Tips for Selecting Pad Durometers

Key Takeaways

• Durometer measures a pad’s hardness on the Shore A scale — the lower the number, the softer the pad.
• Hard pads work best on textured surfaces or stepped/raised areas, while softer pads are better suited to contoured or fragile parts.
• Avoid mixing pad hardness within the same job, since it changes how much ink transfers and can create inconsistent print results.

Pad printing pad durometer refers to how hard or soft a silicone print pad is, measured on the Shore A hardness scale. Choosing the right durometer affects how well the pad conforms to a part’s shape, how much ink transfers, and how consistent the final print looks.

Choosing your pad printing pad durometer should be taken care of by the company you are purchasing the pads from. However, it is always a good idea to be somewhat aware of the process. The following is a list of our top tips for choosing pad durometers:

• Use hard pads for textured surfaces. You can also use them when you need to print an image in a lower-leveled area next to a raised surface. The pad will have to roll over the “step”.
• Hard pads can be used in a pad “nest” or matrix, when you need to use one machine with many pads that are placed with small gaps between them e.g. when printing computer keyboards.
• Softer pads are ideal when printing onto heavily contoured surfaces and fragile items.
• Use a softer pad if the power of your machine can’t compress the pad adequately to achieve a satisfactory rolling action.
• Try as much as possible to avoid using pads of different hardness on the same application. The thickness of the ink deposit will vary on the substrate. This is particularly true when dealing with a pad matrix.

For more information about choosing the correct pad durometer, please contact our pad printing support team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is durometer in pad printing?

A: Durometer is a measurement of a print pad’s hardness on the Shore A scale. It determines how the pad conforms to a substrate and how much ink transfers during printing.

Q: What durometer pad should I use for textured parts?

A: Harder pads generally work best on textured surfaces or parts with raised steps, since they can roll over uneven areas more predictably than softer pads.

Q: Can I mix pad hardness within the same print job?

A: It’s best to avoid it. Mixing pad hardness in the same application, especially in a pad matrix, causes inconsistent ink deposit thickness across parts.