SALES TEAM: 020 7842 1555
EMAIL: sales@designsupply.co.uk
SALES TEAM: 020 7842 1555
EMAIL: sales@designsupply.co.uk
28 September 2026
PRINTING United Expo 2026 wraps up in Las Vegas, Roland DG and Epson both push new hardware into direct-to-object printing — plus a practical look at whether DTO printing is worth adding to your own business.
The show closed on 25 September after three days at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drawing more than 27,000 registered attendees from around 100 countries and over 850 exhibitors across roughly a million square feet of floor space. Organisers reported hundreds of product introductions, including numerous North American and global debuts, with wide format, apparel, labels and packaging all well represented.
Roland DG will debut five new printers at The Print Show, running 29 September–1 October at the NEC in Birmingham. Alongside updates to its TrueVis eco-solvent, UV and latex ranges, the line-up includes two new VersaObject models: the IO-300 for direct-to-object UV printing on flat and irregular items, and the RC-300 for printing directly onto cylindrical objects such as bottles and drinkware.
Epson has introduced CONTOURJET, a new brand covering its robotic direct-to-shape printing systems, and has named Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS) as its North American distribution partner, with availability expected from Q1 2027. The system uses articulating printheads to print directly onto three-dimensional objects rather than flat media.
With Roland and Epson both pushing hardware in this direction this month, it’s a good moment to ask whether direct-to-object (DTO) printing belongs alongside your existing roll-fed or flatbed setup.
DTO machines print UV-curable ink straight onto the surface of an object — phone cases, bottles, tools, promotional items, even plaques — using a fixed print head and a jig or turntable to hold the item steady, rather than feeding media through on a roll. The appeal for an existing sign or print business is diversification: the same customers who buy signage, POS and vehicle graphics from you often also need branded merchandise, awards, or small-batch promotional items, and right now they’re probably sourcing that from a specialist elsewhere.
Whether you’re weighing up new hardware, need advice on ink or media compatibility, or just want a straight answer on what’s genuinely worth your budget this quarter, our team is happy to talk it through.
We’re now in our 36th year supplying large format printer solutions and have sold over 7,000 printers to architects, photographers, sign makers and print businesses across the UK — more about us here.
Get in touch for a consumables order, a printer quote, or just to talk through your options — we’re always happy to help.
