Pad Printing in Dubai & the UAE
Pad printing transfers ink from an etched plate onto a silicone pad, which then presses the image onto the product. Because the pad flexes, it is the standard method for branding curved and uneven items that a flat press cannot reach.
- Minimum order
- From 50 pieces per design
- Colours
- 1–4 colours, printed one pass per colour
- Lead time
- 5–10 working days after artwork approval
- Best on
- Plastics and ABS
What pad printing is best for
- Pens, USB drives, keyrings and small promotional items
- Curved, recessed or irregular surfaces
- Small logos that need crisp edges at a few centimetres wide
Materials it works on
- Plastics and ABS
- Coated metal
- Glass and ceramic (with the right ink system)
How pad printing works, step by step
- 1
Plate etching
Your logo is etched into a steel or polymer cliché plate at final print size.
- 2
Ink pick-up
The etched recess is flooded with ink and the excess scraped away.
- 3
Transfer
A silicone pad lifts the ink from the plate and presses it onto the product, conforming to its shape.
- 4
Cure
Items are air- or heat-cured depending on the substrate and ink system.
Pad Printing: common questions
What is pad printing used for?
Branding items that are not flat — pens, power banks, keyrings, bottle lids, tool handles. If a product has a curve, a taper or a recessed panel, pad printing is usually the only method that will place a clean logo on it.
What is the minimum order for pad printing pens in the UAE?
From 50 pieces. Pad printing has a low setup cost relative to screen printing, which is why it is the default for small promotional runs and sample batches.
How small can a pad-printed logo be?
Fine detail holds down to roughly 5 mm tall for simple marks. Very thin strokes and small reversed-out text are the first things to fill in — we flag this at artwork stage rather than after printing.
Products we pad printing most often
Other branding methods
Need pad printing for a UAE order?
Send us the artwork, product and quantity. You get a costed quote and a free digital mock-up before you commit to anything.
Request a quote