The traditional UV ink for inkjet printing cannot be universally applied to substrates with different surface properties. The work aims to develop a type of ink with wide applicability to various substrates by adjusting the chemical composition, content and surface tension of the monomers in the UV ink. The water contact angle test was used to analyze the differences in surface properties among typical substrates for two-dimensional codes, revealing the relationship between the universality of the substrate and its surface wettability. A series of inkjet inks with different surface tensions were prepared with different monomers, and the viscosity, morphology of solid particles and curing rate of the inks were tested to obtain the most suitable universal ink formula with the best comprehensive properties. Compared with commercial UV inks, this universal ink reduced the contact angle and interfacial tension changes on the current mainstream substrates, enhancing the adaptability of the ink to different types of substrates for inkjet printing. Through the regulation of auxiliary components, this ink also had the characteristics of fast drying, long-term stability, low viscosity and thermochromism. The key to the universality of the substrate is the surface tension, which can be regulated by the chemical groups of the ink monomers. This ink is expected to provide a reference for the development of highly universal UV inks.