Pad Printing is a versatile printing technique that is particularly well-suited for a variety of promotional items such as pens, water bottles, golf balls, and stress toys. This method excels in transferring ink onto surfaces that are not flat, allowing for high-quality prints on items with curves, textures, or other irregularities. By utilising a silicone pad, the ink is effectively transferred from a printing plate onto the product, ensuring that even the most intricate designs can be applied to challenging surfaces with precision and clarity.
Advantages:
-
Sharp multi-colour prints.
Disadvantages:
-
Halftone limits; separate setup charges per colour.
Artwork Requirements:
-
Editable vector format.
How Does it work?
Pad printing machines consist of three primary components essential for transferring a print onto a substrate: the plate, the ink cup, and the pad. The plate is engraved with an image. The ink cup contains the ink and slides over the engraved plate, depositing a tiny amount of ink into the engraving. The printing pad, made of a relatively soft silicone material, acts as the delivery system by pressing onto the ink-filled engraving to pick up the image, then moving over the substrate to press again and transfer the image.
