Blog

When it comes to pad printing, one of the critical process components is the printing plate holding the artwork to be printed. There are two widely used plate materials: laser engravable plates and photosensitive alcohol or water wash plates. Laser engravable plates are etched with either a CO2 or fiber laser, while photosensitive plates utilize

Pad Printing of the Past While the primitive pad printing techniques of the 1800’s far from resemble the pad printing machines available in 2022, the primary function remains the same. Pad printers are made up of the same three primary components: the pad, the plate, and the ink. (Technological advances and innovation over the years

For over a decade, Inkcups has continued to raise the bar for lasers in the plate-making industry. Inkcups takes pride in developing the laser plate-maker process and continuing to enhance the experience for their customers. Inkcups is the pioneer of laser plate etching machines. Be it a CO2, YAG or Fiber laser plate-maker, Inkcups’ solutions appeal to

Inkcups Now is happy to introduce the MegaLAZE pad printing laser plate material. Formerly known as Ultra Plates from Markem, these high-performance aluminum-backed plates are a great addition to Inkcups Now’s laser plate line. Markem has recently discontinued the laser plate material and Inkcups Now saw a great opportunity in adopting the new material. The MegaLAZE

Inkcups introduces CrystaLAZE laser pad printing plates! These groundbreaking laser engravable plates are different from the usual CO2 laser plates on the market today. Most CO2 plates out there are simply pre-hardened polymer plates whereas the CrystaLAZE plates are designed specifically for CO2 laser engravers. The surface is compatible with the CO2 wavelength enabling the

Update for July 2022: The Cobalt 1000 has been discontinued and replaced with the CobaltONE. The CobaltONE is only used for etching plates or cliches for pad printing. If laser engraving is needed, the Cobalt PRO is a better alternative. The Cobalt1000 fiber laser is an excellent piece of machinery. It is capable of etching

Update for July 2022: The Cobalt 1000 has been discontinued and replaced with the Cobalt ONE fiber laser etching machine. The Cobalt ONE boasts a smaller design with high-quality fiber laser technology. Inkcups Now’s Cobalt 1000 laser etching machine is a serious piece of machinery. It is important to understand what this machine can do

Update as of July 13, 2022: The Cobalt 300 laser plate-maker has been discontinued and replaced with the Cobalt PRO. The Cobalt PRO CO2 laser machine embodies the same characteristics of the Cobalt 300 but with a stronger ceramic core laser. Have you ever wondered what it looks like to etch a design onto an

Update as of July 13, 2022: The Cobalt 1000 has been discontinued but replaced with the Cobalt ONE fiber laser etching machine. While the Cobalt ONE is not meant for engraving parts other than plates or cliches for pad printing, another member of the Cobalt laser family, the Cobalt PRO has the capability to etch

July 2022 Update: The Cobalt 250 has been discontinued and replaced with the Cobalt PRO. The Cobalt PRO is an advanced CO2 laser capable of producing high-quality laser plates for plate-making. All other etching applications should be testing. Here you see one application of Cobalt 250 laser engraver: laser etched glass. This compact machine, designed