Pad Printing 101- What to Know Before Getting Started

What is Pad Printing?

Pad printing, also known as tampon printing, is fast becoming the preferred method of printing in commercial and manufacturing industries, thanks to its versatility, quality and detail. Though other methods of printing, such as screen printing and hot stamping, were once predominantly used in commercial printing applications, pad printing has been gaining traction since the 1970s as a solution to the limitations posed by the other methods.

Advantages of Pad Printing

The biggest advantage pad printing has over other printing methods is its versatility. Pad printing can be done on just about any surface, regardless of size, shape or material. Because of this versatility, pad printing has become the printing method of choice for many manufacturers of parts, since pad printing  enables them to emblazon their logo, information about the part, such as size, and any other pertinent information on virtually every component they produce.

Other advantages of pad printing include:

Excellent detail

High quality

Not having to sacrifice quality for speed and efficiency

Inkwell System vs. Sealed Cup System

The process of pad printing is a gravure, or indirect offset printing process, in which an image is transferred onto a surface from a soft silicone pad. Two methods of pad printing exist to transfer the image from the pad to the surface of an object- the inkwell system and the sealed cup system. The inkwell system, though more traditional, has fallen out of favor as of late, with most pad printing experts preferring the efficiency and quality that comes from the sealed cup system.

When transferring an image using the inkwell system of pad printing, a cliche plate onto which the image has been chemically etched is first coated, or "flooded," with ink. A steel ink blade known as a "doctor blade" then scrapes the ink from the flat surface of the cliche plate, leaving ink behind in the etched area only. The silicone pad picks up the ink from the cliche plate, transferring it onto the surface that is being printed. Once the pad has transferred the image, the silicone pad moves back into place to repeat the process as many times as necessary.

Sealed cup pad printing is similar to the inkwell method, in that it also involves an etched cliche plate. The major difference is the absence of a doctor blade; instead, the silicone pad comes down from above and rolls over the etched image, compressing onto the cliche and picking up the ink inside the etched area. As the pad is compressed, it pushes air out, which causes the ink to come away from the etching. Most of the ink inside the etching is lifted out by the pad as it comes back up, and then the silicone pad is pressed down onto the surface to be printed, releasing the ink and completing the transfer. The process is then repeated as many times as necessary for the printing job. 

Pad printing experts find the sealed cup system to be simpler, more efficient and faster than the old-school inkwell system; however, you can still find pad printers who prefer the inkwell method. Either system will effectively transfer an image onto virtually any size, shape or material of surface, making pad printing a good option for printing onto industrial parts, tools, or other non-flat surfaces. 

If you are a manufacturer or distributor of a product, or if you work in marketing and are looking for an efficient way to print your company's logo on a variety of surfaces, pad printing is your best choice for quality, efficiency and versatility. There's a reason pad printing has made significant gains in popularity in the last 40 years- it may be the solution you've been looking for!