These pad printing basics of Syringe Pad Printing Machine will get you off the ground in no time. Pad printing is like a versatile version of screen printing that is used to transfer 2D images onto 3D objects. Pad printing equipment transfers images from a printing plate, also known as a cliché. The cliché is flooded with ink and wiped clean so that there is only ink in the etched area. Pad printers use of a mixture of solvents and inks that become tacky when exposed to the air, increasing the ink’s ability to adhere to a silicone transfer pad. The pad is positioned over the cliché and pressed onto it in order to pick up the ink.

After the pad is lifted away from the cliché, it is pressed against a substrate, the surface that is to be printed. The pad deposits virtually all of the ink in the desired location and then lifts away from the substrate, ready for the next print cycle. Pad printers can accommodate both large and small runs.

A silicone pad is capable of picking up an image from a flat plane and transferring it to a variety of surfaces, including cylindrical, spherical, concave, and convex surfaces. The goal of all pad printing equipment is to lay down a controlled thickness of ink and replicate original designs on a consistent basis. However, pad printing has a reputation of being tough to master. That’s why it’s important to understand and control the variables that affect the pad printing process.