The Perfect Print: Pad Printing Troubleshooting Tips

Whether you’re new to pad printing or a seasoned professional, this pad printing troubleshooting guide is designed to answer common questions and provide tips and tricks that will help you along the printing journey. We’ll cover ink, pre-treatment, and substrates so you can troubleshoot issues as they arise. Read further to find a collection of the most common pad printing troubleshooting tips and answers.

Pad Printing Troubleshooting Tips

The most common pad printing problems are:

• Poor ink adhesion
• Double imaging plates (clichés) that won’t doctor cleanly, and
• Inconsistent print quality

This section compiles common questions and problems, aiming to make the printing experience positive and rewarding from start to finish.

Problem: Unable to Print White on Dark Fabrics

White ink prints grey on dark fabric when opacity is too low or when the ink embeds into the garment fibers instead of sitting on top of them. White or light colors on dark fabrics often appear grey due to insufficient opacity or ink embedding in garment fibers.

If you wish to print bright white on dark fabrics, we suggest using the Brite Care Label Printing Machine specifically created for pad printing brighter whites and light colors on dark fabrics. SB Brite Opaque Garment Printer Ink will ensure a crisp print with Brite White, Brite Pink, and Brite Yellow ink colors to choose from.

Tip: If you already own a pad printer or have minimal need for printing white on dark, try using Cool Grey 6 instead of white to get a more opaque print. This is standard practice for many major brands!

Problem: Ink isn’t Sticking to the Substrate

There are multiple reasons why this could be an issue!

Ink adhesion fails for one of three reasons:

Reason 1: There is no universal ink

• Inks are specially formulated with specific substrates in mind. For instance, Inkcups offers ten different inks for pad printing, like the CG Seriespad printing ink for glass, ceramics, and metal the PN Series  for untreated polypropylene, and the SB Series for apparel and rubber. Good adhesion begins with the choice of the ink used.

Reason 2: Contamination could be a factor

• The substrate could have oils, dust, or mold on the substrate which acts as a barrier when laying ink down. In other words, oils from your hands handling the product could be the problem.

Reason 3: You may be missing a crucial step in your process, pre-treatment!

• The surface energy of the material could be too low. Pre-treatment will alter the surface tension of your substrate to make it a more suitable location for ink to stick. Adding a pre-treatment regime is a common practice when printing on glass. Consult an Inkcups technician for your specific needs to come up with a personalized plan.

Problem: My Print is a Double Image

A double image, or ghosting, is almost always caused by machine vibration during the print cycle. Double images or “ghosting” usually result from improperly secured tabletop machines causing vibration during operation.

To remedy this issue, make sure your pad printer is properly fastened to the table according to specifications from your manufacturer.

Problem: Pad Printing Machine isn’t Doctoring the Clichés

Poor doctoring is usually caused by too little ink in the cup or a plate deflecting under the doctor blade.

Reason 1: You’re Not Using Enough Ink

Insufficient ink in the cup prevents proper doctoring efficiency.

Reason 2: Scooping- Bald Spots on my Print

Magnetic ink cups may deflect the plate, or bold etches with inadequate support can cause scooping.

Problem: Print Quality isn’t up to my Standards

Declining print quality is typically due to worn consumables or a workspace running outside the ideal temperature range. More specifically:

Reason 1: Time to Replace Parts

• Pad printing pads and the etched plate both have life spans! Even a pad that appears to have no visible signs of wear could be past its useable lifespan. Pads for pad printers are expected to last anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 impressions but usage, storage, and environment can all factor into its lifespan.
  • Tip: The best way to remove ink from your pad is with packing tape.
• Etched plates come in a wide variety of materials and have different expected impressions, so if your Cobalt® Steelback plate is approaching 25,000 impressions and you’re seeing poor print quality, replacing the plate would be a good place to start.

Reason 2: Environment

• Optimal workspace temperature ranges 65-75°F. Higher temperatures accelerate solvent evaporation, compromising print quality. For more detail, review ourPad Printing Ink Viscosity Optimization Tips.

Still running into pad printing problems after working through this troubleshooting guide? See our pad printing pad problem-solving guide for pad-specific fixes, or contact Inkcups at 978-646-8980 for personalized assistance.