Workwear firm expands print capabilities with Inkcups DTO technology

Northern Irish promotional and workwear supplier, Cuchulainn Workwear, has invested in Inkcups direct-to-object (DTO) print technology to expand its printing capabilities and bring its promotional product production back in-house.

Based in Jonesborough, Northern Ireland, Cuchulainn Workwear specialises in providing customised workwear and promotional items including drinkware and coasters, pens, notebooks, and keyrings for businesses across all sectors.

The company wanted to offer customers a wider range of branded products while keeping production under one roof and creating a ‘one-stop-shop’ offering.

After researching the various options available on the market, Alan Murphy, managing director of Cuchulainn Workwear, decided to invest in two Inkcups DTO machines – a Helix ONE benchtop cylindrical UV inkjet printer and an X5-T flatbed UV inkjet printer.

The addition of the two machines aims to significantly broaden Cuchulainn Workwear’s in-house printing capabilities, allowing the company to streamline processes and improve efficiency.

With both DTO print technologies now in place, Cuchulainn Workwear has expanded the range of promotional products it decorates in-house, offering branded cups, pens, travel mugs, and other customised merchandise alongside its existing workwear offering.

The two machines were installed in June 2026, and by early July Cuchulainn Workwear had produced its first customer order of 25 branded travel mugs.

Jolene Muckian, executive marketing assistant at Cuchulainn Workwear, says: “Seeing the machines in operation so soon after installation reinforced the positive impact of the investment and demonstrated our ability to begin delivering high-quality promotional products to customers immediately. As this was our first order on the new equipment, we were delighted with how it turned out.”

Cuchulainn Workwear also cites the support and training offered by Inkcups as an important factor in its decision to invest in the technology. Support from the Inkcups team enabled staff to begin using the new equipment for customer production within a matter of weeks, with installation and training overseen by Sven Karkossa, field service engineer at Inkcups Europe.

Muckian says: “Sven made sure we understood each stage before moving on, answered every question we had, and gave us plenty of time to practice until we felt confident. The machines themselves are very user-friendly and the training gave us the confidence to start producing customer orders almost immediately after installation.”

Having established production on the new equipment, Cuchulainn Workwear is in the process of training other members of its team to operate the machines, with the aim of helping to build wider knowledge and confidence across the business.

Muckian adds: “While any new equipment can seem daunting at first, the great thing about Inkcups direct-to-object printing technology is how simple and straightforward the machines are to operate.

“With automated workflows and features like a fully automatic tooling fixture with height adjustment on the Helix ONE, these machines are designed to break down barriers to entry into DTO printing. The fact that, with just a few days of training, the team was up and running and creating customer orders really highlights this.”