*Pad printing* is a printing process that involves the transfer of a 2D image, onto a 3D object. Pad printing can be carried out on almost any kind of object, making it a popular and efficient way of branding products for the purpose of corporate gifts and promotional items.*Pad printing* uses an indirect, offset printing technique, in which an image is first transferred from a printing plate, onto a silicone pad. Then, thanks to the unique properties of the silicone pad, the image is transferred from the pad onto the 3D substrate, which the surface to be printed is known as.*Pad printing* has made it possible to print on surfaces which would otherwise be impossible to print on, and many industrial sectors, from medical to automotive ones, make wide use of the technology involved in order to pad print on their products.
The Pad Printing Process
Pad printing is made possible by the physical changes which occur within the ink film on both the printing plate, and the silicone pad. On the printing plate, these changes allow the etched area of the plate to adhere to the silicon pad, transferring the image, while the same type of changes allow the image to be released from the pad, and instead adhere to the substrate upon which it is being printed.Thanks to the flexibility of the silicone pad, the image can be transferred onto almost any surface, regardless of its shape. Whether it’s flat, cylindrical, spherical concave, convex or textured, pad printing allows the transfer of an image onto metal, plastic, or a wide range of other materials and surfaces.Pad printing machines utilise a sealed ink cup that covers the etched area of a printing plate with ink. The ink fills the etched area, where it becomes tacky with exposure to air. Next, the transfer pad presses briefly against the printing plate, lifting away with the ink from the etched image. As the transfer pad moves forward and is compressed against the substrate, (leaving behind the image, the ink cup fills the etched image on the printing plate again, ready for the next cycle. Multicolour pad printing images are achieved by multiple passes, with each ink colour having a separate printing plate and transfer pad.
Pad Printing Equipment
Since pad printing machines are specialist equipment, and a pad printing machine and pad printing supplies are relatively expensive, it’s usually most cost effective to have a professional printing company provide whatever pad printing requirements you have. Most promotional gift companies are able to meet any pad printing needs you have, and either have the necessary printing machine themselves, or already contract out to printers who will have a variety of printing equipment.Silk screen printing may be a viable alternative solution to pad printing in some cases. However, there are some limitations on the types of materials that can be used by screen printers, and as a result, pad printing is often more effective for printing on solid and irregular 3 dimensional objects than screen printing is.Although pad printing first became common in the 1960’s, mainly for the watch-making industry, its versatility was soon recognised, and it developed into a precision printing process with specialised machinery that allowed the automation of the pad printing system, and increased the range of suitable applications.