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Pad printing
Does anyone know anything about pad printing?
I just bought a pad printer and exposure unit to be able to do pens, lighters, golf balls etc and was just wondering if anyone else does it?
It is from what I can tell quite a simple process its a single colour manual printer, but would like to know about exposing the plates etc. -
6 Replies
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Hi Steve,
I’ve got a morlock pad printer which uses compressed air. I’ve seen a teca-print manual machine in action at a exhibition and it looked quite easy to use.I don’t use my pad printer much these days but I used to get my Nyloplates direct from BASF along with the alcohol to wash them out. Basic process of exposing, same as a screen, then placing in a washout tray full of alcohol on top of a photographic chemical warmer, the type found in darkrooms. You don’t need this chemical warmer thingy but you do need the alcohol to be warm. After 30 secs use a soft rag or fine brush gently rubbing the plate to leave the etch. The etch changes in depth by varying the exposure times, this effects how it prints. Dry and you can re-expose to harden. The alcohol is watered down, by I think 8 parts alcohol to 1 part water. Only mix as much as you need, about a cm across the bottom of the wash out bath.
You can use water washable plates but I’ve never been successful with these and to be honest the majority of the plates I make are for long runs of more than 1000 prints.
Hope this helps
Cheers John -
Thanks John, most helpful
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A few different companies where you can buy plates/ink consumables are:
Printec uk – 01200 425 500
GK Marketing – 01543 414 130
I used to get my pads from Edale PB & E but not sure if they are still trading.
Cheers John
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mascoprint do all the consumables as well as pads also, I think theres quite a few out there, I will have to have a ring around for some prices
thanks again -
Please let me know how you get on with the golf ball and pens, I think its a 2 pack ink but I never had the time to look into it properly. I use mine for ice scrapers and torches – sericols polydyne ink.
Cheers John
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See?
Ice scrapers and torches, 2 more things I never even thought of.
I cant wait to try it out, I will let you know mate, wont be for a week or so though as I’m off snowboarding in France on Saturday for a week 😛
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