Printing on silicone rubber is challenging due to the unique properties of silicone rubber. Many decorators and contract printers ask, &#;How do you print on silicone?&#; In this article, we will review the unique silicone properties that make it hard to print on silicone. Additionally, we will review how to print on silicone rubber, the printing techniques (silicone screen printing and silicone pad printing), and inks for printing on silicone.
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Below are the reasons why it is challenging to print on silicone rubber using conventional methods.
Overcoming these challenges often involves using specialized silicone-based inks. In addition to the inks, possible printing technologies for silicone rubber include pad printing and screen printing. Therefore, it is important to choose the right ink and printing method to ensure successful printing on silicone.
As discussed above, silicone&#;s unique properties make it hard to print. For these reasons, UV-curable ink, standard solvent-based screen, and pad printing inks will not adhere to silicone. To print silicone rubber, the only ink that sticks to silicone is silicone-based ink. Silicone inks require heat to dry and cure. Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc., offers excellent ink options for decorating silicone products. These are the SE, DC, and SE-F series. The SE Series is the most common non-medical silicone product. For medical silicone products, use the SE-F Series. Both series have high opacity, gloss, and flexibility compared to other inks on the market. Additionally, these inks have a high resistance to scratching and chemicals.
Lastly, for silicone products sensitive to heat, use the DC series.
The process for silicone pad printing is like solvent ink pad printing. The decorator (printer) mixes the ink with a catalyst and solvent. Generally, the catalyst ratio is 10% of the ink weight. The silicone thinner ratio ranges from 10 to 70%, depending on the color and desired ink viscosity. Finally, the operator pours the ink mixture into an ink cup, loads it onto the pad printer, and starts printing. To dry the prints, dry and cure the images using heat. The amount of time and temperature needed to dry a silicone print depends on the density of the silicone substrate.
Additionally, we recommend using laser plates over photopolymer pad printing plates. Use 35&#;50-micron-deep plates. This depth will provide the best opacity while preventing the ink from splashing when printing on a silicone item.
Silicone pad printing supplies include a silicone pad printing machine, pads, plates, ink to print silicone rubber, and an ink cup. Additionally, we recommend having ink mixing sticks and lint-free towels. All these supplies are necessary to successfully print rubber.
A silicone printing pad is another important pad printing supply. We recommend 60&#;70 durometer pad printing pads for most silicone items. When printing silicone cups, use a 50-durometer pad.
Lastly, printing on this rubber with a pad printer offers the flexibility to print on otherwise difficult-to-print 3D surfaces.
If you still have any questions on what printer, inks, or pads to use for printing on your products, contact us at (781) 281-; we&#;d love to help you.
Silicone ink requires heat to dry. As a result, the ink will remain wet until it is properly cured. Unlike solvent-pad printing inks, the printer must dry each image before printing the next image. For this reason, when printing multi-colors, it is important to use tight (exact) registration. Additionally, using the appropriate silicone solvent, e.g., TRM or TxM, will produce high-quality images. With TxM solvent, it is possible to print hundreds of images before cleaning the silicone pad.
Not sure when to change your pad printing pad? This article discusses when to change your printing pads.
Screen printing uses a squeegee to push ink through mesh onto a substrate, except in blocked areas of the screen. The screen mesh varies depending on the type of graphic used. For fine-detail artwork, use a 280&#;305 mesh. For bold logos, use 230&#;250 mesh-count screens. The higher the mesh count, the finer the details it is possible to print. The opposite is true. Also, the choice of the squeegee material is equally important. Use a 70&#;80 hard durometer squeegee.
Like pad printing, mix silicone screen printing ink with the catalyst and solvent. The catalyst ratio is 10% of the ink weight. Use TRM solvent at a ratio of 5&#;10%. We also offer a retardant Type SS silicone solvent.
Lastly, consider the Volta S300C cylinder screen printing machine for printing silicone cups, silicone tumblers, and silicone pint cups.
It costs $0.015 to print a 1&#; x 1&#; (25mm x 25mm) image using a 305-screen mesh or a pad printing plate with 35 microns deep etch. Interested in printing on glass?
At Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc., we offer the SE Series screen and pad printing ink. This series is flexible, chemical-resistant, and permanently bonds to the silicone substate. As mentioned above, we use pure silicone to make our silicone ink lines. The SE Series meets and exceeds all the criteria required by printing industry standards. The Natron SE Series has high opacity, gloss, flexibility, fade resistance, RoHS, CPSIA, etc. Additionally, this ink for printing on silicone rubber comes in 40 standard colors. Additionally, we offer custom ink color matching services. All custom colors are available within a day upon request.
For heat-sensitive silicone products, we offer the DC Series silicone ink. This ink cures at a lower temperature compared to the SE series. Unlike the SE series, this ink has less opacity and is lighter in weight. We recommend this ink for items that will not undergo lots of abrasion and in applications where silicone is bonded with plastic.
The SE-F Series silicone ink is the best silicone ink for medical-grade silicone products. This ink uses the purest silicone polymers and ultrapurification to make sure that there are no impurities. This ink features medical Class VI certification. Printing methods for this ink series include both screen and pad printing. We have over 20 standard colors for the SE-F series, and custom colors are available upon request.
Silicone substrates are becoming popular as many companies look for alternatives to plastic. Many industries, including promotional, sporting goods, industrial, electronics, aerospace, automotive, etc., prefer silicone due to its feel, durability, inertness, and sustainable properties. With our silicone rubber inks, you can print on any silicone product, such as swim caps, drinkware, tool handles, remote control buttons, dog bowls, etc. Visit our printing applications page to learn more about the popular silicone printing applications.
Both screen and pad printing are excellent options for printing on silicone. There are trade-offs for choosing one printing method over the other.
The shape of the object determines which printing method to use. For odd-shaped products, use pad printing. Additionally, pad printing is excellent for small logos that are less than 90° around the object. If you need to print on tapered-shaped or 360° cylindrical objects, such as cups, we recommend screen printing. Screen printing is also excellent when printing bold images. In general, pad printing lays down more ink compared to pad printing. This leads to higher opacity and glossy prints compared to pad printing.
It is possible to print multiple colors with both printing methods. However, you must dry and cure each color after printing. Use laser guides and tight registration tooling fixtures. These will enable you to successfully print multiple colors on silicone.
A key advantage of pad printing is the ability to reuse the ink. It is possible to store the ink-catalyst-solvent mixture in the sealed ink without any impact on the ink for 24 hours. This reduces the cost of the ink compared to screen printing. For screen printing, it is important to clean the screens at the end of the screen or run the risk of damaging the screens.
Overall, both printing methods are excellent for printing. The type of product will dictate the printing process. Additionally, for startups, when choosing the type of equipment, it is important to consider future printing products. Ready to start printing on silicone? Here are the top 7 applications to print on silicone rubber with silicone ink.
Lastly, learn more about our other printing inks, including UV printer ink, solvent-based inks, and UV adhesion promoters.
We supply custom rubber labels for clothing with branded logos, 2D & 3D PVC silicone tags & patch manufacturer wholesale for garments, bags, hats, etc. Add personalized rubber clothing labels with embossed logos to your fashion brand! The rubber labels & tags include silicone rubber labels and PVC rubber labels. They are made of eco-friendly materials. You can add sewing channels, hot-melted glue, 3M self-adhesives or Velcro(hook and loop) behind it.
Our rubber labels are super soft tough and waterproof. They are soft and comfortable to the touch. And they do not irritate the skin. Therefore, they are suitable for use on all types of clothing. Meanwhile, can be stacked in two or even three layers of thickness. This way you can customize more attractive 3D effects. And you can place them wherever you want to show your brand logos.
Custom soft rubber labels mainly include custom PVC and silicone labels. They are popular in many types of garment and bag products. Such as sportswear, hats, T-shirts, jackets, shoes, backpacks, T-shirts, etc. Our rubber clothing tags can create a raised effect for your logo. They add a stunning 3D effect to your clothing bags.
In addition, all of our custom rubber patches can use eco-friendly materials. If you are pursuing recycled and green labels, then we recommend customizing non-toxic silicone rubber labels. They are super soft, harmless and skin-friendly. If you are just starting a business, then the PVC rubber labels will be a more cost-effective choice for you.
Personalized rubber labels with logo will be a showcase and embellishment of your fashion brand. They are rich in color. So they are also very suitable for use on children&#;s clothing and sportswear. You can customize any shape, color and styles. Want to boost your brand image and visibility? Then adding your logo to the rubber label will be the best marketing tool.
Materials
soft PVC, eco-friendly silicone, etc.Logo crafts
3D embossed logo(we can make three layers including the bottom base), heat transferred logo, debossed logo, hollow logo(can see the base), luminous logo(glow in the night), etcColor
transparent, semi-transparent, black, white, green, yellow, red, gray, orange, etc; Pantone colors; customized colors;Size
Customized according to your needs;Thickness
the common thickness is 2mm. the logo is raised 0.5mm. The base thickness is best not to be lower than 0.7mm.Shape
Rectangle, square, circle, triangle, heart shape, logo shape, letter shape, customized shape, irregular shape (can make into keychain by adding chains and rings), etc.Custom content
brand logo, company name, slogan, patterns, letters, numbers, and your specified content.Backing fixing way
sewing, use 3M self-adhesives, add Velcro(hook and loop), add metal chains and rings, etc.Sewing method
add seam slots on four sides; make the top thin (sew to the sides); add holes;MOQ (the minimum order quantity)
PVC labels: 100 pcs. Silicone labels: 500 pcs.In appearance, the surface of the silicone rubber label is smooth and shiny. They are soft in texture and have good elasticity. Second, silicone labels are non-toxic and harmless. So, they are popular environmental labels. Not only are they durable, they are also waterproof and resistant to high temperatures.
This eco and flexible silicone rubber label has a long service life. You can customize them into any shape and color. Then, they can be used as more than just clothing labels. You can also make them into a variety of silicone products. Such as keychains, coasters, luggage tags, silicone hang tags, pull tabs, etc.
PVC rubber labels are durable, soft and waterproof clothing labels. Their background color can be solid color, translucent or transparent. But even if it is transparent, it is not completely transparent. In general, PVC rubber labels usually have a single-sided logo. And your brand logo can be raised, debossed, hollowed out or made into luminous. You can customize it with many brilliant colors and 3D effects.
You can use 3M self-adhesive glue or Velcro on the back. However, 3M adhesive will weaken in about 1 year. Therefore, they are not as durable as sewing or Velcro labels.
Are you interested in learning more about silicone rubber labels for sale? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Adding the side seam slots around the label is one of the most common methods. This method works on most garments, especially those with thicker fabrics. Of course, this is also the most durable and popular method.
Thin the seam on one side of labels is also a common fixation method. The thin side is more suitable and easy for sewing on clothing, bags or hats.
Adding Velcro to the back of a rubber label is also a very simple and convenient method. You can replace or remove them at any time. Therefore, hook and loop rubber patches are perfect for uniforms, school uniforms, sportswear, and backpacks.
They allow your custom labels to be easily attached to your products. Such as key chains, luggage tags, etc. In addition, PVC labels with metal chains or rings will be more stylish and attractive. They can be custom designed according to brand positioning and image.
The self-adhesive 3M glue are easy to use. The can adhere firmly to various surfaces and will not easy to fall off. You can change and replace them at any time.
Punch any holes is okay, as long as it&#;s convenient for you to attach it to your product. You can use ropes, chains, etc. to string them up and then use them on the product.
Many household items also have rubber tags sewn on them, especially eco-friendly silicone banana tags. They are usually on the front, sides, or bottom of the product. Such as bedding, thermos coasters, towels, aprons, etc.
We can often see rubber labels on outdoor products. Such as yoga bags, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc.
We can often sew rubber labels on the back of the collar, cuffs, hems, chest, etc. You can use them to display information such as brand name, logo, size, etc.
PVC or silicone rubber labels can be sewn on the brim, front or back of the hat to display brand logos.
You can sew this label on the outer fabric of backpacks, handbags, wallets, etc. And the rubber labels are waterproof and flexible. If you are using it for luggage, it is usually made into a luggage tag and hung on the luggage. Address, name, number and other information can be printed on it.
We are a professional clothing labels manufacturer and supplier. We supply custom clothing labels with different types for fashion brands. Just let us know what you need and we can create personalized labels for you. Except rubber labels, we can also customize woven labels, printed fabric labels, leather/metal/TPU labels, heat transfer labels, etc.
Please us or send message to us to request a free quote. Our sales manager will provide the best suggestion for your custom needs. Just send your logo file, and tell us your size, color, order quantity, logo needs. And we will provide you with free quotation and custom service.
You can send us vector logo files, like PDF, AI, ESP, CDR, or original files from PSD. If you have no art file, we supply free design for you.
Bulk production time is 15 to 20 days. Shipping time 5-7 days by FedEx or DHL; 7-10 days by air freight; 30-40 days by sea;
1. by Paypal; 2. by Bank Transfer(T/T);
The price is determined by your logos, size, color, materials, shapes, techniques, or order quantity. So, the prices are not fixed. After you tell us your specific needs, our sales manager will calculate the final price for you. You can request a free quote and send your art files to us. We make free designs for you.
Step 1. Contact us and tell us your artwork, materials, size, colors, techniques, destination, etc. If you have no ideas, please attach our similar product pictures;
Step 2. Once receive your details, we&#;ll reply to you ASAP. And quote you the price, the freight charge, and the transfer charge;
Step 3. After you confirm the price, we will issue the invoice;
Step 4. We will make designs if you don&#;t have design file after receiving your payment;
Step 5. If you prefer to make samples first. We will proceed with the samples after receiving your sample charge. If not, please skip step 6;
Step 6. After receiving your design or sample approval. We will start producing the bulk goods;
Step 7. Bulk production and inspection and handover of the goods;
Step 8. After-sales service;
sample show of custom rubber labels
Some photo gallery about custom PVC and silicone rubber labels for your reference. If you need to customize your logos, please contact us.
Please send us your logo files, tell us the color, size and quantity you need. If you have no ideas, our product manager will recommend suitable sizes and designs for you. Whether you want to create personalised rubber labels or are looking for wholesale label suppliers, we can help you.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit lenticular patches for sale.