Printing pads

Printing pad
Next to the cliché, the printing pad is the most important factor for perfect printing. Printing pads are made of various silicones and are available in different hardnesses and shapes.

Function of the printing pad
The function of the printing pad is to transfer the ink from the cliché to the part to be printed. It is pressed onto the cliché, rolls off and picks up ink from the depressions in the cliché. The ink film is now on the underside of the pad, which is then moved onto the surface to be printed. The printing pad is now pressed onto the part to be printed, deforms and releases the printed image that adheres to it. Ideally, no or almost no residual ink should remain on the pad surface. This depends on the surface tension of the pad, the material to be printed, the ink viscosity, the cliché depth, etc. Experience has shown that our blue HQ printing pads release the ink best.

Selection of the printing pad
Rule of thumb: "As big, as hard and as pointed as possible".

    A large pad with more volume minimises distortion of the printed image.
    The harder a pad, the sharper the contours of the print image and the better the print result, especially with structured surfaces.
    The more pointed the pad, the better the rolling behaviour and the easier it is for any air to escape.

In many cases, however, the type and size of the print image or the shape of the print object require a different tampon shape. For these reasons, we can offer you a variety of different pad shapes and qualities. Tampon hardness is measured in Shore. We use Shore 00 and produce in the standard hardnesses 40, 50, 60 + 70 Shore 00 (roughly equivalent to 3, 7, 13 + 20 Shore A). Other hardnesses can also be produced on request.

Some customers use printing pads with a glossy surface, others those with a matt surface. Tampons with a matt surface need less activation and there are fewer air pockets. Tampons with glossy surfaces are used more for very fine print images, e.g. in the watch industry.

Activation
With new printing pads, the surface usually has to be "activated" before first use. This means that the surface is "de-oiled". For activation, we recommend using a soft cleaning paper soaked in ink thinner. Never clean the pad surface dry - this can damage the surface.

Storage
We recommend storing the tampons protected from sunlight and dust.