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Pad Printing Vs. UV Digital Printing

Moving from Traditional Methods to Digital Technology 

Pad printing has long been a go-to method for decorating products, especially on irregular parts and challenging substrates. But as UV digital printing technology has improved and short-run customization has grown in demand, many manufacturers have started shifting  to digital printing. While traditional methods like pad printing and screen printing are still top solutions for labeling and decorations, digital inkjet printing is increasingly valued for full-color graphics, one-off items, and high-quality imaging.

WHAT IS PAD PRINTING?

Pad printing is a traditional method of transferring a 2D graphic onto a 3D object using a silicone pad.

The artwork is first etched into the plate, and the ink is mixed with the appropriate solvent and hardener. During printing, the ink cup fills the etched image, removes excess ink, and leaves ink only in the recessed areas. The silicone pad then picks up the inked image and transfers it onto the substrate. For multi-color printing, precise registration ensures accurate alignment across all colors.

To learn more about the process, visit: Pad Printing 101 – The Ultimate Guide

Common Pad Printing Applications: Gaming equipment, vape cartridges, tin cans, foot insoles, apparel, stationary, toys, stress balls, silicone products, apparel… and much more!

Vape Cartridges

Pad print clean, durable logos on cannabis packaging such as vape cartridges, stash jars, vials, and more.

Additional Cannabis Applications

Tagless Printing

Pad print tagless labels directly onto apparel, including t-shirts, sportswear, uniforms, and more for consistent, long-lasting branding.

Tagless Pad Printing Technology

Silicone Products

Pad print durable, high-quality graphics on silicone items, including swim caps, wristbands, kitchenware, and more.

Listen to: The Dos and Don'ts of Printing on Silicone

WHAT IS SCREEN PRINTING?

Screen printing is a method that transfers a graphic or pattern onto a surface by pushing ink through a silk, mesh, or synthetic screen. The screen acts as a stencil, only decorating the intended portion of the surface. During the process, colors are printed in layers, and because of this step-by-step approach, screen printing is not generally intended for high color count, low volume orders.

Common Screen Printing Applications: apparel, backpacks, balloons, signs, and a wide range of fabric items.

Drinkware

Screen printing is best for bold logos or any graphic with one or few colors, making it ideal for decorating drinkware like assorted barware.

 

Screen Print on Growlers

WHAT IS UV DIGITAL PRINTING?

UV Digital printing, a subset of digital printing, uses ultra-violet (UV) light to instantly cure ink as it is printed. The printhead positions close as possible to the part to ensure optimum resolution. Once ready, the digital ink is jetted onto the item in precise micro-droplets for accurate imaging. During this process, UV light instanlty cures the ink before the wet droplets are able to spread out.

Artwork is created using graphic software such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, then imported into the specialized printing software and prepared for production.

There is a wide range of UV printers with unique properties available including. cylindrical inkjet printers and UV flatbed printers, both offered by Inkcups

Common UV Printing Applications: stainless steel tumblers, power banks, barware, candles, industrial parts, sporting goods, coasters, and even edible items like cookies, candies, and cakes!

Candles

Digitally print full color wrap-around graphics on candles to produce vibrant and eye-catching decorations.

Learn more about Printing on Candles

Saw Blades

Digitally print full color wrap-around graphics on candles to produce vibrant and eye-catching decorations.

Learn more about the X5-T

Drinkware

UV digital printing is an excellent choice for long-lasting, high-resolution designs on drinkware including water bottles and pint glasses, delivering vibrant graphics that resist fading, scratching, and moisture.

Learn about the Helix®

When to Use Pad Printing or Digital Printing

Although pad printing and digital printing use different decorating techniques, there are some applications that overlap, such as drinkware, cosmetics, sporting goods, and promotional items like pens and USB drives. Each method is best suited for different applications:

  • Pad printing: best for curved, irregular, or 3D objects and high-volume runs
  • Digital printing: best for full-color designs, short runs, and faster turnaround times

The diagram below compares pad printing and digital printing highlighting their common areas of applications, and the specific applications best suited to each method.

Pad Printing vs. Digital Printing Comparison Chart

This second chart compares the production workflows for UV printing and pad printing processes.

  • Pad Printing involves etching plates, mixing ink, attaching pads, and printing in small designs of 1-4 colors.
  • UV Printing focuses on digital design creation, software testing, full-color printing, and customer approval for unlimited samples.

Pad Printing vs UV Digital Printing Workflow Comparison Chart

Both processes include steps for finishing, such as data management or cleaning plates, pads, and ink cups.

COMPARE PAD PRINTING TO UV DIGITAL PRINTING

Pad printing and UV digital printing each excel in different applications. Use this comparison to understand how they differ in surface compatibility, color capabilities, setup, and ideal production volume.

Factor Pad Printing Digital Printing
Best Surface Type 3D, curved, irregular Flat or slightly curved
Color Capability Spot colors Full CMYK, gradients
Setup Requires plates Minimal setup
Best Run Size Medium to high volume Short to medium runs

To illustrate the differences, consider two-pint glasses decorated with the same two-color logo – one pad printed and the other digitally printed. Before printing, each glass was prepped and primed with the appropriate pretreatment methods.

Pad Printing on a Pint Glass

To illustrate the differences, consider two-pint glasses decorated with the same two-color logo – one pad printed and the other digitally printed. Before printing, each glass was prepped and primed with the appropriate pretreatment methods.

Video: Pad Printing on Drinkware

Inkjet Printing on a Pint Glass

This example shows a full-color logo applied using UV digital printing, ) where the prepped artwork is printed directly onto the glass. Although setup is required, the printing process is “computer to part,” meaning no plates are needed. Once the print is initiated, the glass starts spinning and is sent into the machine, as, a layer of white, then color, then varnish is laid directly onto the surface. Once complete, the item is dry to the touch.

Video: Digitally Print on Drinkware

Inkcups’ Suite of Digital Inks

Inkcups has a full selection of digital inks for a wide variety of applications. Promote proper adhesion with the correct ink for your printing needs. Pair any specialty ink lines in the table below with any one of Inkcups’ digital printers to complete your solution!

Ink Line Description Best For / Key Features Learn More
S1 UV Inkjet Ink A general all-purpose digital ink designed for durability and adhesion. Adheres well to glass, plastic, and metal. Great for versatile printing applications.
View Product ›
DL UV Inkjet Ink Specialty ink engineered for glass printing with strong performance on plastics. Ideal for glassware, bottles, or glossy substrates.
View Product ›
XFLEXX Flexible UV Ink Flexible ink series formulated for moderate flexibility and durability. Suitable for items that bend or flex, great for soft plastics or coated materials.
View Product ›
Edible Ink – Candymark Edible-grade ink that enables direct printing on consumables. Certified safe for food-contact printing such as cookies, candies, and confections.
View Product ›
T2 UV Ink for Tritan Plastic Engineered specifically for use with BPA-free Tritan™ plastic. Excellent adhesion on difficult plastics that typically require surface pretreatment.
View Product ›

FULL LINE UP OF UV CYLINDRICAL PRINTERS & UV FLATBED PRINTERS

Helix®

Print on drinkware and assorted cylindrical items, 360-degrees in full-color. Print on straight walled and tapered products such as drinkware, candles, barware, and industrial applications.

Learn more about the Helix®

Double Helix®

Decorate directly onto two pieces of drinkware at a time with the Double Helix®. Elevate your offerings by utilizing innovative print techniques available on the Helix® line of printers, like mirror print, tone-on-tone, contour print and more.

Learn about the Double Helix®

Revolution®

The Revolution® cylindrical printers offers the highest output speeds from the Helix® line of printers, printing up to 600 parts per hour. With integrated pre-treatment, automatic load and unload, the Revolution® is ideal for manufacturers in need of flexibility of print volume.

Learn more about the Revolution®

X5-T

Print on items up to 20” tall in full-color with the X5-T digital flatbed printer. Print on tall items such as hard coolers and sports balls, as well as a tray full of small promotional items like pens, mint tins, or coasters.

Learn more about the X5-T

XJET800

Automation-ready conveyorized UV inkjet printer. Compared to our other industrial flatbed offerings the XJET800 offers a larger print area and faster print speeds.

Learn more about the XJET800

XJET800-T

Industrial machine perfect for tall items. Print on coolers, luggage, and the likes with the XJET800-T due to its ability to print on parts up to 19.9″ in height.

 

Learn more about the XJET800-T

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