If you run a small to mid-sized print shop, you are likely fielding requests your current equipment was not designed to handle, rigid signage one day, vinyl banners and custom packaging the next. Buying a dedicated machine for every substrate category is not very practical, and that is exactly why investing in the right UV hybrid printer can redefine what your shop is capable of producing.
The ValueJet 1638UH Mark II is engineered for businesses that need professional UV-LED printing performance across both roll media and rigid substrates, on a single, production-ready platform. It earned the Pinnacle Award 2025 for a reason, and it starts with the way it was fundamentally built to work.
The promise of a true UV hybrid printer is straightforward: one machine and two production modes, no compromise on quality. In practice, that means your shop can run vinyl labels, stickers, window decals, and shelf talkers in the morning, then switch to direct printing on foam board, acrylic signs, or corrugated packaging in the afternoon, without changing equipment or disrupting workflow.
As a MUTOH hybrid printer, the ValueJet 1638UH Mark II delivers on that promise at a production-grade level. It handles roll media up to 64 inches wide for demanding roll to roll hybrid printer workflows, and transitions cleanly to a flatbed mode that accommodates rigid substrates up to 0.5 inches thick. That range covers almost every material a sign shop or commercial printer encounters day to day: ACM panels, PVC board, foam, acrylic, and Coroplast, all under 10mm, which is where the vast majority of real-world signage and display work actually happens.
If you are curious about how the MUTOH ValueJet 1638UH Mark II could fit into your current production workflow, reaching out to your nearest authorized dealer is a great first step. They can walk you through substrate compatibility and configuration options specific to your shop.
What separates a capable UV hybrid printer from a great one is not just the hardware; it is the ink. The ValueJet 1638UH Mark II supports two purpose-built UV-LED ink sets: UH21 for rigid substrates and US11 for flexible roll media. Together, they give print shops a production system tuned to the specific demands of each substrate category rather than a one-ink-fits-all compromise.
Engineered for rigid media and deliver superior adhesion and color quality on demanding hard surfaces. It is the ink of choice for indoor applications such as backlit signage, point-of-purchase displays, wall coverings, trade show graphics, and direct printing on acrylic, wood, glass, PVC, foam board, and Coroplast. UH21 produces vivid, long-lasting results when presentation quality matters most.
Designed for flexible roll media and brings that same durability standard to vinyl labels, signs, stickers, and roll-up banner media. Both UH21 and US11 are formulated to perform across a wide range of materials: acrylic, plastic, vinyl, canvas, metal, wood, paper, and glass, and, when used properly, both deliver outstanding durability across that full substrate range.
For a shop producing both hard-surface and soft signage on the same production day, having ink systems purpose-built for each mode ensures consistent, professional results on every job.
Winning the Pinnacle Award 2025 is not a headline; it is a signal. The Pinnacle Award is one of the most rigorous recognitions in the wide-format and UV printing industry, assessed by independent professionals who evaluate innovation, real-world performance, value, and impact on the shops using the equipment. The ValueJet 1638UH Mark II earned this recognition because it delivers what print shops actually need: broad substrate capability, reliable production performance, and long-term dependability that withstands daily production demands.
For any shop owner evaluating a large format printer investment, that third-party validation carries weight. It means the machine has been measured outside of a controlled demo environment, against the real demands of production, and it held up. If you want to see that performance firsthand, requesting a demo is the most direct way to evaluate whether the platform is the right fit for your shop's specific output requirements.
Beyond the award, what stands out in daily production is the machine's operational design. Print speed reaches 244 ft²/hr across production modes, whether running roll media, printing directly onto rigid boards, or switching between the two within the same shift. That level of throughput means operators do not sacrifice speed for hybrid capability, keeping production schedules on track.
The changeover between roll and flatbed modes is designed to minimize downtime between job types. The vacuum table holds rigid materials flat and secure, reducing misfeeds and reprints on high-value substrates. UV LED curing is instant, which means output is ready to handle the moment it exits the machine, whether it is a set of vinyl banners heading to finishing or a batch of rigid yard signs going straight to delivery.
Power efficiency is another practical advantage. Operational power consumption runs at approximately 770W, which is meaningfully lower than comparable platforms in this category. For a shop manager tracking operating costs across a full equipment floor, that efficiency compounds over a multi-year production lifecycle.
The case for the MUTOH hybrid printer ValueJet 1638UH Mark II comes down to the range of revenue-generating applications it consolidates into a single workflow:
The roll feed opens a wide range of flexible media production, including banners, wall graphics, labels, stickers, and banners. US11 ink handles this full range on flexible substrates with consistent color accuracy and durability across short runs and high-volume production alike.
The flatbed hybrid printer mode brings UH21 ink directly to ACM panels, PVC board, foam board, acrylic signs, Coroplast, and custom metal sign blanks. Whether your shop is producing yard signs, parking signs, safety signs, or trade show signage, the results are sharp and consistent from the first panel to the last. MUTOH Intelligent Interweaving (i²) technology takes care of banding and keeps color accurate across every unit in a set.
Direct printing on corrugated cardboard, corrugated boxes, folding cartons, and custom packaging materials opens a high-margin product category for shops already serving retail and commercial accounts. Custom boxes with logo, cosmetic packaging, and retail packaging are natural extensions for a shop with a flatbed hybrid printer already in production.
For shops looking to differentiate as signage printers, the ability to take on direct-to-substrate specialty jobs that most competitors cannot produce is a genuine competitive advantage. The best UV hybrid printer for small business applications is one that makes these higher-margin jobs profitable and repeatable, and that is exactly what this platform is designed to do.
For print shops navigating the pressure to expand capabilities without overextending their resources, the decision is rarely simple. But the ValueJet 1638UH Mark II makes a compelling case by consolidating what typically requires two machines into a single machine.
It is a purpose-built UV hybrid printer running roll-to-roll soft signage with US11 ink and direct rigid substrate output with UH21 ink, backed by the Pinnacle Award 2025 as independent confirmation that the platform performs at a professional production level. ACM, PVC, foam, acrylic, Coroplast, vinyl, banners, packaging, one machine, one workflow, and a foundation for sustainable shop growth.
Ready to see what it can do for your operation? Request a demo to experience the print quality and substrate versatility firsthand, or find your nearest authorized MUTOH dealer to get started.