Pad printing uses a silicone pad to transfer an image to a product from a laser etched printing plate. It is one of the most popular and affordable ways of branding promotional products due to its ability to reproduce images on uneven or curved products and print multiple colours in a single pass.
Advantages
- Ideal for printing on curved or uneven products.
- Prints sharp, clean images with detail as fine as 0.4mm, minimum text size is 5pt.
- Close PMS matches are possible on white or light-coloured products.
- Metallic gold and silver ink are available.
- Can offer a white under base for the darker products that require it.
- Many products can print up to 6 colours with tight multi-colour registration.
Limitations
- Halftones cannot be consistently reproduced.
- Unable to print variable data such as individual naming.
- Close PMS matches are more difficult on darker products and will only be approximate. In these instances, a white base will create a better print.
- Some pad print inks require a curing period before the product can be shipped.
- Each colour requires its own setup charge.
- Neon/fluorescent colours are not available.
Artwork Requirements
- Artwork must be supplied in a vector editable format.
- Fonts are advised to be converted to outlines/objects to avoid font conflicts.
