Tampo printing, cushion printing, pad printing and Pad Printing are the names of this printing method, which is more commonly known as tampo printing in Iran. In this method, printing is indirectly transferred to the desired surface with the help of silicone pads. Unlike silk screen printing, which transferred the color directly onto the piece. Due to its low price and many features, tampo pad printing is used in many printing industries, especially in printing on promotional gifts.
How to Print Tampo Pad
To illustrate the pad printing method, which has become popular since the 1970s with the advent of silicone, with a simple and tangible example, we can refer to rubber stamping, which is the basic process of transferring ink from one surface to another. Tampo printing is also done by semi-automatic machines and fortunately, they do not have a limit on the number of copies printed.
In a tampo pad printing machine, which has an ink cup that moves on the etching plate or cliché and fills it with ink. A silicone pad is then pressed against the etching plate, which picks up the ink on the etching plate or drawing as it rises. The pad is then able to transfer the ink to the printed substrate.
The main difference between tampo printing and conventional rubber stamping is that the design is on the etching plate, which holds the ink on the rubber or silicone surface. Pad printing can be used to print many small or irregularly shaped surfaces.
What parts can be printed with a pad printing machine?
This method can be used to print on everything from small toys to large industrial parts, promotional items such as promotional pens or key chains, automotive parts, disposable tableware, cosmetics, stationery, sports equipment, household appliances, electronics, and many more.
Types of colors in pad printing
In the tampo printing method, great care must be taken to select the right color for the material of the desired piece so that the color and the piece are in harmony with each other and after printing, the color on the piece is stable and the color is prevented from spreading on the work. In this method, various industrial colors can be used, the different types of which include abrasive, solvent, weather-resistant, etc.
Of course, there are also suggested ways to make the color on the piece more stable, such as using hardener solutions and placing the piece in front of a UV dryer. Also, in tampo printing, the thickness of the color layer created on the printed piece is about 4 to 10 microns. Many factors are involved in the thickness of the color, including the viscosity of the color, the depth of the engraved image, the type of color, the material of the pad, etc.
But if we want to use several different colors in this printing, it is better to use a sliding device (shuttle), two pads, two tanks, and separate clichés. Sepas Industrial Printing Company produces various single-pad, double-pad and four-pad tampo printing machines that can also use 4 separate colors.
Sample video of tampo pad printing on home appliance parts
Sample video of tampo pad printing on a vacuum cleaner door with a single-color pad printing machine – PP125 Sepas Manufacturing Company