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Pad Printing 101 – The Ultimate Guide

What is Pad Printing?

Pad Printing is an offset printing process that transfers a 2-D image onto a 3-D  object using an etched plate (also known as cliché) and a silicone pad. Pad printing machines  vary by the number of colors and image , and the process is  widely used across industrial, promotional, and garment industries. Popular applications include pens, garment tags, flash drives, silicone items, and watch faces.

Pad printing can also be referred to as tampo printing or tampography. All three of these terms refer to the same process and machines.

How Does Pad Printing Work?

A pad printer machine works by utilizing three main components to transfer an image onto a substrate: the plate, the ink cup, and pad.

  1. The Plate (Cliché): Etched with the desired image, , the plate holds the microscopic recesses that define the artwork to be printed.
  2. The Ink Cup:This sealed cup houses the ink as it doctors (slides) over the plate, filling the etched image with a controlled, minuscule layer of ink.
  3. The Pad: A soft silicone pad presses onto the ink-filled etch to pick up the image, then moves to the substrate where it is pressed again to transfer the image.
Check out the pad printing process

What is a pad?

A pad printing pad is the ink transfer mechanism in a pad printing machine. The pad compresses onto the ink-filled etch to “pick-up” the image. The pad then slides over the part and once again compresses to apply the image.

 

Pads used in pad printing are made from silicone and vary in hardness (durometer) depending upon the application. Pads are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, also depending on the application and artwork.

While common pads are round and rectangular, there are specialty pads with unique shapes made for more customized printing projects. See Silicone Pad Printing Pads for a selection of pads in numerous shapes and sizes.

Additional Resources:

When to Change a Pad Printing Pad

Pad Printing Pad Problems? We Have the Solutions!

Learn more about our pad printing pads

What is an Ink Cup?

An ink cup is the housing mechanism for the ink printed on a part. The ink cup slides across a plate over an etch and back again, leaving only a small amount of ink in the etch. This process is called doctoring.

The two main components are the ring and the cup. The ring is used for doctoring the plate and ensuring ink is only left in the etched portion of the plate. Depending upon the manufacturer, rings are made of ceramic, metal, and plastic. Ceramic rings are generally preferred because they are gentle enough not to scratch the plate and strong enough to handle the constant motion of the pad printer.

Additional Resources:

Make your Pad Printer Ceramic Ring Work Double Shifts!

Learn More about our ink cups and rings

What is a Pad Printing Plate?

A pad printing plate, also known as a cliché, is the surface that holds the etched image to be transferred during printed. Plates can be produced using two main etching methods: photopolymer processing or laser engraving.

Photopolymer Plate-making

Photopolymer plate-making uses photosensitive plate material and a UV exposure unit This etches the image through multiple UV light exposures, each with different components such as a film-positive or line screen film. This method is generally more cost-effective than laser plate-making, but the photosensitive curing process is significantly longer, requiring 30 minutes or more to etch a plate.

How to Make Photopolymer Plates for Pad Printing Machines

Computer-to-plate Laser Plate-making

Laser plate-making uses a Co2 or fiber laser to etch the printing plate with high precision. Computer-to-plate printing technology ensures consistent etch depth, dot pattern, and image quality. Laser plate-making is extremely fast, typically etching a finished plate in five to seven minutes.

Additional Resources:

Can I Etch Laser Plates with My C02 Laser?

Image Sizing Template for Pad Printing Ink Cup

Learn more about our pad printing plates

What Pad Printing Supplies Do I Need?

Pad printing machines require consumables to complete the print process, including ink, solvents, hardener, and primers. A fine balance of these components is needed depending upon the specific print application and adhesion requirements.

Additional Resources:

No Minimum Order Quantities for Inkjet & Pad Printing Supplies

Learn More about pad printing supplies

Pad Printing Ink

Ink selection is one of the most important components of the pad printing process, and choosing the correct ink series is critical for proper adhesion. Each pad printing ink series is developed for particular materials, including glass, metals, and plastics, to ensure optimal performance.

These inks are  available in a wide variety of colors, from standard options like black and white to a Mixing Series that enables custom color matching, including Pantone-matched formulations.

Additional Resources:

About Pad Printing Ink

What to Consider when Choosing the Correct Pad Printing Ink

Pad Printing Ink Overview

Understanding Your Pad Printing Inks

Check out our line of pad printing ink

Pad Printing Ink Solvent

Solvent is an additive to pad printing ink to assist in the transfer and drying of the ink from the pad to the part. Different solvent types are formulated for specific ink series, while some are compatible across multiple inks and vary be evaporation rate. The rate of evaporation is an important factor because climate, print speed, and application all influence how well the ink will transfer to the part.

Check out our line of pad printing ink solvents

Pad Printing Ink Hardener

Hardener for pad printing ink acts as a catalyst that assists in the curing process. Adding hardener can help make prints more durable and withstand abrasion, such as making glass cups more dishwasher resistant.

Hardener is not always necessary to mix with all pad printing ink series, but is often recommend to enhance the overall durability of the final print.

Check out our line of pad printing ink hardener

Pad Printing Ink Auxiliaries

Auxiliaries  are additives to assist with the pad printing process, typically  applied to the part or machine components rather than mixed into the ink.

In addition to helping with adhesion, auxiliary items can assist with ink removal (such as Inkaway) or prolong the life of your printing pad (including Nu-Pad Conditioner).

check out our pad printing ink auxiliary supplies
Additional Resources:

How to Load Plates and Ink Cups into A Pad Printing Machine

Inkcups Creates Custom Pad Printing Part Fixture

Inkcups is a leading supplier and manufacturer of digital inkjet equipment, pad printing equipment, laser plate makers and corresponding supplies, with direct sales, technical support and warehouse locations in the USA, Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and other global locations. Inkcups manufactures high-quality industrial machines for a wide range of industries, including apparel, drinkware, promotional, electronic, medical, sporting goods and automotive markets.

What are a Pad Printing Machine’s Capabilities?

Pad printing machines are highly versatile because the equipment can print on nearly any substrate with speed and precision. Because ink is not built into the pad printing equipment, machine operators  can select from a wide variety of inks to meet specific adhesion, abrasion resistance, and opacity requirements. Pad printing is generally a quick process, with a complete print cycle taking only seconds (depending upon the number of colors) and enabling production rates of up to 1,000 parts per hour.

Pad printing machines commonly support one or two colors, with less frequent four- to- six color equipment configurations. These machines are available with specialty loading/unloading systems such as over/under and linear conveyors. The typical image diameter of a pad printer is 90 mm and 150 mm.

What are a Pad Printing Machine’s Limitations?

Pad printing machines are limited by the number of colors they can register, making four- to six color print jobs more. Image sizes over 150 mm in diameter can also be difficult to produce for pad printing equipment. While graphics can be altered, creating new plates may be time-consuming depending upon the plate-making method used.

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B100 1-Color Tabletop Pad Printer
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Pad Printing Machines from Inkcups

Inkcups offers a comprehensive line of pad printing equipment, consisting of 1-color, 2-color, and 4-6 color sealed cup models. The ink cup sizes range from 60mm to 150mm, designed to meet a wide range of production needs. All Inkcups pad printing machines, including compact tabletop models, have robust compression capability and come with the VersaCup®, our Patented universal ink cup. Every Inkcups pad printing machine is a user-friendly, industrial-grade system designed for both new and experienced decorators.

Check out Our Pad Printing Equipment

ICN-B100 TABLETOP PAD PRINTING MACHINE

A 1-color pad printing machine that’s compact  but heavy duty, this printer is perfect for Tagless Garment Printing, promotional products, and 3-dimensional parts.

Additional Resources:

Why Should You Switch to Printing Garment Tags?

More about the B100 pad printer

ICN-B150 BENCH-TOP PAD PRINTING MACHINE

A 1-color bench-top pad printing machine with 150 mm ink cup for larger images. This industrial grade but compact pad printer fits perfectly in apparel factory production cells and small printing shops alike.

Additional Resources:

Introducing the ICN-B150 Benchtop Pad Printer

More about the B150 pad printer

ICN-2200PS PAD PRINTING MACHINE

An enhanced-speed 1- to 2-color pad printer with a heavy-duty pad slide mechanism, enabling easy fixturing, flawless second color registration, and up to 1800 impressions per hour.

The ICN-2200 is also available with carousel or linear conveyor options.

Additional Resources:

Introducing the ICN-2200PS Two-Color Pad Printer with Pad Shuttle

ICN-2200-PSX High-Speed Pad Printer: The Fastest Ever?

ICN-2200L Video: 2 Color Pad Printing Machine

More about the 2200-PS Pad Printer

ICN-150 PAD PRINTING MACHINE

A 1- to 2-color pad printing machine with 150 mm ink cups for images up to 140 mm in diameter.

Also available in four color, four-color carousel, and six-color models.

More about the ICN-150 Pad Printer

ICN-2500 PAD PRINTING MACHINE

A 1- to 4-color pad printing machine
featuring rapid job setup and changeover. Also available with a carousel option.

More about the ICN-2500 Pad Printer

COMMON FEATURES OF ALL INKCUPS PAD PRINTING MACHINES

  • Patented VersaCups® ink cup with 2-sided ceramic rings- included
  • Heavy-duty construction
  • Intuitive membrane-touch control
  • Illuminated plate area
  • Tool-free setup
  • Ample compression to handle large, hard pads
  • Polymer, steel and laser plate capable
  • Auto ink mixing mode
  • Double-print function
  • Programmable pad stroke and delay, ink mixing mode, and ink pick-up frequency
  • Programmable delay (over the plate or the part)
  • Parts counter
  • X-Y pad mounts
  • XYR micro-adjust plate holder assemblies
  • Single-point fixture mounting with adjustable hold-down clamps

Pad Printing Equipment Applications

Pad printing equipment is ideal for decorating a broad range of products, including promotional items, drinkware, electronics, and apparel, while delivering precise, durable results on materials such as plastics, metals, and glass. The pad printing process is also suited for specialized manufacturing tasks, making it versatile enough for both branding applications and technical production needs.

Check out all of our applications

Tagless Label Printing

A common application for the garment industry, pad printing tagless shirts has become the industry standard for applying garment tags.

Tagless label printing can help increase labeling efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality.

Learn more about tagless label printing
Additional Resources:

What Type of Printing Do you Need for your Sporting Goods?

Pad Printing on A Flexible Keyboard With Silicone Ink

Pad Printing on Plastic With The ICN-150 Pad Printer

PAD PRINTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Inkcups fully supports pad printing equipment installations with experienced technicians who assist with customer training, process troubleshooting, pad selection and ink recommendations.

Learn more about technical support

Find more information about Pad Printing Machines

Our blog is full of great tips, applications, “how-to”s, and general information about all things pad printing.

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE PAD PRINTING INFORMATION!

Inkcups Support Hub

Our Support Hub is a wealth of knowledge to our current and future customers. We have a full pad printing FAQs section to answer any of your most important questions when it comes to pad printing. Questions include:

Make sure to check out all 50+ pad printing FAQs today!

Pad Printing FAQs

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