Top 6 Pad Printing Consumables You Need

Pad printing is a traditional printing method which transfers a 2D image onto a 3D object. This process has become popularized to decorate products that are otherwise difficult to print on. This includes oddly shaped items with concave and rigid surfaces. The pad printing process has remained relatively the same over the years, yet the pad printing equipment itself had been innovated by specialty printing companies such as Inkcups to produce higher quality results in a shorter amount of time. If you are looking to begin pad printing operations at your company, there are 6 main pad printing consumables that you will need:

1.Pad Printing Ink

Pad printing ink is the consumable that transfers the printed image onto the object and must be matched to the specific substrate, such as glass, ceramics, wood, metal, plastic, or silicone, to ensure proper adhesion.

At Inkcups, we offer pad printing inks for decorating each of these materials. . We also can provide adhesion testing on your product samples and exact color matching for no additional cost.

Additional Resources: 

Browse: Inkcups’ Pad Printing Inks 

Services: Custom color matching, ink mixing, and adhesion testing

Learn More: All about pad printing ink

Find the Right Ink: Ink application chart

What to Consider when Choosing the Correct Pad Printing Ink

2. Pad Printing Ink Solvent

Pad printing ink solvent is mixed with ink immediately before application to control how the ink transfers from the pad to the substrate, with the correct solvent varying by ink series and evaporation rate needed for the production environment.

Solvents assist the transfer of pad printing ink from the pad to the substrate. Each solvent is designed to be used with certain ink series. For instance, SB-M Solvent should be used with only the SB series ink, while the Medium Solvent can be used with the BA, BT, CG, J3, MB, SB or PN series ink. These solvents vary by evaporation rate and are chosen based upon environment, substrate, and print speed. Inkcups ink experts will test and recommend the solvent best suited for your application and production environment.

Additional Resources: 

Browse: Pad Printing Solvents

Learn more: Pad Printing Ink Overview  

3. Pad Printer Ink Hardener

Hardeners can be added to pad printing ink to increase abrasion resistance and enhance durability once the ink is cured. Unlike solvents, hardeners are not required for every pad printing process. Like solvents, hardeners are recommended based upon the environment, substrate, and production speed. Also, hardeners are designed to be used with specific ink series just like solvents. The ideal hardener to ink ratio will be tested and recommended by the ink experts at Inkcups.

Additional Resources: 

Browse: Pad Printing Hardener 

Learn More: Pad Printing Ink Mixing Tips  

4. Pad Printing Plates

Once you have the perfect ink – with the exact color match, and complete adhesion testing to assure the best ink series and ratios of solvent and hardener  – you’re going to need a pad printing plate.

Pad printing  plates are engraved with the desired artwork by either photopolymer or laser plate-making methods. Inkcups offers a wide variety of colors and types of plates, each with unique properties specifically designed to accommodate varying applications and production environments. Depending on the type and material, our pad printing plates can withstand anywhere between 10,000 and 1 million impressions. The number of impressions may vary based upon care, storage, and production environment. We offer in-house plate making services at Inkcups.

If you prefer to have complete control over plate production, we also offer top-of-the-line computer-to-plate laser plate makers. Etch your own plate in under 2 minutes straight from your computer.  We offer both fiber and CO2 lasers to meet your plate making needs – without positives or chemicals.

Additional Resources: 

Browse: Pad Printing Plates

Services: Laser Plate Making Technical Support 

Learn More: Read more about the differences between fiber & Co2 laser plate-makers

5. Pad Printing Pads

Pad printing pads are the silicone components that lift ink from the plate and deposit it onto the object, chosen based on the substrate’s shape and hardness as well as the size of the artwork.

Pads are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, durometers, and materials.. Inkcups offers a greater variety of silicone printing pads than any other pad printing companies in the industry. We can help you find the right combination of \ pad printing ink, plate, and pad leads to help you produce crisp, high-resolution images with superior abrasion resistance.

Additional Resources: 

Browse: Silicone Pad Printing Pads 

Learn More: Pad Printing Pads 

When to Change a Pad Printing Pad  

Tips for Selecting Pad Durometers

Pad Printing Problems? We Have the Solutions!  

6. Pad Printing Ink Cups and Rings 

Pad printing ink cups and rings hold and seal the ink during the printing cycle. Inkcups developed the VersaCup® system, which offers universal compatibility across most sealed-cup pad printing machines, unlike traditional cups that require machine-specific designs .

The two -sided ceramic rings are durable and long lasting (since they can be flipped for double the life of single rings), which substantially reduces the price of consumables. The ink cups themselves magnetically attach to the pad printing machine and are made with an ink resistant material. These features reduce ink waste and contribute to lowering the cost of pad printing consumables.

Additional Resources:

Browse: Pad Printing Ink Cups and Rings  

Learn More: Ink Cups for Pad Printing Machines Overview

The Inkcups Solution: One-Stop Shop for Pad Printing Consumables

Inkcups is the only true turn-key provider for all six pad printing consumables — ink, solvent, hardener, plates, pads, and ink cups and rings — eliminating the need to juggle multiple suppliers. Beyond products, Inkcups backs every order with global technical support: sample printing on your actual parts, production layout recommendations, equipment setup, and employee training, all aimed at maximizing machine up-time, print quality and ROI.

Did You Know: Pad printing is the perfect solution for apparel label printing as well. Not sure what tagless printing is? Learn more about our neck label printing options.