat and shallow items up to 330 × 420 mm and about 15 cm tall, printed in batches across the bed. Tumblers, bottles, cups, candles and tubes from 47 to 100 mm across and up to 250 mm long, straight or tapered, printed all the way round in one pass.
A layer of white under the colours keeps them bright on black, coloured, clear and metal surfaces, or prints on its own as a crisp white logo. Gloss varnish adds shine to a logo or a pattern on a matt surface, and fluorescent pink and yellow inks make a design glow in daylight.
Ink built up in layers stands proud of the surface: raised logos and lettering, dotted and embossed patterns, and textures such as leather grain or brushstrokes, up to about 5 mm high and finished in gloss or matt.
We match your brand colours as closely as full-colour printing allows, set up from your brand guide, Pantone references or the item you already have. You see a digital mock-up first, then a printed sample on the real item, and nothing is run until you approve it.
Names, job titles, numbers, dates or QR codes can change from one piece to the next, printed from a spreadsheet. Name badges, place settings, numbered awards, staff gifts and serialised product labels all come out of one run.
Quotes and invoices in your company's name, with a deposit on large orders and your purchase order number on the invoice. Large runs are printed on jigs made for your item, checked against the approved proof throughout, and delivered in agreed batches to one office or several.
Send us your own merchandise, products or packaging to print, or we source the blanks: tumblers, bottles, coasters, notebooks, acrylic, wood and slate. We can also make the item itself, 3D printed or machined in the studio, and print it, so a bespoke piece arrives finished.
What we print
Almost any rigid surface takes a UV print. Tell us what you want printed and where it will be used, and we will suggest the item, the size and the finish, or print on the one you already have.
1Acrylic signs and awards, coasters, plaques, phone cases, notebooks, gift boxes, name badges and packaging, laid out in batches across a 330 × 420 mm bed.
2Tumblers, bottles, cups, candles and tubes from 47 to 100 mm across, straight or tapered, printed all the way round in one pass.
3White under the colours keeps them bright on black, clear and metal; fluorescent pink and yellow glow in daylight; gloss varnish adds a shine.
4Ink built up in layers into raised logos, lettering and patterns you can feel, up to about 5 mm high, in gloss or matt.
Order sizes
Every order is printed from the proof you approved and checked against it. The quantities are a guide: tell us the number you need and the date, and we quote the price per piece.
1–10 pieces
Approving colours before a run, a pitch to a client, or a one-off gift or award.
Ask about this order ↗10–250 pieces
Welcome packs, conference and event merchandise, staff gifts, awards and name badges.
Ask about this order ↗250+ pieces
Branded drinkware and desk gifts, retail stock, product labels and packaging, and repeat orders.
Ask about this order ↗Planning a larger order, several designs or delivery to many addresses? Send what you have, and we will plan the run, the proofs and the deliveries with you.
Plan your order ↗Sizes, inks and files
The facts most projects need before a quote. If your item is close to a limit, send it anyway: there is often a way to print it.
A vector file (PDF, AI, EPS or SVG) stays sharp at any size. Outline the text, or send the fonts, so the lettering prints exactly as designed.
Screens show colour in light, print shows it in ink, so the same file can look different. Send Pantone, CMYK or HEX values, and judge the colours on the printed proof.
On a dark, coloured or clear item, white ink under the colours keeps them bright. Mark it on a separate layer, or tell us and we set it up.
Keep text and logos at least 3 mm from edges, holes and seams. On drinkware, the print stays below the drinking rim and either side of a handle.
When you supply the items, send a few extra for setting up and testing. A new material is always tested for adhesion before the run, and unused spares come back to you.
For names or numbers, send one row per piece and check the spellings. We send the list back as a proof, so a typo is caught before it is printed.
Not sure your artwork is ready? Send it anyway. We check every file before quoting and set it up for print, including the white layer.
Send your artwork ↗What we print
From artwork to delivery
Send your logo or artwork, what you want printed on (or a link to it), the quantity, any names that change from piece to piece and the date you need them by.
We send a digital mock-up and a quote with the price per piece and the lead time, then print a sample on the real item for you to approve.
Each item sits in a jig made for it, so every print lands in the same place. White, colour, varnish and texture are printed in one pass, and pieces are checked against the approved proof throughout.
Every piece is inspected, packed by batch or by recipient, and delivered to one address or several across the UK and abroad, or collected from the studio.
UV or screen printing?
Both are good at what they do. UV printing is digital, so it prints any number of colours with no setup per colour; screen and pad printing make a screen or plate for each colour, which pays off over very long runs.
A few useful answers
UV printing is a digital printing method that jets tiny droplets of ink onto an object and cures them instantly with ultraviolet light. The ink hardens on the surface rather than soaking in, so it prints sharp, full-colour images on materials that ordinary printers cannot handle: acrylic, wood, metal, glass, slate, leather and plastic. There are no screens or plates to make, so a single piece costs no more to set up than a hundred.
Acrylic and most rigid plastics (PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, PETG and 3D prints), wood, plywood, MDF, bamboo and cork, aluminium, anodised and coated metal and stainless steel, glass, ceramic, slate and stone, and leather and faux leather. Glass, bare metal, ceramic and some plastics are primed first so the ink grips. We do not UV print clothing or anything that will be washed, stretched or folded, or silicone and other non-stick surfaces. If you are unsure about an item, send one and we test it before quoting.
Flat and shallow items can be printed up to 330 × 420 mm, about A3, and objects up to about 15 cm tall fit under the print head. Round items such as tumblers, bottles and candles can be 47 to 100 mm across and up to 250 mm long, weighing up to 1 kg, straight or gently tapered. Larger pieces can sometimes be printed in sections. Send the dimensions and we will tell you what is possible.
Yes, all the way round or as a single logo. On a cup with a handle, the print sits either side of the handle rather than right round it, and on a waisted tumbler it covers the straight part. UV ink is not made for food or mouth contact, so the print stays below the drinking rim and away from any surface food touches. Printed drinkware should be washed by hand.
Cured UV ink is hard, waterproof and resists scratches and fading indoors for years. Glass, metal and ceramic are primed, and a varnish can be added where a piece is handled a lot. Tell us if a piece will live outdoors, in full sun or in a dishwasher: we choose the material and finish for it and say plainly what to expect.
Yes, as closely as full-colour printing allows. Send Pantone, CMYK or HEX references or your brand guide, and approve the colours on a printed proof on the real item before the run. A few Pantone colours, such as fluorescents outside our pink and yellow, very bright oranges and metallic golds and silvers, cannot be printed exactly; we show you the nearest match, or leave a metal surface bare where the design needs a metallic finish.
Logos as vector files (PDF, AI, EPS or SVG) with the text outlined; photographs and illustrations as PNG, TIFF or high-quality JPEG at 300 dpi at the size they will be printed. Tell us where white ink should go on a dark or clear item, or let us set it up. No artwork yet? Send your brand guide or a description and we lay it out for you to approve.
Yes. Send a spreadsheet with one row per piece (names, job titles, numbers, dates or the links for QR codes) and we print each item with its own details in a single run. We send back a proof of the list before printing, so spellings can be checked.
There is no minimum: a single proof or one-off gift is welcome. For large orders we print a sample first, then run the batch on jigs made for your item, from hundreds to thousands of pieces, split into agreed deliveries when that helps. The setup is paid once, so the price of each piece falls as the quantity grows, and we keep your settings for repeat orders.
No. We can source the blanks (tumblers, bottles, coasters, notebooks, acrylic, wood, slate and more) or print on your own products, merchandise or packaging. When you send your own, include a few spares for setting up and testing, and we return any that are not used.
Yes, most of our printing is for businesses: corporate gifts, events and conferences, awards, staff onboarding, retail displays and product labelling. We quote and invoice in your company's name, add your purchase order number, take a deposit on large orders and work to your event or launch date. For agencies, we can pack orders without our name and send them straight to your client.
It depends on the item, the print size, whether it needs white ink, varnish or raised texture, any personalisation, and the quantity. Send your artwork, the items and the quantity, and we quote the price per piece and the lead time together before any work starts. Tell us your deadline in the first message, and we confirm it can be met before you order.
Tell us the essentials
Send your logo or artwork, the items you want printed (or a link to them), the quantity, any names or numbers that change from piece to piece, your brand colours and the date you need them by.
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