Pad printing, also known as indirect gravure printing, is a printing technique that uses a silicone pad to transfer printing ink from cliché to substrate that has an uneven surface. It is a printing technique that mostly uses solvent-based printing inks. These inks are environmentally unfriendly and harmful for people when long-term exposed. They are also less economical as they require special cleaning supplies. In this diploma thesis we researched how surface tension of different printing materials effects the quality of prints made with water-based printing ink.
Firstly, pad printing is presented. Specifically which components are needed for the printing process. Surface tension is described in relation to its' effects on cohesiveness of printing ink onto substrate and how we can improve the cohesiveness. In this research we used water-based printing inks. They are a new type of pad printing ink that has not yet been researched enough. They are environmentally friendlier and more economical than solvent-based printing inks. We compared the quality of prints on untreated surfaces of materials, surfaces of materials treated with a solvent and surfaces of materials treated a coating. We used following materials: glass, plastic, ceramics, wood and polystyrene. We figured that the best and the most durable prints were printed on materials for which the water-based pad printing ink was intended for.
Due to the lack of research about water-based pad printing ink there are obscurities concerning the optimal approach for better printability, which lead to unsatisfied clients and higher expenses because of repeated printing.
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