Pad Printing

June 5, 2026|Michael Johnstone

The Guide

If you've ever picked up a branded pen, a USB stick with a printed logo or a mug with crisp, detailed artwork on it, there's a good chance pad printing was behind it. It's one of the most popular ways to brand promotional products, and for good reason.

What Is Pad Printing?

Pad printing is a technique that uses a soft silicone pad to transfer your logo or design onto an item. It's brilliant for detailed prints and works on both flat and irregular surfaces, across a huge range of materials, even delicate ones.

You might also hear it called tampography or tampo printing. Same process, different name. Whatever you call it, the result is the same: a detailed, sharp finish with excellent colour matching. It's arguably the most widely used printing technique out there, mainly because it's so versatile and so cost effective.

The Advantages of Pad Printing

Highly flexible

Silicone pad conforms to all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials, even detailed logos sit beautifully on awkward, curved or uneven surfaces.

Durable
Pad printing supports hard wearing inks that help your branding last longer.
Highly flexible

Silicone pad conforms to all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials, even detailed logos sit beautifully on awkward, curved or uneven surfaces.

Highly flexible
Silicone pad conforms to all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials, even detailed logos sit beautifully on awkward, curved or uneven surfaces.
Works on almost anything

Especially for small to medium runs. The silicone pad uses ink efficiently, which cuts waste and keeps costs down.

Works on almost anything
Thanks to the wide range of inks used, this technique can print on the vast majority of materials.
Works on almost anything

Especially for small to medium runs. The silicone pad uses ink efficiently, which cuts waste and keeps costs down.

Cost effective
Especially for small to medium runs. The silicone pad uses ink efficiently, which cuts waste and keeps costs down.

How Does Pad Printing Work?

The process is simpler than it sounds:

Your design is engraved onto a metal plate (often called a cliché).
Ink fills the engraved area of the plate.
A flexible silicone pad presses down onto the plate and picks up the inked design.
That pad then presses onto your product, transferring the design.

The clever bit is the silicone. Because it's so flexible, the pad wraps neatly around curved, angled and uneven surfaces. And because ink doesn't stick to silicone, the design releases cleanly onto your item every time.

Want to see it in action? Here's a quick video that shows the whole process

The Drawbacks to Consider

No method is perfect, and being upfront about the trade offs helps you make the right call:

Limited ink options: Inks are generally solvent based, which can be a downside where things like UV resistance matter.
Smaller print areas: Pad printing suits small to medium designs, and large prints are rarely possible.
Pantone (PMS) colours only: No gradients, and up to 4 colours per design.
Extra treatment needed: Hard plastics, metal items and soft touch finishes need treating afterwards.

Popular Products for Pad Printing

Some of the items pad printing works especially well on:

Pens
Desk clocks
Business card holders
USB sticks
Ceramic mugs
Memo clips
Key chains

What Materials Can Be Pad Printed?

Plastics: Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene (PE) and PVC
Metal
Glass
Ceramic
Wood
Paper

Pad Printing Frequently Asked Questions

Is pad printing good for detailed logos?

What's the difference between pad printing and tampo printing?

How many colours can pad printing handle?

Is pad printing cost effective for small orders?

Not Sure If Pad Printing Is Right for You?

If you'd like to know more about the pad printing process, or you're just not sure whether it's the best method for your project, get in touch with our Bristol team. You'll speak to a dedicated business manager, not AI or a robot.

And we won't hassle you. If you'd rather sort everything over the phone, we'll call. If you prefer email, no problem at all, we'll keep it to email. Either way, we're here to help you get the right print for your branded merchandise.