Pad printing – what is it?

Pad printing is used in advertising for marking, most often, small advertising gadgets. The marking area is a maximum of 6 cm x 3 cm. However, this technique allows you to apply markings on a wide variety of surfaces. In addition to plastic, pad printing can be used to mark leather, wood, metal, glass, rubber and even toys and sports equipment. Pad printing is nothing more than a soft stamp, which is used to apply ink from the surface of the matrix to the object to be marked. A matrix for pad printing is a plate made of steel or polymer on which a selected design is engraved. Such a matrix is covered with paint. Then the stamp (pad) is pressed against the master plate and the design is reflected on the object to be marked.

Advantages and disadvantages of pad printing
Applications of pad printing
Precision and colors in pad printing
Pad printing or screen printing – which to choose?
Is pad printing durable?
Marking promotional items at Printexpress.pl

Advantages and disadvantages of pad printing

Pad printing has many advantages. First of all, this technique is very efficient, fast and inexpensive to implement, and the printing itself is characterized by high durability. Pad printing allows precise reproduction of the design. You can print even on uneven surfaces. To the disadvantages of pad printing we can give limitations of the printing area as well as the number of colors (up to 4 colors). The texture of the product is as important as the color. On dark and rough surfaces sometimes double “beating” of the design is required. As well as on metallic materials need to use a fixative so that the print can not be easily scratched off.

Application of pad printing

As mentioned earlier, pad printing has a wide range of applications in advertising and product marking. We use pad printing to mark not only classic advertising gadgets such as pens, lighters, key rings, and notebooks.

This technology is also ideal for marking many other products, including:

advertising pens and pencils
key rings with logos
advertising speakers and headphones
power banks and electronic accessories
plastic cups and water bottles
toys and promotional gadgets
small car parts
metal plates and nameplates
glass panels and decorative elements

Thanks to the use of a silicone pad, it is possible to transfer the print even onto irregular or slightly curved surfaces. That is why pad printing is one of the most commonly used methods of marking small promotional gadgets.

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Precision and colors in pad printing

In pad printing technology, prints are most often made in 1 to 4 Pantone colors. Each color is applied separately using a separate matrix, which allows for a very accurate reproduction of the graphics or company logo.

Pad printing allows for extremely precise reproduction of the design, which is crucial for very small prints, for example on thin pen components. However, it is worth remembering that on dark and rough surfaces, so-called “double strikes” of the pattern are sometimes required to achieve full color coverage. When printing on metal, we use special fixatives to make the print resistant to abrasion and scratches.

Pad printing or screen printing – which to choose?

Customers often wonder which technology is better. The choice depends primarily on the type of product and the size of the print.

Pad printing: Ideal for small gadgets and irregular surfaces (convex, concave). Our standard marking area is maximum 6 x 3 cm (although technically, dimensions of 7×2 cm or 4×4 cm are sometimes allowed).
Screen printing: Used on large, flat surfaces such as cotton bags or clothing.

Is pad printing durable?

An issue that often interests customers is durability. Properly selected inks and the curing process make pad printing very resistant to abrasion, moisture, and everyday use. Combining this with low unit costs for larger print runs, we get one of the most cost-effective methods of personalizing promotional items available on the market.

Marking promotional items at Printexpress.pl

If you are not sure whether this technique is suitable for marking your gadgets, please contact us! At Printexpress.pl, we offer professional advice and a wide range of technologies: