A photo on a wood panel
One family or wedding photo printed on maple or birch, with a keyhole cut for the wall.
Printing on wood / photos, logos, boxes and plaques
Your photo or logo printed directly on wood.
PrintAWorld UV prints photos, logos and full-color artwork directly onto wood in our Brooklyn studio: maple and birch panels, presentation boxes, walnut plaques, signs and laser-cut shapes. The ink sits on the surface, so the grain shows through lighter areas for a natural look, or we print white underneath where the colors need to stay solid. A job is a $150–$250 setup plus $20–$30 per piece; large panels are quoted per project, and you supply the wood or we cut it from sheet stock.
Print photo on wood
Ink on the surface, grain in the picture.
Wood is printed on the face. Where the artwork is light or transparent the grain shows through, which is the look most people want from a photo on wood. Where a color must stay true, a brand blue or a white logo on walnut, we lay white ink under it first.
Flat is the rule. Panels, box lids, plaques and cutouts print directly; a raised edge or a handle in the way means we print a transfer and apply it by hand. The flatbed takes pieces up to 24 × 18 in and 8 in tall.
Every wood is different, so we proof on your wood: a test print on a spare lid or an offcut before the run.
Wood print ideas
01 / THE IDEASPhoto panels, logo boxes, plaques and cutouts.
Logos on presentation box lids
A logo plaque on walnut
Two-sided prints on laser-cut shapes
The kinds of wood prints we print. Send your artwork and a photo of the item for a proof on the real piece.
Who orders them
02 / THE USESWood prints for gifts, brands and spaces.
Logos on presentation boxes
Your mark on the lids of gift or product boxes you supply, one setup for the whole run.
Plaques and signs
A full-color logo on walnut or bamboo for a reception wall, shelf or door.
Printed cutouts and tokens
Laser-cut shapes, ornaments and tokens printed in color on one side or both.
Which wood
03 / THE MATERIALMaple, birch, walnut, bamboo and plywood.
Maple and birch
Light and even, the best for photos. The grain shows through the highlights.
Walnut and dark woods
White ink under the artwork keeps a logo bright; a white-only mark looks like inlay.
Bamboo and plywood
Flat, stable and good for signs and boards. Sealed surfaces are tested first.
Finished or oiled wood
Some finishes repel ink. Send a spare and we test adhesion before quoting the run.
How it works
04 / THE PROCESSFrom your file to printed wood.
Standard lead time is 2–3 weeks after the wood reaches us and you approve the proof. Panels we cut from sheet stock need nothing shipped to us.
Send the file and the wood
A high-resolution photo or vector artwork, at the print size, and a photo of the box, plaque or panel.
Approve a proof on wood
We print a test on a spare or an offcut of the same wood and send you a photo.
We print the run
Each piece printed flat on the bed, white under the colors where needed, checked one by one.
Packed and shipped
Padded and shipped anywhere in the U.S., or picked up in Brooklyn.
Pricing
05 / THE PRICEWood printing pricing.
UV printing setup$150–$250
Once per job: the jig, a proof and a test on a spare. Counts toward the job.
What sets the price
Printing, per box, plaque or small panel$20–$30 per piece
Panels we cut from sheet stockQuoted per project
Panels larger than 24 × 18 inQuoted per project
A second sideQuoted per project
Rush for an eventCase by case
At PrintAWorld, UV printing on wood is a $150–$250 setup per job (the jig, a proof and a test on a spare, counted toward the job) plus $20–$30 per piece. Panels we cut from sheet stock, panels larger than 24 × 18 in and a second side are quoted per project. Rush adds 50% per piece. The minimum order is $200. Ask for several quantities and we price each one.
Price my wood print
Send what you have. We’ll reply with a written quote for each quantity, with no payment needed to ask.
Printed boxes in bulk
Hundreds of box lids, one logo, one jig.
For a run of boxes or cutouts we make a jig that holds them in rows, test one, and print the rest on the same setup. Mixed artwork goes in the same job; each design gets its own proof.
Send the count and the artwork at 1:1. Cutouts sent with artwork that is not sized to the piece are the most common reason a wood job waits, so tell us the print size on the item.
Plan a box runFrom client emails
What our clients wrote to us.
Our clients rarely leave online reviews, so these are from the emails they sent us after their projects, quoted as written.
“Thanks again for your help! The mugs were a huge hit!”
“Thank you again for all your help with this project. It was a pleasure working with you and your team. Until the next one!”
Before you order
Wood printing questions, answered.
How much does printing a photo on wood cost?
At PrintAWorld, UV printing on wood is a $150–$250 setup per job (the jig, a proof and a test on a spare, counted toward the job) plus $20–$30 per piece. Panels we cut from sheet stock, panels larger than 24 × 18 in and a second side are quoted per project. Rush adds 50% per piece. The minimum order is $200. Ask for several quantities and we price each one.
Do I need to supply the wood?
For boxes, plaques and shaped pieces, yes. We don’t stock blanks, only sheet acrylic, so you supply the wood pieces. Ship them with tracking or drop them off at 616 Berriman St, Brooklyn, NY, 12–5 pm Monday to Friday. Send 2–3 spares on a small run and 5–10 on a run of hundreds; we test on a spare before we print the rest. For flat panels we can cut maple, birch or plywood from sheet stock and quote the material.
Will the grain show through the photo?
Yes, in the lighter parts of the picture, which is the look most people want. If you want solid, bright color everywhere, we print a white layer under the artwork first. Tell us which you prefer and the proof shows it.
Can you print on a wooden box lid?
Yes, when the lid is flat and the box fits under the print head (8 in tall). A raised rim or a handle that blocks the head means we print a transfer and apply it by hand.
Can you print both sides?
Yes. Two-sided pieces are printed in two passes with the piece flipped in the jig, and quoted per project.
Is it an engraving?
No. Engraving burns the design into the wood in one brown tone; UV printing lays full-color ink on the surface. For a logo that must survive weather or scrubbing, engraving is the better choice; for color and photos, printing.
Is there a minimum order?
The minimum order is $200 per job, which the $150–$250 setup counts toward. One panel is fine when the job clears it. The setup is charged once, so a larger run costs less per piece.
Do you test before printing the whole order?
Every new item gets a test print on a spare, which you approve before the run. Send 2–3 spares for a small run, 5–10 for hundreds and about 3% for thousands. Pricing is final once the test is done.
How long does it take?
Standard UV printing lead time is 2–3 weeks after your items reach us and you approve the proof, plus shipping. A job that needs a new jig takes about two weeks to set up and a week to print. A single panel cut from our own sheet stock can be quicker because nothing has to ship to us first. Rush is possible when we can start the day you approve: it adds 50% per piece and is paid up front.
Do you ship?
Yes, anywhere in the United States. You pay shipping both ways, or pick up from the Brooklyn studio by appointment. We don’t drop-ship to your customers.
Start your order
Tell us about your wood print.
Send the file, the wood and the size. We’ll reply with a written quote for each quantity.
Get a wood print quoteWhat to send
- The photo or artwork file, sized to the piece
- A photo of the box, plaque or panel, or the panel size you want
- Grain showing through, or solid color on a white base
- How many, and your in-hand date and ZIP
More UV printing
Other things we print on.
Printing on acrylicCustom acrylic printsPhotos, art and logos printed on acrylic panels and signs, one piece or a run.
GiftsCustom cutting boardsYour logo on client and closing gifts, or a name on one board.
Holiday giftsCustom Christmas ornamentsNames or your logo on wood, acrylic or metal, one ornament or a few hundred.
Pricing from PrintAWorld’s published UV printing terms · Updated