The Pad Printing Process - sources needed!

[Phaedros]

Another one of the great techniques that is documented rather scarcely…

Maybe some of you have literature or links to articles concerning the issue.

My knowledge so far is:

The „ancients“ used pads made of gelatin. These pads were cast into a mold and, once cured, they were heated upside down to lightly melt the surface. This would produce a perfect and sticky surface. The pad then needs to be powdered to be useable.

The clichées were etched with a resist of photographic lacquer. A dial would be painted by hand in large scale, then supposedly a coated metal plate was inserted into a camera, very much like a glass plate and a photo was taken to the right dimensions. The exposed parts were then developed, washed off and etched.
Another approach would be taking a photograph onto a glass plate and make a contact print onto the coated metal plate.

Two videos that show the pad printing process:



A small glimpse of a powdered gelatin pad @1:44:



A very nice machine:

https://www.nielsmachines.com/de/favori ... chine.html


I‘d love to plug into the collective brain on here and maybe shed some more light on this. Any info appreciated - modern or classic approaches.

- lacquer used
- gelatin mixtures
- what powder (pumice, talkum?)
- machines, sources, tutorials

Thanks for reading!

[madasboot]

@Phaedros this will be a slow burner topic
Best
M.

[TUFF Stough]

all i know is with current technology advancement, the cliché can be laser etched directly. not necessarily went thru the emulsion coating and photographing process anymore.

[jrlmsla]

I believe that [mention]norskguru88 [/mention] is pad printing now. Maybe he can share some of his secrets

[Phaedros]

@madasboot - guess you’re right! No one really seems to have hands on knowledge and the ones that do kind of stay silent. Just had a talk to a guy from a watchmakers and jewelers museum - he basically said this can’t be taught via telephone, you need to „feel“ the process.

@TUFF Stough thank you - That’s some good info!

@jrlmsla thank you as well! Maybe @norskguru88 will chime in. I‘d love to have some exchange!

[norskguru88]

It's not that difficult if you have proper pad printing machine. Important to find a right ink consistency (hardner+thinner ratio) and getting a good plate made. It's all possible when you do a few trial and error steps. I am using a local supplier to make my pads, trying out my new laser as well to make them as getting good resolution to the pad is very difficult and tedious process via old photo exposure method. I have tried everything from branded fuji film liquid to local ones, very difficult to get good and consistent results.

So i would suggest you go the laser cliche plate way. Easier, cheaper, long lasting and better resolution

Sent from my M2101K6P using Tapatalk

[norskguru88]

I use 5 ℅ hardner+ 10 ℅ thinner and mix ink, let it sit fir na few min, then do the 8 formation test to check consistency

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[Phaedros]

@norskguru88 sounds like you went down deep into the rabbit-hole!
The photographic process adds a whole new set of problems… might be just as demanding as the printing itself. I‘ve done quite some lab work myself - guess your advice is gold.
I‘ve read somewhere the proper depth for a laser etched cliché is 20-40 microns.

So you use modern silicon pads and screen-printing lacquer?

I found this: https://www.proell-inks.com/en/product/noripur-r.html

Is this your current setup? viewtopic.php?f=58&t=7545

The machine looks great! I really like the way it is built.