Numerous trials have shown that an etching depth of 30-35 µm is optimal for pad printing. Since the pad can only transfer a limited quantity of ink, a greater depth is pointless. At an etching depth of 30-35 µm, the pad only picks up an ink film of 12 µm. The rest remains in the depressions of the cliché. Because the ink film consists of approx. 40 % to 60 % thinner, which evaporates during the transfer and drying, the actual thickness of the ink film left on the substrate comes to around 5 µm - 8 µm, in some cases, as little as 2 µm. As an exception to the above statement, very fine fonts are etched at approx. 15 µm, and very large motifs, at approx. 30 µm. For very large surfaces, the dip of the doctor blade can be avoided by additionally copying a fine screen into the motif

Thanks to our many years of experience and process expertise, we know how essential it is for all process components to be in perfect harmony in order to achieve ideal print results. That is why we produce our cliché material ourselves. Through constant optimization and further development of the cliché material, we are able to offer a cliché material optimally matched to the pad printing process for every application

Our Cliché Is Produced From Special Tool-grade, Abrasion-proof Steel

Its area of application is found primarily in the industrial sector. Steel clichés are especially suited to high quantity printing runs and closed ink systems. The quality of these clichés is unequaled. This is evident from their absolute sharpness of contour, multi-stage etching, utilization of screens of all types, very fine surface, low susceptibility to physical damage and consistency in high quantity printing runs. The number of prints which can be achieved using this cliché comes to at least 1,000,000 doctoring operations.

These plates are sized, ground, toughened, lapped, polished and etched. The whole process cycle take about 25 days. Hence standard sizes are mostly in stock and special clichés/ plates need time.