Introduction Most decoration methods run into trouble the moment a part stops being flat. Screen printing needs a level surface to hold registration. Laser marking depends on a consistent focal distance across the entire print area. Inkjet struggles with depth of field on anything with real contour. Pad printing is the exception, and it's worth understanding exactly why, because that "why" is often the deciding factor when a manufacturer is choosing a marking method for a ne

Picking the wrong ink is one of the fastest ways to end up with a print job that looks great on day one and peels, fades, or smears a week later. Ink selection isn't just a formality, it's one of the two biggest factors (right alongside surface prep) in whether a pad-printed mark actually holds up in the real world. If you've already read our guide on surface preparation, this is the natural next step. Prep gets the substrate ready. Ink is what has to bond to it, survive the

Introduction If you manufacture parts that need permanent identification, such as serial numbers, logos, date codes, barcodes, or branding, you've likely landed on two dominant technologies: pad printing and laser marking. Both methods are widely used across industries like automotive, medical device, electronics, and consumer goods manufacturing, but they work in fundamentally different ways and excel under different conditions. Choosing between them isn't just a matter of

Introduction If you have ever pulled a part off a pad printing machine only to watch the ink peel away with a piece of tape, you already know that surface preparation is not optional. It is the step that determines whether everything else you do where the ink mix, the cliché quality, the pad selection actually pays off. No matter how dialed in your process is, ink will not bond properly to a surface that is not ready for it. Surface preparation for pad printing covers everyt

Introduction In pad printing, precision is everything. Whether you’re printing on medical components, industrial parts, or consumer products, the quality of your print ultimately comes down to one critical component: the pad printing plate, also known as a pad printing cliché. While ink selection, pad hardness, and surface preparation all play important roles, the cliché is where the image truly lives. It defines the detail, consistency, and repeatability of every print cycle