A method and apparatus for imprinting high quality images on non-planar surfaces, including the surfaces of various types of three-dimensional articles, such as baseball bats, formed from a number of different types of materials. In the preferred method of the invention, the non-planar surfaces of the three-dimensional articles are printed using a uniquely modified ink jet image transfer technique. The apparatus of the invention includes an ink jet printer coupled with a novel article positioning apparatus which functions to support a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart articles, to move a selected one of the circumferentially spaced articles into proximity with the ink jet printer and to controllably rotate the selected one of the circumferentially spaced articles.