Pad Printing Plates & Clichés
Compare Polymer and Steel Plate Options
Deco Tech supplies polymer and steel pad printing plates, also called clichés, in finished, imaged form or for in-house processing. Compare the processing route and plate thickness, then confirm the dimensions and mounting pattern for your machine.
| Plate option | Processing route | Plate Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| H₂OPRO™ water-wash polymer | UV exposure and water washout | 0.43 mm |
| IMAGEPRO™ alcohol-wash polymer | UV exposure and alcohol washout | 0.43 mm |
| DURAPRO™ alcohol-wash polymer | UV exposure and alcohol washout | 0.52 mm |
| LASER PRO II™ laser-processable polymer | Compatible CO₂, YAG or fiber laser processing | 0.50 mm |
| Thin steel cliché | Chemical etching | 0.5 mm |
| Thick steel cliché | Chemical etching | 10 mm |
Use the processing instructions for your plate and equipment. Cycle-life figures are estimates, not guaranteed plate life.
Finished plates or plates for in-house processing?
Deco Tech cuts plates to size and punches mounting holes for the specified machine. Choose finished, imaged plates or plates for your own imaging workflow. For help with the differences, compare pad printing plate types.
Request a plate recommendation or quote
Provide your machine model, required plate dimensions and thickness, mounting-hole pattern, artwork and expected production quantity. Tell us whether you need finished plates or plan to process them in-house.
Request a quote for pad printing plates or contact Deco Tech.
Related consumables: pad printing inks and silicone transfer pads.
Deco Tech has the expertise, material options, and in-house tooling capabilities to support your pad printing needs with precision and speed.
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Using AQUAPRO plates? See our AQUAPRO polymer cliché processing instructions for the processing procedure.
LASER PRO II™ - SHORT RUN LASER ETCHED POLYMER PAD PRINTING PLATES (CLICHÉS)
Our Laser Pro II™ plates are designed for short-run pad printing applications and optimized for use with CO2, YAG and Fiber laser engraving systems. These black polymer clichés are durable, easy to use and ideal for companies running digital imaging workflows that require speed, precision, and cost efficiency.
- Cycles: Up to 15,000
- Thickness: 0.50 mm
- Applications: Laser-etched pad printing plates, short-run digital cliché imaging
| *Maximum Cycles: | 15,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | 762mm x 812mm (30” x 32”) (Can be cut to any size) |
| Cliché Thickness: | .50mmmm (0.019") |
| Etch Depth: | May be varied depending on laser etching machine settings |
| Attributes: | Black polymer, CO2, YAG and Fiber laser processed |
H2O PRO ™ SHORT RUN POLYMER CLICHÉS - WATER WASHOUT - PAD PRINTING PLATES
The H2O Pro™ is a high-quality, short-run photo polymer cliché ideal for pad printing applications that require fast processing and minimal chemical handling. These orange water-wash plates offer a reliable solution for users seeking ease of use and consistent imaging results using standard UV exposure systems.
- Cycles: Up to 10,000
- Washout Type: Water
- Best for: Fast-turnaround short-run jobs, easy washout processing
| *Maximum Cycles: | 10,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | 787 x 1,067mm (31" x 42") (can be cut to size, see our supply catalog for details) |
| Cliché Thickness: | 0.43mm (0.017") |
| Etch Depth: | May be varied depending on the percent of the screen tint film and exposure time. |
| Attributes: | Orange water-wash polymer with protective film on emulsion & steel backed for use with magnetic plate holders. |
IMAGEPRO™ SHORT RUN POLYMER CLICHÉS - ALCOHOL WASHOUT - PAD PRINTING PLATE
The ImagePro™ cliché is a dependable and cost-effective solution for short-run pad printing jobs requiring alcohol-wash photopolymer processing. These olive-green clichés are well suited for users seeking sharp detail, solid performance, and economical plate production in-house.
- Cycles: Up to 20,000
- Thickness: 0.43 mm
- Best for: In-house cliché making, cost-efficient pad printing
| *Maximum Cycles: | 20,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | 635 x 812mm (25" x 32") (can be cut to size, see our supply catalog for details) |
| Cliché Thickness: | 0.43mm (0.017") |
| Etch Depth: | May be varied depending on the percent of the screen tint film and exposure time. |
| Attributes: | Olive green polymer with protective film on emulsion and steel backed for use with magnetic plate holders. Economical, alcohol washout. |
DURAPRO™ MEDIUM RUN POLYMER CLICHÉS - ALCOHOL WASHOUT - PAD PRINTING PLATE
The DuraPro™ cliché is engineered for medium- to long-run pad printing applications requiring exceptional durability and sharp image reproduction. These red photopolymer plates are alcohol-washable, steel-backed, and ideal for demanding print environments that require consistent performance over extended production cycles.
- Cycles: Up to 100,000
- Thickness: 0.52 mm
- Best for: Demanding print environments, consistent quality control
| *Maximum Cycles: | 100,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | 500 x 600mm (19.69" x 23.62") (can be cut to size, see our supply catalog for details) |
| Cliché Thickness: | 0.52mm (0.020") |
| Etch Depth: | May be varied depending on the percent of the screen tint film and exposure time. |
| Attributes: | Red polymer with protective film on emulsion and steel backed for use with magnetic plate holders. Finest print quality, alcohol washout. |
PROTOPRO™ SHORT RUN- POLYMER CLICHÉS - ALCOHOL WASHOUT - PAD PRINTING PLATE
The ProtoPro™ cliché is a specialty green polymer plate engineered for prototyping and high-resolution 4-color process pad printing. With a fixed etch depth and no need for secondary exposures or halftone screening, this cliché is ideal for simulating the print quality of a 10mm thick steel cliché, without the cost or processing time.
- Cycles: Up to 10,000
- Attributes: Fixed etch depth, no halftone screen required
- Best for: Prototype cliché making, high quality image pad printing
| *Maximum Cycles: | 10,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | 406 x 787mm (16" x 31") (can be cut to size, see catalog for details) |
| Cliché Thickness: | 0.30mm (0.012") |
| Etch Depth: | Fixed |
| Attributes: | Bright Green steel backed polymer with protective film emulsion for use with magnetic plate holders. Perfectly suited material for simulating thick steel cliché print results. Uses no secondary exposure or half-tone line screen and is processed with a fixed single etch depth. This is the cliché to use for proto-type pad printing jobs where you want to create brilliant 4 color process work or want to generally mimic the results you get with a 10mm thick steel cliché.. |
THIN STEEL CLICHÉS - 0.5MM THICKNESS - STEEL PAD PRINTING PLATE
Our 0.5mm thin steel clichés are engineered for long-life, high-volume pad printing applications. Made from premium-grade steel with a highly polished finish, these plates are coated with a photosensitive emulsion and offer exceptional durability, precision, and print quality over extended production runs. Ideal for high-volume production, our thin steel clichés offer superior durability, precise image transfer, and long press life with up to 250,000 impressions.
- Hardness: Rockwell ~52
- Finish: Double-polished steel
- Applications: Long-run industrial pad printing
| *Maximum Cycles: | 250,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | Up to 305 x 600mm (12" x 23.62") (thin steel clichés are cut per customer specifications. See our supply catalog for details) |
| Cliché Thickness: | 0.5mm (0.019") |
| Etch Depth: | May be varied depending on the percent of the screen tint film and exposure time. |
| Attributes: | Thin Steel cliché material, highly polished finish on both sides with photo sensitive emulsion. Rockwell Hardness: ~52. |
THICK STEEL CLICHÉS - 10MM THICKNESS - STEEL PAD PRINTING PLATE
Our 10mm thick steel clichés are built for the most demanding pad printing environments, offering exceptional longevity, repeatable print quality, and unmatched durability. These are the gold standard for high-volume, continuous production — delivering crisp, consistent image transfers even after hundreds of thousands of cycles. The industry gold standard for continuous, ultra-high-volume production. With a life of up to 1 million cycles, these thick steel clichés deliver unmatched durability and image consistency.
- Hardness: Rockwell ~63
- Best for: Demanding, round-the-clock printing operations
| *Maximum Cycles: | 1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Available Sizes: | Virtually any size cliché is available. We stock most of the industries popular sizes for a variety of machine brands and models. |
| Cliché Thickness: | 10mm (0.39") |
| Etch Depth: | May be varied depending on the percent of the screen tint film and exposure time. |
| Attributes: | Thick Steel cliché material, highly polished finish with photo sensitive emulsion. Finest print quality. Rockwell Hardness: ~63. |
