The latest from the blog: What is pad printing?
Journey into the many possibilities offered by an extraordinary printing technology
The printing techniques available today for the industry are numerous and more and more advanced. Depending on the substrate and the type of pattern/logo/text to be transferred one may be more suitable than the others. Pad printing has the advantage of being particularly versatile and therefore adapt to different materials of any shape and size. You can make prints on small objects where precision is an essential feature, such as syringes and scales in general, but you can also customize large objects, such as satellite dishes, bins or rims for cars, with highly visible and recognizable logos, also in more colors.
Not only that, but one of the strengths of this technology is the fact that unlike many other allows you to also make prints on uneven and curved surfaces. In fact, thanks to the particular indirect printing method, in which the silicone pad is the means for transmitting the image to be printed, it is possible to perform extremely precise prints on all types of surface. It picks up ink from the cliché and then goes to lean with a more or less soft pressure on the object to be printed. Its elastic surface adapts to that of the object and lays down the image with great accuracy, not allowing the development of air bubbles. There are pads of different hardness to be used depending on the material to be printed. They are also moved by a system in which it is possible to adjust the speed and the strength of the descent, in each stroke.
In this way, to obtain impeccable printing is really simple!
There are machines of different sizes and with different functions and settings depending on the type of work to be performed and the desired hourly production. In general we can say that the machines for which it is necessary the presence of an operator are simple to use even for unskilled personnel and does not require particular maintenance; then there are fully automatic machines controlled by intuitive and high-performance software, dedicated to large productions and also tailored to the object to be printed.
We briefly summarize the advantages of pad printing:
• versatility: it adapts to different materials of different shapes and sizes
• precision and absolute freedom of customization of objects
• it allows you to print on uneven and curved surfaces
• there are different types of machines for different needs
• you can configure custom machines
• easy to use and low maintenance
• automation possibilities
The new Comec Italia website, at the page “Special machines”, offers an overview of all the pad printing applications currently in use at major international companies: automotive, printing of logos, levers, wheels, but also mechanical parts such as brakes; gas cylinders, air, tanks and bins of all kinds; containers, plastic or polystyrene; meters and gauges of any shape and size with scales; cosmetics, for the printing of bottles, jars, caps for shampoos, creams, perfumes, cosmetic packaging as mascara and lipsticks; cubes of paper for notes; appliances, and panels with information, logos and scales, but also internal parts, pipes, electrical parts; safety helmets for workers; games and sports, parts of models, cubic puzzle, footballs and soccer balloons, golf balls; electrical equipment such as switches, displays, buttons, panels; medical, ie vials, syringes with scales, catheters, bandages, but also baby bottles and toothbrushes; grinding wheels, cut-off wheels and saws of various models and sizes; coins for numismatic or collectible medals; satellite dishes; size markers, hangers and inserts hangers; stoppers and caps, plastic and metal for soft drinks, water, wine, oil and vinegar; handles for screwdrivers and other tools; double glazing; informative labels directly on fabric; promotional items such as pens or USB keys; objects in general.
In short, thanks to this amazing technology you can actually print on everything! Look around, for sure around you right now there is an object that has been printed with pad printing … could be for example the computer keyboard, the display of an appliance, the logo of a marker. It is worth exploring the extraordinary possibilities of this technology … it may be just what you need for your business!