Pad Printing Plates

Pad Printing Plates are used to contain the desired artwork "image" etched in its surface. Their function is to hold ink in this etched cavity, allowing the pad to pick up this ink as a film in the shape of the artwork, which is then transferred to the substrate.

There are two main types of printing plate materials: Nylon / photopolymer and steel. Photopolymer plates are the most popular, providing a good do-it-yourself option. These are typically used in short to medium production runs. Steel plates come in two choices: thin steel for medium to long runs, and thick steel for very long runs.

Plates

Nylon/Photopolymer Plates

These photopolymer plates have a thickness of .019" and have a light red before and after exposure. They have a matte finish which enables excellent contact between film and plate and are known for their ability to reproduce quality graphics and exhibit improved scratch resistance for longer runs. Typical life of this pad printing plate is 15,000 impressions.

Very simple to make (requires no special equipment except for an exposure unit)

Shim Steel Plates

Still relatively simple to produce (requires an exposure unit and a special etching machine) and are designed for high resolution and high volume printing applications, 20 000 to 100 000 prints.

Thick Steel Plates

These are 10 mm plates in special Chrome-steel. Thick steel plates (10mm thick) are designed for high resolution and high volume printing applications (over a million impressions). These plates are lapped to a flatness of plus or minus .001" and are available in a wide range of sizes.