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Many companies invest in pad printing or screen printing to add branding and an aesthetic appeal to their custom medical carts. Although both these printing options use ink, there are other factors to consider when choosing which one to use.
The information supplied by this blog is attributed to one of HUI’s suppliers—Unique Assembling and Decorating Inc.
What is Pad Printing?
Pad printing is the application of ink to 3-dimensional surfaces of plastic, glass, metal, rubber, or wood.
An ink-filled silicone-etched pad successfully prints on 3-dimensional objects because the pad acts as a wrap which adapts to shape of the part without hindering the image. Pad printing offers accessibility to fine detail and tight multicolor registration.
For a better idea of how pad printing works, check out this video by Unique Assembly and Decorating.
What is Screen Printing?
Screen printing is when ink is pressed through a screen "burned" image and decorative images or logos are directly transferred to a plastic, glass, metal or wooden object.
Multicolor images can be applied via cylindrical screen printing and flat screen printing, but it would require one pass for each color.
For a better idea of how screen printing works, check out this video by Unique Assembly and Decorating.
Pad Printing vs Screen Printing
When it's time to decide between pad printing and screen printing, your answer will depend on:
- material
- quality of the surface
- number of colors
Screen Printing
Screen printing is best for:
- Large images on a flat surface
- Large, two-sided image on cylindrical part
- Opaque images against light, dark or clear substrates (more cost-effective because it can be accomplished with one pass; printing costs go up with each additional pass)
- Images that require one color
Pad Printing
Pad printing is best for:
- Images printed on difficult materials like Polypropylene, Delrin, Acetal or Urea
- Images that cover a raised or recessed area
- Images that cover any complex curves—concave or convex
- Images that are near a vertical wall or obstruction
- Small image requirements or printing on smaller, metal parts
- Multicolored images
If you’re still stuck between the two, some printing companies, like Unique Assembling & Decoration Inc., will conduct multiple tests to ensure you receive an economical solution with the best quality printing.
If you're looking to learn more about how designing a custom medical cart solution could be beneficial to your organization, download our complimentary ebook.
