From Screen Printing to UV Flatbed: How a Leading UAE Perfume Manufacturer Rebuilt Its Decoration Line
PRO TECHnology works with two of the largest perfume manufacturers in the Middle East on Direct Color Systems UV flatbed printing. One of them started with a single machine in August 2022 and now runs five, 24 hours a day. This is what changed, and what it means if you decorate perfume or cosmetics packaging in the UAE.
- Client
- Confidential, one of the Middle East's largest perfume manufacturers
- Industry
- Perfume and cosmetics, filling, packaging and product decoration
- Region
- United Arab Emirates, large scale production
- Implementation
- First machine August 2022, reported March 2025
- Installed base
- Five UV flatbed machines running 24 hours a day, more planned
- Replaced
- Screen printing, manual labelling and printed components imported from China
- Evaluation
- Two years of trials before purchase, on coated and uncoated bottles
- Tested for
- Adhesion across coated and non-coated surfaces, and image quality over time
- Durability
- UV cured ink resistant to scratching and fading, and to alcohol in fragrance
- Inks
- Gold certified sustainable inks meeting safety standards
- Minimum order
- None, batch specific artwork with no setup cost per change
- Contact
- +971 4 343 5501, sales@protech.ae
What the line looked like before
Screen printing and manual labelling, with printed bottles and packaging components shipped in from China. That meant long lead times, freight cost, minimum order quantities and no ability to change artwork once a run was committed.
Screens and plates for every design
Each artwork change meant new screens, setup time and a minimum quantity to justify the cost.
Components imported from China
Printed bottles and packaging arrived from overseas, adding freight cost and weeks of delay to every launch.
Solvents and waste
Traditional decoration meant solvent based inks, more waste and a less controlled production environment.
No short runs
Limited edition, seasonal and market specific packaging was not economic, so the range stayed static.
Two years of testing before a single purchase
This was not a quick decision. Before committing, the client ran two years of trials and research on different coated bottles, adhesion testing across coated and non-coated surfaces, and assessment of how image quality held up over time.
Adhesion across substrates
Coated and uncoated glass behave differently, so adhesion was validated on each surface rather than assumed.
Image quality over time
Prints were assessed months later, not just on the day, which is the only way to catch a decoration that lifts later.
Alcohol resistance
Fragrance attacks a print that only sits on the glass, so alcohol resistance was tested directly on filled bottles.
Then, and only then, one machine
The first unit was installed in August 2022 after the testing was complete. Four more followed.
What five machines and 24 hour running changed
As of the March 2025 report the client runs five machines around the clock. The gains were not only speed: the economics of short runs changed completely, and decoration moved in house.
No screens, no plates
Printing starts from the design file, so lead time collapsed from weeks of imported components to the same day.
Short runs became viable
With no setup cost per design, limited editions and batch specific information stopped needing a minimum quantity.
Photographic multi colour
Sharp, vibrant images with fine detail that screen printing could not hold, including gradients and small text.
Scratch and fade resistant
UV cured ink resists scratching and fading, which protects shelf appearance through handling and display.
You do not need to buy a machine to use this
Sun Studio in Al Quoz, Dubai runs the same Direct Color Systems flatbed printers alongside MODICO pre-treatment, and prints for other brands as a service. There is no minimum order quantity, so a run of ten bottles is possible.
No minimum order quantity
Print ten bottles or ten thousand. There is no screen to make, so the setup cost does not force a minimum.
Pre-treatment included
Sun Studio runs MODICO pre-treatment next to the printers, which is what makes the print survive alcohol and handling.
Or put the line in your factory
PRO TECHnology supplies, installs, trains and services Direct Color Systems machines across the UAE and GCC.
Test your own bottle first
Bring your bottle and artwork to the Dubai showroom, and we will print it and test the adhesion in front of you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you print directly onto perfume bottles?
Yes. UV flatbed printers from Direct Color Systems print full colour artwork directly onto glass perfume bottles, with no label and no screen. With correct surface pre-treatment the cured ink resists alcohol from the fragrance, scratching and fading, which is what allows it to replace both labels and screen printing.
Does printing on a perfume bottle survive the alcohol in the fragrance?
It does when the surface is pre-treated correctly before printing. Alcohol attacks a print that is only resting on the glass. With pre-treatment the ink bonds into the surface, and the leading UAE manufacturer in this case study validated alcohol resistance during two years of trials before purchasing.
What is the minimum order for printed perfume bottles in Dubai?
There is no minimum order quantity. Because UV flatbed printing needs no screens or plates, a run of ten bottles has the same setup as a run of ten thousand. Sun Studio in Al Quoz prints perfume and cosmetics packaging as a service on the same machines.
Is UV printing cheaper than screen printing for perfume packaging?
For short and medium runs, yes. Screen printing carries a setup cost per design that forces a minimum quantity. UV flatbed printing starts from the design file, so limited editions, seasonal artwork and batch specific information become economic, and decoration can move in house instead of being imported.
How long did the manufacturer evaluate the technology before buying?
Two years. The client tested different coated bottles, ran adhesion testing across coated and non-coated surfaces and assessed how image quality held up over time. The first machine was installed in August 2022, and by March 2025 five machines were running 24 hours a day.
Which materials can a UV flatbed printer decorate?
Glass, plastics, metal, ceramic, acrylic, wood and paper based substrates can all be printed, which is why the same machine that decorates perfume bottles also produces signage, gifting items and interior panels.
Are the inks safe and sustainable for cosmetics packaging?
The client moved to gold certified sustainable inks meeting safety standards, and UV printing uses fewer solvents and produces less waste than the screen printing and manual labelling it replaced.
الطباعة على زجاجات العطور في الإمارات: دراسة حالة لمصنع عطور رائد
انتقل أحد أكبر مصنّعي العطور في الشرق الأوسط من الطباعة بالشاشة الحريرية واللصق اليدوي واستيراد العبوات المطبوعة من الصين، إلى الطباعة الرقمية بالأشعة فوق البنفسجية على طابعات مسطحة من Direct Color Systems. بدأ بجهاز واحد في أغسطس 2022، ويشغّل اليوم خمسة أجهزة على مدار 24 ساعة وفق تقرير مارس 2025، مع نية إضافة المزيد. قبل الشراء أجرى العميل سنتين من التجارب والاختبارات على أنواع مختلفة من الزجاجات المطلية وغير المطلية، شملت اختبارات الالتصاق وثبات جودة الصورة مع مرور الوقت ومقاومة الكحول الموجود في العطر. النتائج: زمن تنفيذ أسرع دون شاشات أو ألواح طباعة، وتكلفة أقل للكميات الصغيرة، وطباعة ملونة عالية الدقة بتفاصيل دقيقة وتدرجات لونية، وأحبار مستدامة معتمدة، وإمكانية تعديل التصميم والمقاسات وبيانات كل دفعة فورًا ودون تكلفة إضافية، وطباعة على الزجاج والبلاستيك والمعادن والسيراميك والأكريليك والورق، مع مقاومة للخدش والبهتان تطيل عمر المنتج على الرف. لمن لا يرغب في شراء ماكينة: يشغّل استوديو صن ستوديو في القوز بدبي نفس طابعات Direct Color Systems إلى جانب أنظمة المعالجة السطحية MODICO، ويوفر خدمة الطباعة على زجاجات العطور ومستحضرات التجميل دون حد أدنى للطلب، أي يمكن طباعة عشر زجاجات فقط. الطباعة مقاومة للخدش ومقاومة للكحول بعد المعالجة السطحية الصحيحة. ملاحظة: الصور المعروضة عينات إنتاجية من تنفيذ صن ستوديو لأغراض العرض والاختبار فقط وليست معروضة للبيع. تتولى بروتكنولوجي التوريد والتركيب والتدريب والصيانة والأحبار في الإمارات ودول الخليج والشرق الأوسط.
Bring a bottle. We will print it and test it.
Send us your perfume or cosmetics bottle and your artwork. We will pre-treat it, print it and cross hatch test the adhesion at our Dubai showroom, so you see the result before any decision.